Vietnamese representatives Nguyen Thi Thanh An and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son pocketed tickets to the Chess World Cup next year in Norway at the Asian 3.3 Zonal Chess Championship, which concluded in the Philippines yesterday.

Women's Grandmaster An, in the last round, fell to host player Women's International Master Perena Catherine, her only loss at the tournament.

The Vietnamese, however, has already taken the champion title with 6.5 points after nine rounds.

It will be her third time competing in the World Cup after her participation in 2004 and 2008.

Meanwhile in the Open's section, Grandmaster Son beat Gomez John Paul of the Philippines in the last round, earning 7.5 points, which saw him on victory podium.

Son, the tournament's No 2 seed, will be accompanied by No 1, Filipino Wesley So, to take part in the Norway's event from August 10 to September 5.

In other chess event, Vietnamese leading GM Le Quang Liem drew with top seed Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine in his seventh round match at the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival's Masters Division in the UK on Monday.

After seven rounds, Russian Vitiugov Nikita is in the lead with 6.5 points. Liem is second with six. He will meet defending champion Nigel D in the next round.