HA NOI (VNS)-Viet Nam's top chess player Le Quang Liem drew with Russian rival Vitiugov Nikita in the sixth round of the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival's Masters Division in the UK on Sunday.

Two-time Aeroflot champion Liem, who has an Elo rating of 2705, got the upper hand, but failed to progress after 86 moves.

After six rounds, the HCM City-born player Liem is in the lead alongside Nikita (Elo 2694) and Kiril Georgiev of Bulgaria (Elo 2643) on 5.5 points.

Liem will meet top seed Vassily Ivanchuk from Ukraine (Elo 2758) in the next round.

Liem lost to Ivanchuk twice in the ACP Golden Classic Tournament last year and Capablanca in 2011. - VNS