Vietnamese GM Liem Quang Liem survived one of the wildest games of the 2025 FIDE World Cup so far, pulling off a miraculous escape against Germany’s Alexander Donchenko in round five. The 1.5-hour roller coaster ended in a draw, sending the match to tiebreaks—but only after Donchenko came within inches of delivering the upset of the round.
From the opening, Donchenko showed he was ready for a fight with Black, steering the game into a tense middlegame full of imbalances. Liem, usually one of the most solid players in the field, drifted into trouble after 36.b4??—a move engines instantly flagged as losing. Donchenko, down to just 22 seconds, responded with the only winning continuation, 36…c3!, beginning a long sequence where Black held a nearly decisive advantage.
Although he missed the strongest continuation on move 37, Donchenko still kept the pressure on and later reached a rook endgame with three extra pawns, a position that should be winning at elite level. But Liem, a former World Blitz Champion, proved once again how dangerous he is when clocks run low. He created constant counterplay, found key defensive resources, and finally induced the decisive mistake on move 69, when Donchenko played 69…Ke2? instead of the winning 69…Kg2!.
Liem activated his king, eliminated the last pawn, and forced a theoretical draw after 75.Kxh3. It was one of the great escapes of the tournament—and one that keeps Vietnam’s No. 1 in contention.
Both players now head to tiebreaks for the first time in this year’s event, with Liem entering as the favorite once the time controls speed up.
Other World Cup Highlights
While Liem and Donchenko produced the game of the day, several other key round-five results shaped the quarterfinal picture:
Arjun Erigaisi Knocks Out Aronian
Second seed GM Arjun Erigaisi eliminated GM Levon Aronian after finding a stunning tactical knockout with 38…Nh3!!. The Indian star now faces seventh-seed GM Wei Yi in what is expected to be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.
Wei Yi Punishes Sevian
Wei Yi capitalized on an early blunder from American GM Sam Sevian, converting a pawn-up position with confident technique. The win sent Wei into the quarterfinals, where he meets Arjun.
Uzbek Domination: Yakubboev and Sindarov Advance
Uzbekistan continues to shine:
- Nodirbek Yakubboev defeated Gabriel Sargissian after the Armenian erred with 29…Nc6?.
- Javokhir Sindarov held Frederik Svane to a draw—enough to reach the quarterfinals after winning game one.
Sindarov now awaits the winner of the Harikrishna–Martinez tiebreaks.
Three Other Matches Heading to Tiebreaks
Besides Liem–Donchenko, three more matchups will be decided in rapid and blitz:
- Shankland vs. Dubov – another balanced fight, ending in two draws.
- Esipenko vs. Grebnev – a quiet 30-move repetition.
- Harikrishna vs. Jose Martinez – both classical games drawn.
What’s Next?
The round-five tiebreaks take place Sunday, November 16. The winners will fill the remaining quarterfinal spots, with Liem–Donchenko among the must-watch matchups of the day.
The 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa features 206 players in a single-elimination format, competing not only for a share of the $2 million prize fund but also for three coveted seats in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
2025 FIDE World Cup live
I’m Xuan Binh, the founder of Attacking Chess, and the Deputy Head of Communications at the Vietnam Chess Federation (VCF). My chess.com and lichess rating is above 2300. Send me a challenge or message via Lichess. Follow me on Twitter (X) or Facebook.
