[Event "US Championships 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.10.22"] [Round "9"] [White "Shankland, Sam"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2654"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackElo "2789"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [Annotator "GM Brewington Hardaway"] [GameId "2235926562836491"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B46"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation"] [StudyName "2025 U.S. Championship and Women's Championship"] [ChapterName "Shankland, Sam - Caruana, Fabiano"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/A14BIUWB/dg4jFLN7"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bd3 Qc7 8. Qe2 { Already a bit of a deviation. This move has been played only about 4% of the time of the database, compared to castling kingside, which is seen 90% of the time. But Shankland has a new idea that explains why he delayed castling. } 8... b5 9. Nxc6 Qxc6 10. O-O-O!? { The move 10. e5 was the most popular move here, while 10. O-O-O has just one game in the database, but I am sure Shankland prepared this as a surprise. It definitely justifies the choice of delaying castling on move eight! } 10... Bb7 11. Kb1 Be7 12. a3 Qc7 13. Bd2 O-O 14. h4 d5 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Bc3 f5!? { The best way to keep the game going } (17... Bxa3! { Objectively the best move, but Fabi likely did not want a draw in the following line: } 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. Qg5+ Kh7 22. Qh5+ Kg7 { when White has nothing more than perpetual. }) 18. Rh3 Rad8 19. g4 Bf6 20. Bxf6 Rxf6 21. gxf5 exf5 22. Re3 Bf7 23. Re5 Qd6 24. Re1 Qd4 25. Bxf5 Qxh4 26. f3 Qf4 27. Qe4 { With the queens off, it is clear that Black is playing for the win with the outside h-pawn. } 27... Qxe4 28. Bxe4 g6 29. Kc1 Kg7 30. a4 bxa4 31. Ra5 Be8 32. Rc5 h5 33. c4 Kh6 34. Rg1 Bf7 35. Kc2 Rg8 36. Ra1 g5 37. Rxa4 g4?! (37... Bg6! 38. Bxg6 Rgxg6 $15 { White can likely hold, but the weak f3-pawn, along with the outside passers, makes it extremely difficult for White. }) 38. fxg4 Rxg4 39. Bb7?? { Up to this point, Fabi has been outplaying Shankland, but this was the decisive error. White likely missed the following sequence that happened in the game. } (39. Bd5) 39... Bg6+! 40. Kd2 (40. Kc3 Rg3+! 41. Kb4 (41. Kd4 Rd3+ 42. Ke5 Rf5+ $19) 41... Rb6+ $19) (40. Kc1 Rf2 $19) 40... Rd4+! 41. Ke1 Re6+ 42. Kf2 Rd2+ 43. Kg3 Rd3+! 44. Kf2 Rb6! { Fabi played all the "only moves" to win the white bishop. } 45. b4 Rxb7 46. Rc6 Rf7+ 47. Ke2 Rg3 48. Raxa6 h4 { A critical win for Fabiano, who moves back into clear first with two rounds to go. } 0-1