The importance of CCT: example #9 - 2026 U.S. Championship, Round 1

The 2026 U.S. Championships just started and in round 1 we already have another timely example (see move 30) in Liang - Neimann of the importance of CCT (checks, captures, threats) to your thinking process. Chess being a game of complex decisions, often there is more than one major thinking process factor at play in a player missing the best move, at all levels of play. Here the fundamental principle of "when you see a good move, look for a better one" was also not implemented by White. As noted in the above-linked official game commentary, GM Awonder Liang must have already seen a different (longer) winning idea, which provides an explanation for him missing the one-move queen trap threat. GM Hans Niemann of course missed it as well from the Black side on move 29, an illustration of the separate concept of needing to falsify your candidate moves prior to playing your preferred choice. Seeing top-level tournaments reflect these kinds of issues common to amateur play can make us (me, at least) feel better about chess.

[Event "2026 US Chess Championships Open"] [Site "St Louis"] [Date "2026.10.09"] [Round "1"] [White "Liang, Awonder"] [Black "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B31"] [WhiteElo "2685"] [BlackElo "2717"] [PlyCount "67"] [GameId "2363489194740679"] [EventDate "2026.??.??"] [EventCountry "USA"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 O-O 7. d4 d5 8. e5 Ne4 9. Be3 Qb6 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Qc1 c4 12. Nbd2 Nxd2 13. Nxd2 Bf5 14. b3 Bd3 15. h4 f6 16. bxc4 dxc4 17. Bf4 c5 18. Nf3 cxd4 19. Nxd4 Rf7 20. Qa3 fxe5 21. Bxe5 Bf8 22. Qc1 Rd8 23. a4 Rd5 24. a5 Rxa5 25. Rxa5 Qxa5 26. Ne6 Qa2 27. Bd4 Qa6 28. Qb2 Qd6 29. Qb7 h5 $2 30. Qb5 (30. Bc5 $1 {immediately traps the queen}) 30... a6 31. Qe8 Bc2 32. Ng5 Rf6 33. Bxf6 Qxf6 34. Re6 1-0