A new name in the list of champions
Vietnamese Grandmaster Le Quang Liem defeated five-time world champion Vishy Anand this past Sunday to claim the title at the 38th edition of the Ciudad de León Masters tournament.
Le Quang Liem displayed solid play throughout and made the most of his opportunities with great assurance. A tremendously strong GM, he now inscribes his name in the list of champions of the León Masters, overcoming the tournament’s most beloved and decorated player, Anand, who has won it ten times. Le will return to León next year, as it is tradition for the reigning champion to be invited back to defend their title in the following edition.
The ceremonial first move in the final match between Le and Anand was made by León City Council’s Sports Councillor, Vicente Canuria, accompanied by the tournament director, Marcelino Sión.
Before the match began, a minute’s silence was held in memory of GM Zenón Franco, who passed away in 2024 and had long been closely associated with the tournament. A tribute was also paid to Manuel García Cob, president of the Chess Federation of Castilla y León, who recently passed away.
The finalists of the “Magistral”, Vishy Anand and Le Quang Liem
The closing ceremony
The closing and awards ceremony brought this event to a fitting end – an event that attracts hundreds of enthusiasts each year, who come to enjoy not only the masters’ games but also the wide range of side activities designed for all audiences.
As is tradition, the renowned chess journalist and promoter Leontxo García hosted the ceremony, during which the Masters’ participants received their trophies. This year’s prizes featured a distinctly Leonese flair: reliefs representing the rooster of San Isidoro, the Casa Botines, the Cathedral and the Chalice of Doña Urraca.
During the closing event, held at the Barceló Conde Luna Hotel, the Mayor of León, José Antonio Diez, presented the champion’s prize to GM Le Quang Liem, who won the León tournament for the first time.
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Meanwhile, young IM Faustino Oro received the prize for the most beautiful game, presented by Ana Díaz, a member of the executive board of INCIBE. Runner-up Vishy Anand was awarded his prize by Eduardo Diego, the regional delegate of the Junta in León.
María Perrino, Director of Sports at the University of León, and Sports Deputy Patricia Martínez presented trophies to the two semi-finalists, Jaime Santos and Faustino Oro respectively.
Final match games
Commentary by IM Sergio Estremera
The first game of the final of the Ciudad de León Masters features ten-time tournament champion Viswanathan Anand against the very strong Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem. The Vietnamese GM used the same variation of the Spanish Opening that he had employed the day before to defeat Jaime Santos in the tiebreak of the semifinal. Anand tried to gain space on both wings but achieved nothing tangible, eventually agreeing to a queen exchange that led to an endgame where a draw was unavoidable.
The second game of the final saw the first victory in the classical phase of the entire tournament, as all eight classical semifinal games ended in draws. Le Quang Liem took the lead by outplaying Anand in a flawless positional game, employing the Catalan Opening – so named after it was first played at the Barcelona International Tournament in 1929.
Another win for Le Quang Liem in the third game made him the champion of the Masters tournament with one game still to play, which would no longer influence the result. The Vietnamese GM is known for his solid style, excellent preparation, and flawless technique in converting advantages. It remained to be seen whether the ten-time champion could bow out with a win in the fourth and final game of this 38th edition of the Ciudad de León Masters.
The fourth game ended in a draw without much significance, resulting in a final score of 3–1 in favour of the new champion, Le Quang Liem.
Vishy Anand and Le Quang Liem with commentator José “Pepe” Cuenca during the post-match press conference
All games
