>>> GM Le Quang Liem pockets US$15,000 as runner-up at Chessable Masters
>>> Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem to compete in 2021 Grand Chess Tour
Liem made a poor start in the tournament with a bottom-place finish in the rapid chess campaign on August 12-14, scoring just six out of the total 18 points.
However, heading into the blitz competition on Sunday, the Vietnamese ace promptly rediscovered his rhythm to earn six points from five wins over Jeffery Xiong (US), Sam Shankland (US), Peter Svidler (Russia), Leinier Dominguez (US) and Richard Rapport (Hungary), and two draws against Wesley So (US) and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan).
The 2013 world blitz champion only conceded two defeats against US representatives, world No. 2 Fabiano Caruana and world No. 19 Hikaru Nakamura who won the rapid event with 12 points.
Liem joined Nakamura as the two best performers on the first blitz day, with the latter having also managed to grab six points to further solidify his lead in the title race.
Le Quang Liem and Hikaru Nakamura are the two best performers on the first day of blitz chess at the 2021 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz. (Photo: Chess.com)
The 10 competitors will enter the second and last blitz day today (August 16). Nakamura holds the largest advantage ahead of the final day of competition with 18 points, followed by Caruana (15.5 points), Rapport (14.5) and So (14).
If Liem maintains his current form in the last nine rounds of blitz chess, he will be able to further improve his ranking for a greater share of the prize money.
The 2021 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is the penultimate tournament of the 2021 GCT schedule, which features two classical and three rapid & blitz events. The last event of the 2021 GCT schedule, known as the Sinquefield Cup, is set to take place in St. Louis from August 16 to 28.
This is the first time Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem has been invited to compete in a 2021 GCT stage. He is competing against nine other elite players over nine rounds of rapid chess and 18 rounds of blitz chess. Each win in rapid chess will earn the players two points with one point for a draw, while blitz chess offers one point for a win and half a point for a draw.
A total prize fund of US$150,000 is up for grabs, with the overall winner to pocket US$37,500.
