Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Bertzshaner,M - Gurtovoi,N [D15]
USSR CC Championship SF, 1977
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.a4 e6 8.axb5 Nxc3 9.bxc3 cxb5 10.Ng5 Bb7 11.Qh5 g6 12.Qg4 Be7 13.Be2 [13.h4 was probably better, and if 13... h5 14.Qf4 Bxg5 15.hxg5 unclear.]

13...Bd5 14.Bf3 h5 15.Qg3 Nc6 16.Ne4 b4 17.0-0? [A waste of tempo. Better is 17.Bd2]

17...bxc3! [In the game Shapashnikov-Sadomsky (USSR CC Championship 1959) Black played 17... Rb8?!]

18.Be3 c2! [An excellent move. Black has a great advantage where the mercurial c2 pawn splits White's pieces.]

19.Nc3 [If 19.Rfc1 Nb4]

19...Qd7 20.Rfe1 Rb8! [Now this move has great strength.]

21.Bxd5 exd5 22.e6?! [White undertakes an illusory attack.]

22...Qxe6 23.Bd2 [If 23.Bg5 Rb1!]

23...Qd7 24.Ra5 Rb3! 25.Rxd5 [This is the best practical chance for White to save the endgame.]

25...Qxd5 26.Nxd5 Rxg3 27.hxg3 Kd7 28.Nxe7 Nxe7 29.Rc1 Kc6! [This centralised K (according to Steinitz) leads to victory.]

30.Rxc2 Kd5 31.Bc3 Nc6 32.f3 Rb8 33.Kf2 Rb3 34.Ba1 Nxd4 0-1