Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Polugaevsky,L - Kudrin,S [D87]
New York Open Tournament, 1989
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 0-0? [Better is 8... cxd4 9.cxd4 Nc6 10.Be3 B5!? unclear.]

9.Be3 Nc6 10.Rc1 cxd4 11.cxd4 Qa5+ 12.Kf1! [Perfectly right decision - GM Polugaevsky made an attack on the enemy K.]

12...Bd7 13.h4! Rac8 14.h5 e5 15.hxg6 hxg6 16.d5 Nd4 [If 16... Ne7 17.Bg5!]

17.Nxd4 Rxc4 18.Rxc4 Qa6 19.Qd3! exd4 20.Bxd4 Bb5 21.Qh3 Bxc4+ 22.Kg1 f6 23.Qh7+ Kf7 24.Rh6! [Idea 25.Rxg6! If 24...Rh8 25.Qxg6+ Kf8 26.Bc5+] 1-0