GM Liem’s first win at US 2012 Spice Cup
(VOV) -Vietnamese chess GM Le Quang Liem has claimed his first win at the 2012 Spice Cup, defeating Hungarian rival Csaba Balogh in the 9th match after an 8-draw streak on October 21.
Liem had the white player’s advantage of first move but faced tough resistance from Balogh.
It took the Vietnamese GM more than an hour and 42 moves to finish the match.
The result helped Liem earn a total of 5 points, placing him in third but with only 0.5 of a point less than French top player Maxime Lagrave.
It has added to the pressure on Lagrave and China’s Ding Liren, both of whom enjoy the potential advantages of playing German underdog Georg Meier and Csaba Balogh.
Liem will face Malaysian archrival Wesley So in his 10th match, a tantalising showdown thanks to their evenness of skill. Only a victory can help Liem retain his championship title.