JOIN USCastling is an important part of any chess game and the basic idea of this manoeuvre is to take the King to safety, protected by a pawn wall and other pieces posted nearby for defence.
Castling is a special privilege of the King and can be done on the King-side or the queen-side which is also known as long castling. Most often, short castling is preferred but when the a player decides to castle on the opposite side, it needs careful consideration as the King can be subjected to a heavy attackIn the game which follows, White castles on the queen side quite early in the game which is well within theoretical lines. Black decides to castle on the opposite side and pays the price by ending on the losing side.
White: Lev Psakhis (2625) – Black: Zdenko Kozul (2570)Portoroz , 1995Sicilian Defence1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6One of the popular lines in the Sicilian Defence5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6The Richter-Rauzer variation7.Qd2 a6 8.0–0–0White castles on the queen-side which is well within opening theory lines8. ..Bd7 9.f3 Qa5Black should have considered 9...Be710.Be3If 10.h4 Rc8 11.Kb1 h6 12.Be3 h5 13.Qf2 Qc7 14.Bd3 Ne5 15.Rhe1 b5 16.Nb3 Be7 And if 10.Nb3 Qc7 11.h4 b5 12.h5 h6 13.Bf4 Ne5 14.Bd3 b4 15.Ne2 Nxd3+ 16.Qxd3 e5 17.Be3 Be7 18.g4 Bb510...Nxd4Even now Black should have considered 10. ..Be7. If 10...b5 11.a3 (11.Kb1 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 h5 ) 11...Rb8 12.Kb1 Ne5 13.Nd5 Qxd2 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 15.Bxd2 Rg8 16.Rg1 And if 10...Be7 11.Kb1 b5 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Ne2 Qc7 14.Nd4 0–0 15.g4 Nd7 16.h4 Rac8 17.g511.Qxd4. If 11.Bxd4 Be7 12.Qf211...Rc8 12.Kb1A cautious move! White could have played aggressively with 12.g4 h6 13.Kb112. ..Be7 13.g4
13. .. 0–0Black castles on the Kingside which does not look like a good idea. He should have played 13. ..e5 14.Qd2 Be6 15.g5 And if 13...b5 14.g5 (14.e5 dxe5 15.Qxe5 Qc7) 14...b414.Qd2A good move!14. ..Rc6If 14...Qc7 15.h4 (15.g5 Nh5 16.Bh3 g6 17.Bg4 Ng7 18.h4) 15...b5 16.h5 b4 17.Ne2 Rfd8 18.g5 Ne8 19.g6 and White is better15.g5 Nh5 16.Nd5 Qd8If 16. ..exd5 17.Qxa517.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Qb4 f6If 18...Bc8 19.e5 Rd8 20.Bb6 Rd7 21.f419.Qxb7 Rfc8Doubling rooks. If 19...Rxc2 20.Bxa6 (20.Kxc2 Ba4+) 20...fxg5 21.Bb520.Bxa6 fxg5A mistake! Black is already in trouble but better appears 20. ..Qd8 21.Bd3 Rb821.Bxg5 Qf7If 21...Qxg5 22.Qxd722.Rhf1 h6 23.Be3 Nf6Black could have tried to protect his weak back rank with 23. ..Qe824.Qa7 R8c7 25.Qb8+ Kh7Worth a look is 25...Be826.e5. If 26.Bd3 e526...dxe5 27.Bd3+ e4 28.fxe4If [28.Bxe4+ Nxe4 29.fxe4 Qg6 30.Rf828...e5 29.Bb6 Rc8 30.Qxe5 Rxb6 31.Qd4 Rcb8Black’s only hope is in trying to gain some counter play by attacking White’s king. 32.b3 Kh8 33.e5 Qd5 34.Bc4 Qxd4 35.Rxd4 Ng4If 35...Bh3 36.Rf3 Bg2 37.Rf236.Rxd7 Nxe5 37.Rc7 Rb4 38.Rf41–0
White to play and checkmate in two movesNew game1.Rh4+If 1.Rg5+ Nxg5+1...Nxh4 2.g4 checkmate