Vietnamese International Grand Master (IGM) Le Quang Liem took the lead at the Russian International Chess Festival Aeroflot Open in Moscow after defeating China's Xiu Deshun in the second round on Thursday.
Taking two points from two rounds, Liem will meet IGM Slovakia's Luka Lenic in the third round.
Competitors have varying levels of skills and are taking part in three open tournaments, each of which is a nine-round Swiss system event.
Liem is among 130 candidates in Tournament A, the highest level, competing for a cash prize of 20,000 euros (US$29,300) for the title winner who also will be entitled to participate in a round-robin Super Tournament in Dortmund in the second half of July.
There will also be prizes for the best performance among seniors, women and juniors in all tournaments and a prize for the best result by an unrated player in Tournament C.
Ngoc Tu to compete for Gia Lai
Soc Trang's judoka Van Ngoc Tu is completing the necessary procedures to play for Gia Lai, after signing a VND10 million (US$500) a month contract.
Tu is nearly unrivalled at Southeast Asian (SEA) region following the 23rd SEA Games.
The four-time SEA champion officially ended her contract with Soc Trang provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism last December.
City to spend $350,000 on youth
HCM City will spend VND7 billion (US$350,000) to train young players this year, mainly in training and competing abroad.
Young talents will also be given top priority, with 16-year-old tennis player Nguyen Hoang Thien, who is competing at the 2011 Tennis Central 18&U ITF Summer Championships in New Zealand, set to receive $30,000.
Thien was ranked 241st in the world according to the latest world ranking table by the International Tennis Federation.
Woman striker hangs up her boots
Do Thi Ngoc Cham, the national women's football team's star striker, has announced her retirement from the sport at just 26 to pursue a coaching career.
Cham, who recently signed on as assistant coach of Ha Noi team, had helped the team win a gold medal at the National Games last December.
Winner of the Golden Ball in 2008, she was the main striker for the national and Ha Noi teams in recent years.
Ha Noi-born Cham began to play competitive football in 1999 when she joined the Soc Son District Sports Centre.
She began to play for Ha Noi in 2001 and a year later was named in the national team for the Asian Games. — VNS
