Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Vennek,I - Gurtovoi,N [A81]
Soviet All-Union CC Tourney, 1990
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 d6 6.c4 Nbd7 7.Nc3 c6 8.Qc2 Qc7 9.b3 Nf8! 10.Nd2 Bd7 11.Ba3 g5! [11... 0-0-0? would have been a waste of tempo.]

12.Rae1 Ng6 13.e4 f4! 14.e5?! [White sacrifices a pawn for an attack.]

14...dxe5 15.Bxe7 Kxe7 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nce4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Nf7 19.Nf3 Rag8! [Black has defended coolly, and at the same time prepares for a counter-attack.]

20.Nd4 Rg6 21.c5 e5 22.Nf3 Kf6! [Steinitz would have been happy with my brave king!]

23.Rd1 Re8! [Not 23... Bf5? or 23... Bg4? because of 24.Rd6+!]

24.Nd2 Kg7 25.Qd3 Be6 [25... Rd8 was better.]

26.Be4 Rh6 27.Nc4 Rd8 28.Nd6 Bh3 29.Bg2 Bxg2 30.Kxg2 Nxd6 31.cxd6 Rhxd6 32.Qe2 Rd5 0-1