Before the encounter, both Liem and Ponomariov devoted a lot of energy into tiebreak series in the second round.

Before meeting in the third round of the 2023 Chess World Cup, Le Quang Liem and Ruslan Ponomariov both spent a lot of effort for the play-off series of the second round.

The Number 1 player of Vietnam had the advantage of holding white pieces, but did not dare to take risks. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian player also tried to strike a balance against Liem.

After a series of piece exchanges on board, both Liem and Ponomariov accepted to shake hands after the 53rd move and meet again in another match on August 6.

Ponomariov used to take on Liem in a 2017 encounter and the game also ended in a draw.

The FIDE World Cup 2023 is taking place in Azerbaijan from July 30 to August 24, drawing the participation of 206 players. Total prizes are worth up to US$2.5 million.