Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Hengst,H - Gurtovoi,N [B75]
VI-VII ICCF Cup, 1993
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 h5!? [Preventing Be3-h6]

9.Bc4 Bd7 10.Bb3 a6 11.0-0-0 Rc8 12.Kb1 Ne5 13.Bg5 Nc4 14.Qd3 b5 15.h3?! h4! 16.f4 Rh5 17.g4 hxg3 18.Qxg3 Nh7 19.Rd3 Nxg5 20.fxg5 Rc5 21.Nf3 Bc6 [Not the strongest move: 21... Qc8 would have been better.]

22.Qf4 Qa8? [Best was 22... Qc8! and if 23.Rf1 Qe6!?]

23.h4? [Necessary was 23.Rf1! +-]

23...Bxc3! 24.Rxc3 Bxe4 25.Bxc4 bxc4?! [A trite move. Winning was 25... Rf5! eg 26.Qg4 bxc4 27.Rf1 Bxf3 28.Rcxf3 Rxf3 29.Rxf3 Rxh4!]

26.Re1! [The best defence!]

26...d5! [After this move, Black has good winning chances. If 26... Bxf3?! 27.Qxd6! Qa7 28.Rxf3 Kf8 =]

27.Ne5 Rh7 28.Nxc4 dxc4 29.Qxe4 Qxe4 30.Rxe4 Rxg5! 31.a4 [Not 31.hxg5?? because of 31... Rxh1+ 32.Re1 Rxe1#]

31...Rc5 32.b4 Rc6 33.Rexc4 Rxc4 34.Rxc4 Kd7 35.Kb2 e5 36.Rg4? [36.b5! =]

36...Rh6! 37.Kb3 f5 38.Rg5 Ke6 39.b5 axb5 40.axb5 f4 41.Kc3? [41.b6! was better, eg 41... Kf6 42.c4 f3 43.Rf1 e4 44.Kc3! =+]

41...Rxh4 42.Rxg6+ Kf5 43.Rg8 Rh6! [The only winning move! If 43... Ke4 44.b6! Rh7 45.Kd2! =]

44.Kd2 Ke4 45.c4 Kd4 46.Re8 e4 47.c5 Rh2+! 48.Kd1 f3! [Threatens 49... e3] 0-1