US Championships: Liang beats Niemann in all-around exciting first round

Wesley So, Awonder Liang and Jeffery Xiong scored victories with the white pieces in the opening round of the US Championship in Saint Louis, while defending champion Fabiano Caruana drew his game against Levon Aronian in just 17 moves. In the women’s tournament, four lower-rated players claimed victories, including Rachael Li, who benefited from a surprising blunder by eight-time champion Irina Krush. | Photo: Crystal Fuller / Saint Louis Chess Club