Quang Liem wins Super Grandmaster at Biel Grandmaster

Quang Liem (Elo 2.728) with a white piece meets Indian player Erigaisi (2,710) in the standard four-chest game. Black actively closed the center after the opening, but Quang Liem found a way to break the symmetrical pavilion to create a strong center pawn. This advantage was soon converted into victory by the number one player in Vietnam after 42 moves, because Erigaisi could not avoid losing the code.

Erigaisi is considered a young talent, when he surpassed the Elo mark of 2,700 in his teens. His Elo in July 2023 reached 2,710, the same level of Super Grandmaster as Quang Liem. This is Quang Liem's ​​first time defeating a Super grandmaster in standard chess, since his victory over Sam Shankland at the Prague Masters in June 2022.

After four standard games at Biel Grandmaster, Quang Liem won three and lost one. His only loss came in the third round, when he took the black piece to German number one Vincent Keymer. After winning the second seed Quang Liem, Keymer continued to lower the number one seed Du Duong Y (2,735) to monopolize the top of the table.

On the scoreboard, counting all seven quick games that have ended, Keymer has 21 points. Quang Liem ranked third with 17 points, 1.5 points less than David Navara. But if only standard chess content is counted, the HD Bank 2018 champion leads with 12 points.

Quang Liem is the defending champion of Biel Grandmaster, but is only the second seed this year. The average Elo of the eight players participating in this year's tournament is 2,699, with seven players having been or are currently Super Grandmasters. Players compete in all three types of standard, fast and flash chess to calculate the total points for the championship.

Today, July 22, the tournament will take place 14 games of blitz chess, each game winning one point, drawing half a point, from 19:00, Hanoi time.