Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Georghiu,F - Fischer,R [E27]
XV111 Olympiad (Habana), 1966
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

["Only castle when one can't see anything better." (from How to Beat Bobby Fischer by Edmar Mednis). Here is how Fischer became a victim of his own hasty castling.]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 0-0? [Better is 6... c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5!]

7.cxd5 exd5 8.e3 Nh5 9.Qc2 Re8 10.g4! Nf4 11.h4 c5 12.Kf2 Ng6 13.Bd3 Nc6 14.Ne2 Be6 15.g5! Rc8 16.h5 Nf8 17.g6! fxg6 18.hxg6 h6 19.Qb1! Na5 20.Nf4 c4 21.Bc2 Rc6 22.Ra2 Nd7 23.a4 Nf6 24.Ba3 Qd7 25.Rb2 b6 26.Rb5 Nb7 27.e4! dxe4 28.Bxe4 Rcc8 29.Re5 [Ideas 30.d5 or 30.Bxd7]

29...Bg4 30.Nd5! Rxe5 31.Nxf6+ gxf6 32.dxe5 Nc5 [(a) 32... Qd2+ 33.Kg3 +- or (b) 32... Be6 33.Bxb7 Qxb7 34.exf6 +-]

33.Bxc5 Qd2+ 34.Kg3 Bxf3 35.Bxf3 Rxc5 36.Qc1! 1-0