Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gurtovoi,N - Dupak,N [C55]
Friendly Match, 1995
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.d3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Bd2 0-0 [Better is 8... Qd6 (idea 9... Nce7 and 10... f6) unclear.]

9.a4 Bg4 10.a5 Re8 11.Qe2! [11.0-0? e4 -+]

11...Nf4 12.Qe4 Nxg2+? [Perhaps better was 12... g6!? 13.Kf1 Bf5 14.Qe3 Qe7 15.h4 (idea 16.Ng5) +=]

13.Kf1! Bxf3 [Or 13... Bh3 14.Bxf7+! Kxf7 15.Ng5+! +-]

14.Qxf3 Nf4 15.a6! [An event as in the vaudeville: having beaten off an attack on the kingside, White undertakes an attack on the queenside.]

15...Qd6 16.axb7 Rab8 17.Ra6! Rxb7 18.Qxc6 Qxc6 19.Rxc6 Rb1+ 20.Be1 e4 21.d4! Re7 22.d5 g6 23.d6 cxd6 24.Rxd6 1-0