Le Quang Liem (right).

HCM CITY (VNS) — Viet Nam's top male chess player, Le Quang Liem, had a good start in the first round of the Zone 3.3 Championships 2015 for Open and Women in HCM City on Saturday.

The two-time Aeroflot Open champion and No 1 seeded Liem easily defeated Liu Xiangyi of Singapore after 33 moves.

Meanwhile, his teammate, second-seeded Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, tied with Bersamina Paulo of the Philippines after 49 moves.

On the women's side, Nguyen Thi Thanh An, Hoang Thi Bao Tram, and Pham Le Thao Nguyen won victories in their first matches.

Winners in the men category will bring home US$2,000 while the best women's player will receive $1,000.

The tournament, which is based on the Swiss system of competition, attracted 44 male and 20 female players from countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar.

The event's best two male and one female player will secure berths in the Chess World Cup 2015, which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from September 10 to October 4. — VNS