Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gailitis,E - Gurtovoi,N [B23]
Soviet All-Union CC Tourney, 1989
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.e4 c5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6 4.Nc3 g6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Bg7 7.Be3 Bd7 8.Bc4 Nf6 9.h3 Rc8 10.0-0 a6 11.e5?! [An illusory attack without preparation. Also, White loses two tempii - 9.h3? and 10.0-0?]

11...dxe5 12.Nxc6 Rxc6! 13.Bxf7+ Kxf7 14.fxe5 Re8! 15.Ne4 Qc8! 16.Bg5 h6! [White's attack is deadlocked.]

17.exf6? [The losing move. The best defence was 17.Bc1!! eg 17... Bf8! 18.exf6 exf6 =+]

17...exf6 18.Qd5+ Be6 19.Nd6+ Rxd6 20.Qxd6 hxg5 21.Rad1 f5 22.b3 Qxc2 23.Rc1 Qe4 24.Rfe1 Qd4+ 25.Qxd4 Bxd4+ 26.Kf1 Re7 27.Red1 Be3 28.Rc3 f4 29.Rcd3 g4! 30.hxg4 Bxg4 31.Re1 Rc7 32.g3 Rc2 0-1