Liem took the first ticket after gaining 7 points from six wins and two draws at the qualifiers of zone 3.3 being held on Phu Quoc island in southern Kien Giang province.

In the women's competition, Vietnam's Le Thanh Tu is leading with 6.5 points, closely followed by teammate Pham Le Thao Nguyen with 6 points and Mongontuul Mathuyag from Mongolia with 5.5 points.

The last matches of Tu and Liu Yang from Singapore, and Thao Nguyen and Mongontuul on January 18 will decide the only ticket for the women.

The ongoing competition has attracted 64 players from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines and Vietnam, all vying for three regional places (two for men and one for women) in the World Championships.