[Event "US Championships 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.10.22"] [Round "9"] [White "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Black "Liang, Awonder"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2738"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackElo "2710"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [Annotator "GM Brewington Hardaway"] [GameId "2235929276085122"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C67"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense"] [StudyName "2025 U.S. Championship and Women's Championship"] [ChapterName "Niemann, Hans Moke - Liang, Awonder"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/A14BIUWB/IBsqx6Er"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 { It is rare to see the Berlin endgame these days as most people opt for the Italian (3. Bc4) or the Anti-Berlin Ruy Lopez with 4. d3. } 6... dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h6 11. Rd1 Be7 12. g4 Nh4 13. Nxh4 Bxh4 14. Kg2 Be7 15. Ne2 h5 16. f3 a5 17. a4 Ra6?! { Before this, it could be said that White had a solid edge, but this is the first error, albeit a small one. } (17... f5 { The objective best move, but it doesn't feel great for Black after: } 18. exf6 gxf6 19. Bf4 $14) 18. Nf4! hxg4?! 19. hxg4 $16 { It isn't clear where the black pieces are going, while White now has the open h-file and a great space advantage. } 19... c5 20. Nd5 Bd8 21. Bf4 Re6 22. Rh1 Rg8 23. Bg3 Bd7 24. c4 b6 25. b3 c6 26. Nc3 Bc7 27. Rae1 Kd8 28. Rh7 Kc8 29. Ne4 Re7 30. Nf2? { Going backwards was a strange decision, allowing Black to fight back with... } 30... f5! { Now 31. exf6 is not possible because the f2-knight blocks the bishop's vision of the rook on e1. } 31. g5 Rf8?! (31... Be6! { Going for immediate counterplay with the idea of ... b6-b5. } 32. Bf4 b5!) 32. Bf4 { It is hard to say now how Black can create any chances. } 32... Be8 33. Rhh1 Bg6 34. Nh3 Rd8? { The final error: not considering the idea of Nh3-f4 and a good-knight-versus-bad-bishop endgame. } 35. e6! { This is a good example of a common endgame imbalance: good-knight-versus-bad-bishop. } 35... Rd4 36. Bxc7 Kxc7 37. Kg3 Be8 38. Nf4 { The black bishop is simply useless. Awonder had the one chance on move 34 to go for ... Bg6-f7-e6, which would have let that bishop back into the game. But now it is too lat. } 38... b5 39. axb5 { An excellent game by Hans to strike back after two consecutive losses. } 1-0