Vietnam secured a spot in the 2025 World Cup by ranking 25th among the top 80 countries at the 2024 Chess Olympiad. Initially, the Vietnam Chess Federation allocated this spot to the country's top player, Le Quang Liem.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) also reserved 13 spots for high-Elo players. Since leading players like Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and Alireza Firouzja declined to participate, their spots were transferred to the next highest-ranked players, including Le Quang Liem.
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Peng Jia Hui at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: FIDE |
Peng Jia Hui at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: FIDE
Consequently, the Vietnam Chess Federation awarded the nation's spot to the 2024 national champion, Peng Jia Hui, instead of other national team members like Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Le Tuan Minh, and Tran Tuan Minh.
The 16-year-old Hanoi native, Peng Jia Hui, currently holds an Elo rating of 2,440, ranking 7th in Vietnam. Among the 206 participants in the upcoming World Cup, his Elo ranks 165th. This tournament presents a valuable opportunity for the young player to gain experience and compete against world-class opponents.
Le Quang Liem, a 34-year-old from Ho Chi Minh City, boasts an Elo rating of 2,729 and is Vietnam's top-ranked player. His Elo, the 15th highest in the tournament, secures him a seeded position, granting him exemption from the first round.
The biennial Chess World Cup, a single-elimination tournament featuring 206 players, awards three qualifying spots for the Candidates Tournament. This year's event, held from 31/10 to 27/11 in Goa, India, offers a prize fund of 2 million USD. The champion will receive 120,000 USD, while even players eliminated in the first round will earn 3,500 USD. Magnus Carlsen, the reigning champion, will not participate this year.
Each match spans a maximum of three days. The first two days consist of two standard chess games with alternating colors. In case of a tie, a tie-break featuring rapid and blitz chess will take place on the third day.
Xuan Binh
