JOIN USCastling is a safety measure adopted in almost all chess games as this manoeuvre not only makes the King safe but also allows the rooks to come into play at the same time. If a player can delay or deny the castling option, there is a certain pressure on the opponent which many a time can result in over defensive moves concerning the King.
In the game which follows, White castles on the queen-side but Black cannot castle and in the ending he is so rattled in trying to take his King to safety that he makes a mistake and ends on the losing side.
White: Joel Lautier (2580)
Black: Ivan Sokolov (2625)
Pamplona , 1992
Centre Counter Gambit
1.e4 d5 The Centre Counter Gambit where White gives up a central pawn in the Opening
2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8
Back to square one!
4.d4 Nf6 5.Bg5
White can play 5.Nf3 also
5...Nbd7 Black had choices like 5. ..h6 or 5. ..e6
6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 a6
If 7...e6 8.d5 e5 (8...Nb6 9.Bb5+) 9.Bd3
8.Bd3 e6 9.Qe2 White is intending to castle on the queen-side
9...Be7 10.0–0–0 c5
If 10...0–0 11.Ne5
11.d5
If 11.dxc5 Qc7 And if 11.Rhe1 cxd4 12.Nxd4
11...exd5
If 11...Nxd5 12.Nxd5 exd5 13.Rhe1
12.Rhe1 d4
If 12...Nb613.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Bc4 Be6 16.Bxd5 Bxd5 17.Rxd5 And if 12...g5 13.Bg3 Nb6 14.Qe5 Kf8 15.Nxd5! Nbxd5 16.Be4 Be6 17.c4
13.Bc4 Interesting move, sacrificing the knight
13. ..Kf8
Black rightly refuses to accept as 13...dxc3 14.Ne5 cxb2+ (14...0–0 15.Nxf7 cxb2+ 16.Kb1 Rxf7 17.Qxe7 And if 14...Rf8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nxf7 Rxf7 17.Qh5) 15.Kb1 0–0 16.Ng6 Re8 17.Nxe7+ Kf8 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qh5 Rxe7 20.Qxh6+ Kg8 21.Qg6+ Kf8 22.Qh7
14.Nxd4 White sacrifices his knight for the central pawn to make things interesting. He could have maintained equality with 14.Bg3 or 14.Bb3
14. ..cxd4 15.Rxd4 g5 16.Bg3 Bc5 17.Rd3
Here 17.Rdd1 appears better
17. ..b5 18.Bd5 Retreating to 18.Bb3 would have been better
18. ..Ra7
If 18...Nxd5 19.Nxd5
19.Ne4 Nxd5
If 19. Nxe4 20.Bxe4 And if 19...Kg7 20.Qd2 Nxe4 21.Bxe4
20.Rxd5 Be7
If 20...Bb4 21.Red1 Interesting position though it appears balanced.
21.Qe3 Rb7
If 21...Qb6 22.Qc3 And if 21...Ra8 22.Bd6 And if 21...Rc7 22.Bxc7 Qxc7 23.Qd4 Rg8 24.Re3 b4 will lead to an unclear position
22.Bd6
Diagram 1
22…Kg8 A big mistake which puts White in an advantageous position. Black could have thought about 22...Bxd6 23.Nxd6 Rc7 24.Qe8+ (24.Qd4 Rg8 (24...Qf6 25.Rf5!! Qxd4 26.Rxf7+) 25.Nf5 Rc4) 24...Qxe8 (24...Kg7 25.Qxd8 Rxd8 26.Re8) 25.Rxe8+ Kg7 26.Rxh8 Kxh8 27.Nxc8 And if 22...Nb6 23.Qd4 Kg8 24.Bxe7 Qxe7 25.Rd8+ And if 22. ..Rg8 23.Qc3 Nb6
23.Bxe7 Qxe7 24.Qc3 A good move! If 24.Nd6? 24...Qxe3+ 25.Rxe3 Nb6
24...Kh7
If 24...Qd8 25.Nd6 Rc7 26.Qxh8+
25.Rxd7 Sacrificing the exchange to drag the King into a checkmating net
25. ..Rxd7 26.Nf6+ Qxf6
More or less a forced move as Black was anyways losing his queen
27.Qxf6 Rhd8 28.f3 Bb7 29.b3 and Black decided to resign rather than play in this totally disadvantageous position.
1–0
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Ra8+ Kxa8 2.Qa1+ Kb8 3.Qa7+ Kxa7 4.Nc6+ Ka8 5.Ra1+ and White wins.