Vietnamese Chess Player Quang Liem Defeats World Champion at Chess Olympiad

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Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem, playing black, defeated reigning world champion Ding Liren, helping Vietnam draw 2-2 against China at the Chess Olympiad.
 

For the first time in history, a Vietnamese chess player has defeated a reigning world champion in standard chess. In a must-win game to help his team avoid a loss to China, Quang Liem (Elo 2,741) achieved a milestone victory, defeating Ding (Elo 2,736) after 62 moves early on the morning of September 17, Hanoi time.

The game lasted nearly five hours, and toward the end, Ding covered his face with both hands, sighed softly, and then stopped the clock to shake hands with Quang Liem. Vietnam’s number one player showed little emotion, his face relaxing slightly, a look of relief as he leaned back in his chair. This match was the most anticipated of the sixth round, played on the main board, the only place with camera angles capturing both players' faces from the chessboard.

The 2024 Chess Olympiad is taking place in Budapest, Hungary, from September 10 to 23, marking the 100th anniversary of the tournament. The Open section features 196 teams, while the Women’s section has 183 teams. The event is considered the Olympics of the chess world, bringing together most of the top players globally.