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 10^th match, a tantalising showdown thanks to their evenness of skill. Only a victory can help Liem retain his championship title.

Source:VOV