Le Quang Liem dominated the Leon Masters, winning 10 rapid and blitz games without ever being at a disadvantage. He defeated Spanish player Jaime Santos Latasa 4-2 in the semi-final before overcoming Anand 3-1 in the final on 6/7/2025. Following his victory, leading Spanish newspaper El Pais published an article titled, "Quang Liem imposes uncomfortable style on chess genius Anand in Leon final".

In the article, author and FIDE Master Leontxo Garcia commented, "The Vietnamese player won the Leon Masters title thanks to his masterful technique. The trend of prioritizing efficiency over spectacular displays often influences chess, just like football. This was the case in the match between Quang Liem and Anand".

Le Quang Liem (right) during the Leon Masters final against Viswanathan Anand in Leon, Spain on 6/7/2025. Photo: Diario de Leon

Le Quang Liem (right) during the Leon Masters final against Viswanathan Anand in Leon, Spain on 6/7/2025. Photo: Diario de Leon

Garcia likened Quang Liem's playing style to "granite," known for its hardness and durability. "Quang Liem is allergic to errors or inaccuracies, which allowed him to defeat Anand 3-1 with relative ease. The 55-year-old Anand is one of the greatest players in history, a five-time world champion and 10-time Leon Masters winner".

Garcia described the final as technically focused, with both players opting for a solid approach rather than sacrificing pieces or engaging in spectacular combinations. This resulted in a match some considered less exciting.

The 129-year-old newspaper Heraldo de Leon commented that Quang Liem "always plays very solidly and can exploit his opponent's mistakes masterfully." This was evident in the second game, where the top Vietnamese player trapped Anand's queen in the middlegame and subsequently captured a knight. Despite the computer momentarily evaluating the endgame as balanced, the Indian player couldn't capitalize on the opportunity to draw.

This marked Quang Liem's first rapid chess victory in the tournament, having drawn all five previous games. After the match, Anand admitted that losing his queen demoralized him, impacting his subsequent decisions. In the third game, the 2007-2013 world champion lost even more quickly, sealing the final before the last game.

Leading Spanish sports newspaper Marca revealed that Anand was continually bothered by a fly during the second game, affecting his concentration. However, the newspaper also highlighted Quang Liem's strong positional play.

The Leon Masters is Spain's most prestigious chess tournament, now in its 38th year. Quang Liem, Anand, Santos Latasa, and 11-year-old prodigy Faustino Oro were invited to participate in the rapid knockout format. Anand holds the record with 10 titles. Quang Liem, as the current champion, will be invited to next year's tournament.

The 17-time consecutive Vietnamese number one player expressed his honor at playing against a living legend in the final. "When I was young, I studied many of Anand's games closely," Quang Liem added.

Compiled by Xuan Binh