Grandmaster Le Quang Liem officially secured a place in Round 5 of the 2025 FIDE World Cup late on November 12 (local time) in India.
In the return game of the fourth-round classical match, Le Quang Liem faced Indian Grandmaster Karthik Venkataraman. The first leg, held the previous day, ended in a draw. In the rematch, Le Quang Liem played with the black pieces and moved second, while Karthik Venkataraman, seeking an early advantage, launched an aggressive opening aimed at forcing the Vietnamese player into a defensive stance.
However, Le Quang Liem displayed exceptional composure and strategic discipline, maintaining control throughout the match. After 68 moves, he defeated Karthik Venkataraman to seal his progression.
With an aggregate score of 1.5–0.5, Le Quang Liem advanced to the fifth round—marking the first time in history that a Vietnamese chess player has reached this stage of a FIDE World Cup.
By advancing to Round 5, Le Quang Liem has so far earned a prize of US$25,000. The 2025 FIDE World Cup for male players runs through November 27, with the champion set to receive $120,000. In the next round, Le Quang Liem is expected to face German Grandmaster Alexander Donchenko.
