Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gurtovoi,N - Efremov,P [A03]
17th Latvian CC Championship SF, 1992
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.f4 d5 2.e3 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Be2 Nf6 5.d3 0-0 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.c3 c5 8.Qc2 b6 9.Rg1! e5 10.fxe5 Ng4 11.Nf1 Ndxe5 12.g3 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Re8 14.c4!? Nf6 15.g4 g5 16.h4! Bh6 [If 16... gxh4 17.g5! Nd7 18.Bxd5 +-]

17.Qg2 Be6 18.Bd2 Rc8 19.Rc1! [Of its own free will, White's king will stay in the centre. Not 19.0-0-0? of course, because of 19... dxc4 20.dxc4 Bxc4 -+]

19...dxc4 20.dxc4 Nd7 21.hxg5 Bxg5 22.Rc2 Ne5 23.b3 Nxf3+ 24.Qxf3 Qd3 25.Kd1! [At first glance, White's king looks in danger. but he defends comfortably.]

25...Rcd8 26.Kc1! Rd7 27.Ng3! [Threatens 28.Ne4 +-]

27...Qg6 28.Qe4 [Maybe 28.Nf5 was more correct.]

28...Qxe4 29.Nxe4 h6 30.Nxg5 hxg5 31.Bc3 f5? [The losing move. After 31... Kh7! 32.Rh2+ Kg6 33.Rf1 f5! Black could resist.]

32.gxf5 Bf7 33.Rxg5+ Kf8 34.Bg7+ Ke7 35.e4! Kd8 [Or 35... Red8 36.e5 Rd1+ 37.Kb2 R8d2 38.e6 Be8 39.Bc3!]

36.e5 Kc7 [Or 36... Rd3 37.e6 Bg8 38.Bf6+ Kc8 39.Rcg2! Bh7 40.Rh2! Bg8 41.Rh8]

37.e6 Bxe6 38.fxe6 Rxe6 39.Bc3 1-0