Winning Without Castling

Last updated 2 May 2002

Ribkinskis,T - Gurtovoi,N [A35]
19th Latvian CC Championship, 1996
[Notes by Nickolai Gurtovoi]

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.e3 Bg7 5.d4 cxd4 6.exd4 d6 7.d5 Ne5 8.Nxe5 Bxe5 9.Be2 h5 10.Bd2 Nh6 11.Bxh6 Rxh6 12.Qd2 Rh7 13.Ne4 Qb6 14.Rb1 Bf5 15.Bd3 Rc8 16.b3 h4 17.0-0 [Better was 17.h3]

17...Rh5 18.Rfe1 Kf8! [Black has positional advantage and threatens 19... Qd4]

19.c5?! [In despair, White resorts to some tactical complications.]

19...dxc5 20.Nxc5 Bxh2+! 21.Kxh2 Rxc5 22.Bxf5 Rxf5 23.Re4 g5! 24.Rbe1 Rfxd5 25.Qe2 Qc7+ 26.Kg1 Rc1 27.Qf3 Rxe1+ 28.Rxe1 Rc5 29.Qe3 a5 30.Rd1 b6 31.a3 e6 0-1