[Event "U.S. Championships 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.10.23"] [Round "10"] [White "Liang, Awonder"] [Black "Robson, Ray"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2710"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackElo "2664"] [Annotator "WGM Zoey Tang"] [GameId "2236342682272487"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B90"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation"] [StudyName "2025 U.S. Championship and Women's Championship, Rds 10-11"] [ChapterName "Liang, Awonder - Robson, Ray"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/TZsz7p9K/kEGEtOoa"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Qd3 Nbd7 7. f3 e6 8. Bd2 h5 9. O-O-O b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. Kb1 Rc8 12. Qe3 g6 13. Nb3 Qc7 14. Be1 Be7 15. Be2 h4 16. Rf1 Nc5 17. g4 hxg3 18. hxg3 Nfd7 19. Rc1? { Surprisingly, the c1-square doesn't belong to the rook. } (19. Nxc5 Qxc5 20. Qc1! $14 { White's king is very cozy, and both central and kingside pushes can start soon. }) 19... Qb6 20. Nxc5 Qxc5 { Now the queen has nowhere good to go. } 21. Qd3 Ne5 22. Qd1 Rh2 23. Bd2? Nc4? { The normal move (and it indeed equalizes), but Black had better. } (23... Qd4 { would have exposed the knot that White's pieces are in; everything is stepping on something else. The concrete threat is } 24. Qe1 Nc4 { , where after } 25. Bxc4 { Black has } 25... Qxd2 $17) 24. Bxc4 Qxc4 25. Rh1 Rxh1 26. Qxh1 Kd7 27. Qh7 { Now Liang is in the driver's seat; it's only a matter of how much he can develop his attack. } 27... Qd4 28. Qh2 Kc7?! (28... g5 { was more useful, taking away the f4-square from White's bishop. } 29. Re1 Qc4) 29. Rd1 Rh8 30. Qg2 Qc4 31. Bf4 g5 32. Be3 Kb8 33. Qd2 g4 (33... f6 34. g4 $16 { is also deeply unpleasant to play. Black's pieces are cramped and have no way of escaping. }) 34. fxg4 Rg8?! { Losing, though the alternatives weren't appealing. } (34... Bxe4 { allows } 35. Bd4! e5 36. Nxe4 exd4 37. Qf2! $16) 35. Qf2 Rg7 36. g5 { White has a very fun game; there's almost zero counterplay. } 36... Qc8 37. Qd2 Rg8 38. Qf2 Rf8 39. Rh1 f5 40. Rh7 fxe4 41. Rf7 Rxf7 42. Qxf7 Qf8 43. Qxe6 Bc8 44. Qxe4 Qf1+ 45. Ka2 Qf7+ 46. b3 Qg7 47. Qd3 Bb7 48. Bf4 Kc8 49. Nd5 Kd8 50. Nxe7 Qxe7 51. g6 Ke8 52. Bxd6 Qe4 53. g7 Kf7 54. Qc3 Kg8 55. Qc7 Bc6 56. Kb1 Qe8 57. Be5 Bd7 58. Kb2 a5 59. Qd6 a4 60. bxa4 bxa4 61. c4 Be6 62. Kc3 Qf7 63. Qd8+ Kh7 64. Qf6 Qd7 65. c5 Bg8 66. Bf4 Qh3 67. Qh4+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0