Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Gurtovoi,N - Deforel,J [A03]
Loeffler Memorial, 1999
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.d3 0-0 6.Nbd2 c5 7.c3 Nc6 8.Qc2 Qb6 9.Nf1 Bg4 10.Bd2 d4 11.e4 Rad8 12.Rd1?! [12.c4!]

12...c4! 13.Ng3[] dxc3 14.bxc3 cxd3 15.Bxd3 Bxf3 16.gxf3 e5 17.f5 Rd7 18.Ke2 Rc8 19.Qb3 Qc7 20.fxg6 hxg6 21.h4 Na5 22.Qc2 Nc4 23.Bc1 Qa5 24.Qb3 Nb6 25.c4 Na4 26.Bd2 Qa6 27.Bb4[] Nc5 28.Bxc5 Rxc5 29.h5 Ra5 30.hxg6! Rxa2+ 31.Kf1 Ra3 32.gxf7+ Kxf7 33.Qc2 Qa5 34.Nf5 Rc3? [34... Ra2!=]

35.Qg2 Qa4? [35.Rcxd3!=]

36.Qxg7+ Ke6 37.Qxd7+[] Qxd7 38.Be2!! Qa4 39.Rd6+ Kf7 40.Rh6! Rc1+ 41.Kg2 Ne8 42.Rh7+ Kf8 43.Rdd7! 1-0