Chess

Woman Grandmaster Phạm Lê Thảo Nguyên will be one of Vietnamese representatives at the World Cup 2025. Photo thanhuytphcm.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will have at least three chess players with places at the World Cup 2025.

Two positions have been awarded to Việt Nam based on the team's performance in the Olympiad 2024.

Woman Grandmaster Phạm Lê Thảo Nguyên has been announced as the first recipient of a chair at the World Cup, with the second player to be announced at a later date.

Nguyên, 34, is Việt Nam's number one female player who won a bronze at the Asian Games 2010, a silver at the Asian Championship 2011 and has participated in the Chess Olympiad seven times.

Earlier, Grandmaster Lê Quang Liêm earned his place due to his elevated ranking in the world table, where he is currently number 16. Last month the former world blitz champion once again proved his form, winning 'Titled Tuesday', the Chess.com's weekly 11-round Swiss tournament for titled players.

Grandmaster Lê Quang Liêm. File Photo

Việt Nam Chess Federation General Secretary Nguyễn Minh Thắng said his masters would take part in a qualification event in April in Mongolia and he expected a fourth slot would be announced there.

"We also can get more slots if we checkmate well in the Asian championship in May in the UAE," said Thắng.

“We will build a suitable plan so that players sent to each tournament would have highest results and Việt Nam would grab as many slots as possible."

Masters will play standard chess at the World Cup which will be held from October 31 to November 27 in India.

Prior to these events, GM Liêm will compete in the Prague International Chess Festival 2025 on February 25 to March 7.

He is the third seed of the tournament standing below Wei Yi of China and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa of India.

Liêm won silver there in 2022. VNS