Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Keres,P - Botvinnik,M [E35]
USSR Championship, 1941
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.0-0-0? [Alas! Paul Keres is an outstanding chessplayer, but he didn't know the Steinitz doctrine!]

8...Bxc3 9.Qxc3 g5! 10.Bg3 cxd4! 11.Qxd4 Nc6 12.Qa4 Bf5! 13.e3 [Or 13.f3 Qb6! 14.e4 dxe4 15.Kb1 exf3+ 16.Ka1 Qb4! 17.Qxb4 Nxb4 18.Bb5+ Kf8! 19.Bd6+ Kg7 20.Bxb4 fxg2!]

13...Rc8 14.Bd3 Qd7! [Threatening 15... Nb4+]

15.Kb1 Bxd3+ 16.Rxd3 Qf5! 17.e4 Nxe4 18.Ka1 0-0 [Another possibility is 18... Kf8!]

19.Rd1 b5! 20.Qxb5 Nd4 21.Qd3 Nc2+! 22.Kb1 Nb4! 0-1