[Event "Round 3: Salem, A.R. Saleh - Liang, Awonder"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/salem-saleh-vs-awonder-liang--battle-of-minds-classical/round-3/afQpbkDl/tzdXvIP7"] [Date "2026.02.07"] [Round "3.1"] [White "Salem, A.R. Saleh"] [Black "Liang, Awonder"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2635"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "9301348"] [BlackElo "2719"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "2056437"] [TimeControl "90+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D24"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Accepted"] [StudyName "Liang — Saleh"] [ChapterName "Salem, A.R. Saleh - Liang, Awonder"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/UpJuedbw/gdhVbbHq"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:29:43] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:28] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:30:05] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:30:53] } 3. Nf3 { [%clk 1:30:29] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:18] } 4. Nc3 { [%clk 1:30:52] } 4... dxc4 { [%clk 1:31:43] } 5. e4 { [%clk 1:31:08] } 5... b5 { [%clk 1:32:11] } 6. e5 { [%clk 1:31:14] } 6... Nd5 { [%clk 1:32:39] } 7. Nxb5 { [%clk 1:31:33] } 7... Nb6 { [%clk 1:33:04] } 8. Be2 { [%clk 1:31:49] } 8... Nc6 { [%clk 1:33:27] } 9. O-O { [%clk 1:32:08] } 9... Be7 { [%clk 1:33:51] } 10. Qd2 { [%clk 1:31:49] } 10... O-O { [%clk 1:34:13] } 11. Rd1 { [%clk 1:32:11] } 11... Kh8 { [%clk 1:33:01] } 12. Qf4 { [%clk 1:25:26] } 12... Nb4 { [%clk 1:31:51] } 13. Qg4 { [%clk 1:20:32] } 13... Rb8 { [%clk 1:29:42] } 14. Nc3 { [%clk 1:19:57] } 14... Bb7 { [%clk 1:30:03] } 15. Ng5 { [%clk 1:15:32] } 15... h6 { [%clk 1:30:21] } 16. Nh3 { [%clk 1:14:34] } 16... Qe8 { [%clk 1:07:59] } 17. Nf4 { [%clk 0:58:01] } 17... Rd8 { [%clk 0:49:14] } 18. Rb1 { [%clk 0:44:58] } 18... Rd7 { [%clk 0:40:48] } 19. b3 { [%clk 0:38:40] } 19... Nc2 { [%clk 0:35:03] } 20. Bxc4 { [%clk 0:19:40] } 20... Nxd4 { [%clk 0:33:36] } 21. Nh5 { [%clk 0:19:49] } 21... Nf5 { [%clk 0:33:52] } 22. Bf1 { [%clk 0:14:00] } 22... Rxd1 { [%clk 0:29:47] } 23. Nxd1 { [%clk 0:13:23] } 23... Qc6 { [%clk 0:30:05] } 24. Ne3 { [%clk 0:11:08] } 24... Qe4 { [%clk 0:30:07] } 25. Qxe4 { [%clk 0:09:31] } 25... Bxe4 { [%clk 0:30:35] } 26. Ra1 { [%clk 0:09:54] } 26... Bb4 { [%clk 0:28:53] } 27. Nxf5 { [%clk 0:09:54] } 27... Bxf5 { [%clk 0:27:00] } 28. Be3 { [%clk 0:05:12] } 28... Nd5 { [%clk 0:26:23] } 29. Bd4 { [%clk 0:05:40] } 29... Ba3 { [%clk 0:21:36] } 30. Ng3 { [%clk 0:04:36] } 30... Bc2 { [%clk 0:20:12] } 31. Re1 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 31... c5 { [%clk 0:17:55] } 32. Be3 { [%clk 0:01:44] } 32... Nxe3 { [%clk 0:14:21] } 33. Rxe3 { [%clk 0:01:56] } 33... Rd8 { [%clk 0:14:42] } 34. Re1 Bg6 { [%clk 0:14:28] } 35. h4 Rd2 { [%clk 0:05:43] } 36. h5 Bh7 { [%clk 0:06:08] } 37. Bc4 a5 { [%clk 0:05:08] } 38. Ne4 Rxa2 { [%clk 0:05:07] } 39. Nd6 Kg8 { [%clk 0:05:35] } 40. Rd1 Bc2 { [%clk 0:04:35] } 41. Rf1 Rb2 { [%clk 0:04:01] } 42. f4 Bxb3 { [%clk 0:03:30] } 43. f5 a4 { [%clk 0:02:14] } 44. Ra1 Bb4 { [%clk 0:01:29] } 45. Bxb3 Rxb3 { [%clk 0:01:53] } 46. Rxa4 Ra3 { [%clk 0:02:20] } 47. Rxa3 Bxa3 { [%clk 0:02:46] } 48. g4 Kf8 { [%clk 0:01:37] } 49. Kf2 Ke7 { [%clk 0:01:56] } 50. Ke3 Bb2 { [%clk 0:02:16] } 51. Nc4 Ba1 { [%clk 0:02:32] } 52. Ke4 Kd7 { [%clk 0:02:46] } 53. Nb6+ Ke7 { [%clk 0:01:51] } 54. Nc4 Bd4 { [%clk 0:02:16] } 55. Nb6 Bc3 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 56. Na4 Bb4 { [%clk 0:02:11] } 57. Nb6 Ba5 { [%clk 0:02:08] } 58. Nc8+ Kf8 { [%clk 0:02:29] } 59. Nd6 Bc7 { [%clk 0:02:57] } 60. Nc4 Ke7 { [%clk 0:03:22] } 61. Ne3 Ba5 { [%clk 0:01:39] } 62. Nc4 Bd8 { [%clk 0:02:04] } 63. Ne3 Kd7 { [%clk 0:02:21] } 64. Nc4 Be7 { [%clk 0:02:46] } 65. Na5 Kc7 { [%clk 0:03:09] } 66. Nc4 Kc6 { [%clk 0:03:37] } 67. Na3 Kb6 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 68. Nc4+ Kb5 { [%clk 0:02:24] } 69. Kd3 Kb4 { [%clk 0:02:20] } 70. Nd6 Kb3 { [%clk 0:02:44] } 71. Nc4 Bd8 { [%clk 0:01:40] } 72. Nd6 Bg5 { [%clk 0:02:04] } 73. Nc4 Bf4 { [%clk 0:01:28] } 74. Na5+ Ka4 { [%clk 0:01:44] } 75. Nc6 Kb5 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 76. Na7+ Kb4 { [%clk 0:01:30] } 77. Nc6+ Kb3 { [%clk 0:01:52] } 78. Na5+ Ka4 { [%clk 0:02:19] } 79. Nc6 Kb5 { [%clk 0:02:47] } 80. Na7+ Kb6 { [%clk 0:02:37] } 81. Nc8+ Kc6 { [%clk 0:02:53] } 82. Ke4 Bg5 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 83. Nd6 f6 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 84. exf6 gxf6 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 85. Nc4 e5 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 86. Na3 Bc1 { [%clk 0:00:27] } 87. Nc4 Bg5 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 88. Na3 Kb6 { [%clk 0:00:05] } 89. Kd5 Bh4 90. Nc4+ Kb5 { If you can't immediately tell which side is playing for a win here, you're not alone! White has chances to claim a second classical win, but Black is not without chances of his own. } 91. Nd2 Kb4?? { This gives White a clever win. } (91... Bg5 { was a necessity. } 92. Ne4 c4! { looks imposing, but } 93. Nxg5 hxg5 94. h6 c3 95. h7 c2 96. h8=Q c1=Q 97. Qb8+ $10 { is not winning. }) 92. Nc4?? { Not only missing the win, but giving Black a win in return! } (92. Nf3 { would have won the game. } 92... Bg3 (92... Bg5 93. Nxg5 hxg5 94. h6 c4 95. h7 c3 96. h8=Q c2 97. Qh1 $18) 93. g5! { was the invisible move White may have missed. } 93... hxg5 (93... fxg5 94. f6 e4 95. Ng1 $18 { still fails to catch the passer. }) 94. h6 g4 95. Nd2 $18 { and we see the badness of Black's bishop, as it is helpless to stop the h-pawn. }) 92... e4! 93. Ne3 Bg5 94. Kxe4 Kc3?? { The game veers back towards a draw now. } (94... Kb3 { does not approach the knight, but does make the c-pawn's path faster. } 95. Nd5 c4 96. Kd4 Bh4 { and a check is going to scooch White's king away from the c-pawn next. } 97. Ke3 { White doesn't have any good moves. } (97. Nf4 c3 98. Nd3 c2 $19 { The knight can't control the c1-square. }) 97... c3 98. Kd3 c2 $19) (94... c4 { immediately was also strong. }) 95. Nd5+ Kd2 96. Nb6 Ke2 97. Nd7 c4 98. Kd4 { White catches the pawn and survives the scare. } 98... Kf3 99. Kxc4 Kxg4 100. Kd3 Kxf5 101. Ke2 Kg4 102. Nxf6+ Bxf6 { The h-pawn is the wrong color, so White draws. Both a lucky escape and an unfortunate missed chance to equalize the Classical portion for Awonder. } 1/2-1/2