GET AUGUST CHESS TICKETS: R&B, Sinquefield & Cairns Cups, GCT Finals!

Awonder Liang vs. Fabiano Caruana

Date: March 6, 2026
Round: Champions Bracket Semifinal — Match 7 — Game 2 (Classical)
White: Awonder Liang (2714)
Black: Fabiano Caruana (2795)
Result: 1/2-1/2
SF 18

Game Notation (PGN)

[Event "2026 The American Cup Open"]
[Site "Saint Louis, US"]
[Date "2026.03.06"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Liang, Awonder"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Board "2"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteFideId "2056437"]
[BlackFideId "2020009"]
[WhiteElo "2714"]
[BlackElo "2795"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[WhiteClock "1:01:30"]
[BlackClock "0:43:05"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[EndDate "2026.03.06"]
[EndTime "20:00:28"]

1. e4 {[%clk 1:30:59]}  c6 {[%clk 1:30:56]} 2. d4 {[%clk 1:31:23]}  d5 {[%clk 1:31:23]} 3. exd5 {[%clk 1:31:47]}  cxd5 {[%clk 1:31:49]}
4. Nf3 {[%clk 1:32:11]}  Nc6 {[%clk 1:31:45]} 5. c3 {[%clk 1:32:28]}  Bg4 {[%clk 1:24:28]} 6. Qb3 {[%clk 1:28:19]}  Qd7 {[%clk 1:22:40]}
7. Ne5 {[%clk 1:28:46]}  Nxe5 {[%clk 1:23:06]} 8. dxe5 {[%clk 1:29:08]}  a6 {[%clk 1:23:07]} 9. c4 {[%clk 1:29:36]}  e6 {[%clk 1:17:17]}
10. cxd5 {[%clk 1:12:15]}  exd5 {[%clk 1:16:03]} 11. Qg3 {[%clk 1:03:42]}  Ne7 {[%clk 1:01:11]} 12. Bd3 {[%clk 1:03:25]}  Ng6 {[%clk 0:58:29]}
13. O-O {[%clk 1:02:53]}  Be7 {[%clk 0:58:08]} 14. h3 {[%clk 1:01:51]}  Bf5 {[%clk 0:54:39]} 15. Rd1 {[%clk 1:01:34]}  Rd8 {[%clk 0:52:12]}
16. Bg5 {[%clk 1:00:01]}  Bxg5 {[%clk 0:47:17]} 17. Qxg5 {[%clk 1:00:23]}  Bxd3 {[%clk 0:47:45]} 18. Rxd3 {[%clk 1:00:45]}  Qe7 {[%clk 0:47:54]}
19. Qd2 {[%clk 0:58:44]}  O-O {[%clk 0:41:28]} 20. Nc3 {[%clk 0:58:47]}  Nxe5 {[%clk 0:41:26]} 21. Rxd5 {[%clk 0:57:50]}  Nc6 {[%clk 0:41:40]}
22. Re1 {[%clk 0:57:56]}  Qb4 {[%clk 0:41:12]} 23. Rxd8 {[%clk 0:57:57]}  Rxd8 {[%clk 0:41:28]} 24. Qxd8+ {[%clk 0:58:23]}  Nxd8 {[%clk 0:41:56]}
25. Re8+ {[%clk 0:58:46]}  Qf8 {[%clk 0:42:24]} 26. Rxf8+ {[%clk 0:59:11]}  Kxf8 {[%clk 0:42:51]} 27. Kf1 {[%clk 0:59:35]}  Ke7 {[%clk 0:43:10]}
28. Ke2 {[%clk 1:00:01]}  Ne6 {[%clk 0:41:37]} 29. Ke3 {[%clk 0:59:54]}  Kd6 {[%clk 0:42:00]} 30. Ke4 {[%clk 1:00:19]}  Nc5+ {[%clk 0:41:49]}
31. Kd4 {[%clk 1:00:43]}  Ne6+ {[%clk 0:42:16]} 32. Ke4 {[%clk 1:01:10]}  Nc5+ {[%clk 0:42:38]} 33. Kd4 {[%clk 1:01:36]}  Ne6+ {[%clk 0:43:05]}
34. Ke4 {[%clk 1:01:30]} 1/2-1/2