Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Kholmov,R - Gorelov [B45]
49th USSR Championship SF, 1981
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 Qc7 9.f4 Qb6 10.c4!? Bb4+ 11.Ke2 f5 12.Nf2 Ba6 13.Kf3! [A typical Steinitz king!]

13...Nc7 14.Be3 Bc5 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 16.Qd6! [GM Kholmov immediately blocks up the black fields.]

16...Qb6 [If 16... Qxd6?? 17.exd6 and the N is trapped.]

17.b4 h6 18.Bd3 g5 19.g3 Rg8 20.Rhd1 0-0-0 21.a4 gxf4 22.gxf4 Rg4 23.Nxg4 fxg4+ 24.Ke2! [24.Kxg4? Qf2! unclear.]

24...Rg8 25.a5 Qb7 26.Ke3 Kb8 27.Rab1 1-0