FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

1

Oleksandr Sulypa:

Playing without castle

Sometimes in chess there is a situation
when the castle or impossible or adversely.
The king delayed in the center and have to
play in general is not a very comfortable
position and always think what to do with
the king. Look at a typical eample.

Kamsky G. : Karpov A.
Elista 1996

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Ne4 4.Bd3 d5
5.Ne5 Nd7 6.Nd7 Bd7 7.0–0 Bd6 8.Nc3
A fine move. If 8...Nc3 9 bc3 0–0 White
wins a pawn with 10 Qh5, threatening
mate and the pawn on d5. Now Karpov
thought for 42 minutes at the board over
his net move. 8.c4 is main line.
8...Qh4
Very unusual decision of Karpov. Black
agrees to leave his king in the center and
not so clear what they are getting in return.
The normal continuation is 8...Nc3 9.bc3
0–0 10.Qh5 f5, with complicate play.
9.g3
9.h3? (Karpov) 9...Bh3!
9...Nc3 10.bc3
10.Qe1 Qe7= 11.Qc3 0–0 12.Qb3 Bc6=.
10...Qg4
10...Qf6 11.Re1 Kf8 12.Qh5± win the
pawn, if 12...c6? 13.Bg5!
11.Re1

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11...Kd8

Brilliant judgement of position. Karpov
accurately estimate the best position for the
king: he's going to develop the black rook
from h8. 11...Kf8!?
12.Be2
In position with uncastled king is
undesirable to change the queens. 12.Qg4
Bg4 13.Rb1 b6 14.c4 c6 and Black should
hold the endgame.
12...Qf5 13.Rb1
Better was 13.c4! Karpov suggested this
and after 13...dc4 14.Bc4 Re8 15.Re8 Ke8
16.Rb1 b6 17.Rb3 white is better.
13...b6 14.c4 dc4
14...c6?! 15.c5! bc5 (15...Bc7 16.c4) 16.c4.
15.Bc4 Re8
15...h5 16.Rb3 (16.h4) 16...f6 17.Bd3 Qh3
18.Bf1 Qf5 19.c4 h4 20.Bg2 hg3 21.fg3.
16.Be3
The idea of white to play c4, c5, d5 and try
to open the center. The echanges resulted
in equality: 16.Re8 Ke8 17.Bd3 (17.Qe2
Kf8=) 17...Qd5 (17...Qh3 18.Qf3 Rd8
19.Bg5) 18.c4 (18.Qe2 Kf8 19.Be4 Re8)
18...Qd4 19.Bb2 Qg4 (19...Qc5 20.Bg7±)
20.Qg4 Bg4 21.Bg7 h5=.
16...Bc6!?
With idea 17...Be4, what practically forces
the next white`s move.
If 16...Re7 17.Bf1 Ke8 18.Bg2 Rd8 19.c4
it turns out the ideal position for white plan
c4–c5; 16...Ke7 17.Bd3 Qg4 18.Be2 Qf5
19.Bf3 Rab8 20.c4 Kf8 21.c5±.
17.d5
17.Bf1? Qd5.
17...Bd7

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18.Bf1
Now the plan c4–c5 for white is not so

FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

2

effective, and black have the opportunity to
compete for cases c5 and e5.
18.Bd3!? (suggested by Karpov) 18...Qd5?
(18...Qg4! 19.Be2 Qh3) 19.c4 Qa5
(19...Qc6 20.Qh5! f7, h7; 19...Qe5 20.Qf3
Rc8 21.Qf7 Rf8 22.Qd5 Qd5 23.cd5 h6
24.Bd4) 20.Qf3 … f7, a8.
18...h6
This far-sighted little move is an essential
prelude to the regrouping that follows.
18...Ba4? 19.Qd4! Bc2 20.Bb5 Bb1
(20...Re7 21.Qg7) 21.Bg5!
19.c4 Re7!
The critical moment. Up to this point, both
sides were high. Now, however, white had
to find the best plan that was in preparation
с4–с5 and the opening position.
20.Bd3?!

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20.Qd2 Ke8 21.Bd4 Re1 22.Re1 Kf8=.
The correct plan started with 20.Qd4! Be5
21.Qd2 Bd6 22.Qc3 Be5 23.Qb3 Bd6
24.c5! (Breakthrough!) 24...bc5 25.Rec1
and long maneuvers to strengthen pieces:
25...Ke8 26.Bc5 Kf8 27.Qa3 Qe5 28.Rb7
Be8 29.Bg2 Kg8 30.Bf3 a5 31.Kg2 Rd7
32.Rc2 Qf5 33.Re2 f6 34.Bd6 cd6
35.Rb6±, win the pawn.
20...Qf6 21.Kg2?!
After this unfortunate move white has a
problem with it. It was necessary to carry
out the same plan c5: 21.Qc2!? Ke8 22.c5
bc5 23.Bc5 Re1 (23...Bc5 24.Qc5 Qd6
25.Re7 Ke7 26.Qa5±) 24.Re1 Kf8 and
black should hold. Or 21.Qb3 a5 (21...Ke8
22.c5 bc5 23.Qb7 Rd8 24.Qa7±) 22.Bf1
(22.c5 bc5 23.Qb7 Rc8 24.Bb5 Bh3)
22...a4 (22...Ke8 23.c5 bc5 24.Qb8)
23.Qc2 Bf5, with a complex game.

21...Ke8
With idea Ke8–f8–g8, Ra8–e8.
22.Bc2
With idea 23.Ba4.
22...Qc3! 23.Bb3
23.Qd3=; 23.Bd4 Re1 (23...Qc4 24.Bb3
Qa6 25.Bg7±) 24.Qe1 Qe1 25.Re1 Kf8=.
23...Kf8 24.Rc1
24.Qd4?! Qd4 25.Bd4 Rae8 26.Re7 Re7
27.Be3 Bf5.
24...Qf6

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25.Bc2
A very important position. All this time
white had the initiative and then came the
moment when the attack ended. At this
point it is very important to calm down and
maintain balance. Kamsky allow a mistake
- he is looking for further activity, although
it is time to think about the equation.
Right move is 25.c5 bc5 26.Bc5 Bc5
27.Rc5 Rae8 with equality (27...Bg4?
28.Qg4 Re1 29.d6!‚ cd6? 30.Rf5+–).
25...Rae8
Karpov has an incredible ability to
coordinate his forces so that they are at
their most efficient. Notice how he has
arranged his pieces so that they do not
stand in each other's way, and they are all
protected; there appears not to be a single
weakness in his whole army. Compare this
position with the one where he played 11...
Kd8; it is hard to imagine that he would be
able to achieve such harmony.With his
king safe, his rooks doubled and White's
kingside weakened, the initiative has
passed over to Karpov.
26.Qd3
Defend weak case f3.

FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

3

26...Bg4
The idea was to bring the queen to h7, but
now that he is here he must have realised
that 27 Qh7 would have been met by
27...g5!
27.Bd2?
A decisive mistake. 27.Bd4? Qf3 28.Qf3
Bf3 29.Kf1 Re1 30.Re1 Bg2 31.Kg2 Re1
–+; 27.Qh7 g5; 27.Bd1 Bf5 28.Qd2 Ba3. If
27.f4 (indicated by Karpov) 27...Re3!
28.Re3 Re3 29.Qe3 Qb2, with idea
30...Ba3 30.h3 Bf5 31.Qf2 Bc5 32.Qd2
Bg6–+ and white is completely paralyzed.
Best was 27.Kg1 Bh3 28.Qh7 g5 29.Bg6!!
(brilliant move) 29...Re3 (29...Qg6 30.Qh8
Qg8 31.Qh6) 30.Re3 Re3 31.Qh6 Ke7
32.Qh3 Re2 33.Bf5 Bc5.
27...Re2 28.Re2
28.Be3 Qf3 29.Kg1 Bh3–+; 28.Rf1 Rd2!
29.Qd2 Qf3 30.Kg1 Bh3–+.
28...Re2 29.Rf1
29.Be1 Bc5–+ ; 29.Be3 Qf3 30.Kg1 Rc2!
31.Qc2 Bh3–+.
29...Rd2
So, let's summarize. Karpov held a game at
the championship level, showing
something new: playing without castling
with the full board pieces spent his plan to
centralize their figures. Then he translated
the king to a safe place, all the while
provoking white to active moves. The rest
of the game Kamsky wanted to punish
black for daring.
29...Rd2 30.Qd2 Qf3 31.Kg1 Bh3–+
0:1.

Kamsky G. : Karpov A.
Dortmund 1993

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 de4 4.Ne4 Nd7
5.Ng5 Ngf6 6.Bd3 e6 7.N1f3 Bd6 8.Qe2
h6 9.Ne4 Ne4 10.Qe4 Nf6 11.Qh4

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11...Ke7!!N
Great idea associated with capture the
white queen. Main threat is 12...g7–g5
13.Qh3 e5(g4) –+.
12.Ne5!?
One of the best reactions to the unepected.
White sacrifices a pawn for the initiative.
12.0–0 g5 13.Qh3 g4–+.
12...Be5 13.de5 Qa5 14.c3 Qe5 15.Be3 b6
16.0–0–0
White has achieved a promising position,
their pieces targeted for attack.
16...g5 17.Qa4
17.Qh3 c5 18.Rhe1, with compensation.
17...c5 18.Rhe1 Bd7 19.Qa3 Rhd8 20.g3
Probably stronger was 20.b4!? 20...cb4
(20...Ke8? 21.Bc5 Qh2 22.Bd4±) 21.Qb4
Qd6 22.Qd6 Kd6 23.Be4 Nd5 24.h4©.
20...Qc7 21.Bd4

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FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

4

21.f4!? Ng4 22.fg5 Ne3 23.Re3 hg5
24.Qb3 Rh8.
21...Be8!
The king himself feels very comfortable on
e7 and the black's pieces surround him. Is
the regrouping of forces, whose main idea
is to echange rooks.
22.Kb1
22.Be5 Qc6 23.Bf6 Kf6 24.Be4 Rd1
25.Kd1 Rd8.
22...Rd5
22...Bc6!? 23.Be5 Qd7 24.Bc2 Qb7.
23.f4!
The best chance for white - opening lines.
23...Rad8
23...gf4 24.gf4 Qf4? 25.Rf1±.
24.Bc2
If 24.Be5 Re5! 25.fe5 Ng4 26.Be2 Rd1
27.Rd1 Ne5; 24.fg5 hg5 25.Rf1 Ng4
26.Be2 Qd6 27.Bg4 cd4.
24...R5d6 25.Bf6
25.Be5 Rd1 26.Rd1 Rd1 27.Bd1 Qd7.
25...Kf6 26.fg5 hg5 27.Rd6 Rd6 28.c4
Ke7 29.Qe3 f6 30.h4 gh4 31.gh4 Qd7
Here begin errors from both sides, it shows
how difficult position on the board.
31...Qd8!?; 31...Bf7 32.h5 Bh5 33.Rh1 Bf7
34.Rh7©.
32.Qh6?
Better was 32.Rg1! Bf7 33.Rg7 Kf8
34.Qg1 e5 35.Rh7 Qe6 36.Qg7 Ke7
37.Bg6 Rd1 38.Kc2 Qc4 39.Kd1 Qf1
40.Kd2 Qf2=.
32...e5?!
32...Bf7 33.Rf1 e5 34.Qg7 Qc8 35.b3 Qg8.
33.h5?
Too hastily played.
33.Rg1 Bf7 34.b3 Rd4 35.h5 Rh4 36.Qg7
Rh5 37.Bg6 Ke6 38.Bh5 Qd3 39.Kc1
Qc3=; 33.Qg7 Ke6 34.Qg4 Ke7 35.Qg7=.
33...Qg4 34.Qh7 Kd8?
34...Bf7!
35.h6
35.Qa7 Bh5 36.Qb8 Ke7 37.Qc7 Qd7.
35...Rd2 36.Qf5
36.Qa7.
36...Qf5 37.Bf5 Bd7 38.Bg6?
38.Kc1 Rd4 39.Be4 Rc4 40.Kd2 Rd4
41.Kc3.
38...Rh2 39.h7 Ke7

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40.Bd3?
All these errors can be eplained only by the
time pressure.Kamsky makes a mistake
and loses last. 40.Rg1 held the position:
40...Be6 (40...f5 41.Rg5 Kf6 42.Bh5!!
interception) 41.b3 Kf8 42.Kc1 Kg7
(42...Ke7 43.Be4±) 43.Bf5 Kf7 44.Rg8
Bf5 45.h8Q. Now it seems that white is
better, but 45...Rh8 46.Rh8 Bg4 47.Rh7
Kg6 48.Ra7 f5 49.Rb7 f4 50.Rb6 Kg5
51.Kd2 e4 52.Rb8 e3 53.Kd3 Bf5 54.Ke2
Bg4 and draw.
40...Be6 41.Rg1
Now is too late: 41.Bg6 f5 42.Re5 Kf6
43.Re2 Rh4 44.b3 Bf7–+.
41...f5–+ 42.Rg7 Kf6 43.Ra7 e4 44.Be2 f4
45.b3 f3 46.Bd1 Bf5 47.Kc1 Bh7 48.Rb7
Ke5 49.Rb6 Ra2.
White resigned 0:1.

The old theory says: Castling may be not
necesseary, when the centre of the board is
blocked by pawns. These games have
shown, that playing with uncastled king
can be played even in half-open position,
planning a regrouping of pieces and
combining threats. Important
psychological side: the opponent thinks
that need necessarily to mate uncastled
king and loses vigilance.