Esports

Grandmaster Lê Quang Liêm will compete in the Esports World Cup 2026 in August in Saudi Arabia. —Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI — Grandmaster Lê Quang Liêm has earned a slot to compete in the men’s chess event at the Esports World Cup 2026 on August 11-15 in Saudi Arabia, after a strong qualifying run that saw him overcome several leading rivals.

He defeated strong opponents, including Master Carlos Perdomo and Grandmasters Jules Moussard and Oleksandr Bortnyk to finish third in the North American qualification, which concluded on May 17 in Atlanta, in the United States.

It will be the first time a Vietnamese player has taken part in this prestigious tournament, with Liêm set to pocket a US$50,000 participation fee.

Chess will bring together some of the world’s strongest competitors, including five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who will vie for a total prize pool of $1.5 million.

The first phase, new to the EWC, is the play-in phase, which will host eight players qualified via the Last Chance Qualifier and DreamHack Atlanta. These players will face off in a double-elimination bracket, playing two games per match.

The best players from the Play-in will advance to the Group Stage and will be joined by the top performers from qualifying tournaments. In the Group Stage, 16 players will be divided into two groups, competing again in double-elimination brackets and playing two games per match. The top four from both groups will qualify for the Playoffs.

The Playoffs follow a single-elimination format with no second chances, featuring four games per match in the Round of 8 and six games per match in the semi-finals. The winner of this year’s tournament will be decided after a demanding Grand Finals match played over three sets of games.

Chess made its debut at the EWC in 2025, where Carlsen, competing under Team Liquid, claimed the inaugural title. His victory helped establish chess as a natural fit on the EWC stage, blending classical mastery with modern esports competition.

The former world blitz chess champion Liêm will compete in the ASEAN Esports Chess in Thailand next month, a key warm-up ahead of the global event.

The tournament will bring together 11 leading chess players representing Southeast Asian countries alongside five international players. Norwegian Carlsen, who lost to Liêm in a tournament in 2022, is among the invited players.

In a recent social media post, the Vietnamese player described the esports format as modern and dynamic, recalling his earlier experience competing in the Champions Chess Tour system.

He also said the combination of chess and esports could help bring chess closer to younger audiences and offer fans new viewing experiences. — VNS