Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gurtovoi,N - Bänsch,H [D00]
VI-VII ICCF Cup, 1993
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.d4 d5 2.Nd2 Nf6 3.Ngf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bf5 5.Bg2!? Nb4 6.e4!? Nxe4 7.Nh4 Nxg3?! [7... Nxf2! was better, eg 8.Kxf2 Bxc2! 9.Qe2 Nd3+ unclear.]

8.fxg3 Nxc2+ 9.Kf2 Nxa1 10.Nxf5 e6 11.Ne3 c5 12.Nf3 cxd4 13.Qxd4 Qa5 14.Bd2! [The best move, threatening 15.Rxa1]

14...Qxa2 [A critical moment.]

15.Nxd5! [If 15.Rxa1? Qxa1 16.Nxd5 Bd6!]

15...Qxd5 [If 15... Nc2? 16.Nc7+ Ke7 17.Qc5+ Kd8 18.Qxc2]

16.Qxd5 exd5 17.Re1+! [If 17.Rxa1?! 0-0-0! -+]

17...Kd8 18.Rxa1 Bc5+ 19.Ke2 Ke7?! [Necessary is 19... Re8+ 20.Kd3 Kd7! activating his own king.]

20.Ra5 b6 21.Ra6! Rhe8 22.b4 Kf8+? [A funny game! Black's play is contrary to the Steinitz doctrine; his K runs away from the battlefield!]

23.Kd3 [At the same time, White's K marches ahead to help his own pieces!]

23...Be7 24.Nd4 Red8 25.Bh3 h6 26.Nc6 Rd6 27.b5 Rf6 28.Bg2 Bc5 29.Bxd5 Rf5 30.Kc4 Rf2 31.Bc3 Rxh2 32.Nxa7 Re8 33.Nc6 Rh5 34.Ra7 Rf5 35.g4! [The victory move!]

35...Rf4+ 36.Kb3 Rf1 37.Ne5! Rb1+ 38.Kc2! Rf1 39.Nd7+! Kg8 40.Nxc5 bxc5 41.b6! 1-0