Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gurtovoi,N - Bubnov,G [A45]
Soviet All-Union CC Tourney, 1990
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nd2 d5 3.Ngf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bh5 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nh4 e6 7.Bg2 c5 8.c4 Nc6 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Qb3!? Nd4 12.Qc3 Qb6 13.e3 Nc6 14.cxd5 exd5 15.Kf1! [If 15.a3?! a5! 16.Kf1 (16.b3?? d4!) 16... a4! -+]

15...0-0-0?! [15... 0-0 was better, but Black doesn't want to move the R away from the open h-file.]

16.a3 d4 17.exd4 Bxd4 18.Nc4! Qa6 [If 18... Qc5 19.Be3!]

19.Qc2 Na5 20.Bd2! Bxb2 [Or 20... Qxc4+ 21.Qxc4 Nxc4 22.Rc1 b5 23.b3 +-]

21.Bxa5[] Bxa1 22.Bxd8 Rxd8 23.Bf3! Be5 24.Kg2 Bc7 25.Rb1 Nd5 26.a4 Qc6 [In a desperate position, Black made a cunning move, threatening 27... Nf4+]

27.Kg1! a6 28.Qb3! [There is no answer to White's threat of 29.Ne3!] 1-0