Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Melnik,V - Gurtovoi,N [B70]
Correspondence Game, 1993
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.Bg5 h5!? 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qd2 Rb8 11.Bb3 Qc7 12.f4 a5!? 13.e5?! [13.Rae1 was better.]

13...Qa7+! [If 13... dxe5? 14.fxe5 Qxe5 15.Rae1!]

14.Kh1 Ng4! 15.exd6 e6! [White's attack is deadlocked.]

16.Rae1 Rb4! 17.Re4 Rd4! 18.Rxd4 Qxd4 19.Qxd4 Bxd4 20.h3 Kd7! ½-½