Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gurtovoi,N - Harding,T [A02]
Loeffler Memorial, 1996
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3 g5?! [My opponent dared to play the questionable Lasker's Attack.]

5.g3 h5 6.d4 g4 7.Nh4 Nc6 8.Be3 Be7 9.Bg2! [If 9.Ng2?! h4! unclear.]

9...Bxh4 10.gxh4 Qxh4+ 11.Bf2 Qg5 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Ne4 Qa5+ 14.c3 0-0-0 15.a4 h4 16.Nc5! [Threatens 17.b4 Qb6 18.Nxd7! Rxd7 19.d5! Qa6 20.b5! (idea 21.bxc6) +-]

16...h3 17.Be4 Nf6 18.b4 Qxc5 [In order to prevent the worst, Black was forced to give up his Q for the B and N.]

19.bxc5 Nxe4 20.a5! [The exact move which took Black unawares. After 20.Qb3?! Nxf2 21.Kxf2 Na5! my opponent could put up a desperate fight.]

20...a6 [Or 20... Nxc3 21.Qb3 Ne4 22.d5 Nb8 23.Rb1 +-]

21.d5 Nxf2 22.Kxf2 Bf5 23.Qb3 Ne5 24.Rhb1! [The following combination was possible: 24... Bxb1 25.Rxb1 Kd7 26.Qxb7 Rb8 27.Qxb8 Rxb8 28.Rab8 +-] 1-0