<p>Castling is a special feature of the king and chess basics stress the importance of castling early to set up a sort of fortress around the king.<br /><br /></p>.<p> It is always difficult to mount an attack on the castled king and hence the emphasis. However delayed castling can create problems many a time.<br /><br />The game which follows is a good example where White delays castling for a long time and castles almost at the end when Black is launching a heavy attack. The middle-game is an interesting one where balance is more or less maintained. White’s game immediately crumbles once he castles on the queen side.<br /><br />White: Heini Olsen (2270) – Black: Stefan Kindermann (2565)<br />Reykjavik, 1998<br />King’s Indian Defence<br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6<br />The King’s Indian Defence which is one of the most popular defences against the Queen’s Gambit<br />5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 <br />Black can also play 6. ..c5<br />7.d5 Na6 8.Bg5<br />White can also castle here<br />8...h6. He immediately wants to push the bishop back<br />9.Bh4 g5<br />If 9...c5 10.Nd2 (10.0–0 Qe8 11.Nd2 Nh7 12.Nb5 Qd7 13.f3 Ng5 14.a3 Qe7 15.Bf2 f5<br />10.Bg3 Nxe4. Temporarily giving up the knight in a combination<br />11.Nxe4 f5 12.Nc3<br />If 12.Nfd2 fxe4 13.Nxe4 Bf5 14.Bd3 g4 15.0–0 h5 16.f3 Bxe4 17.Bxe4 Nc5 18.Bc2 e4<br />12...f4 13.Ne4. If 13.Nd2 Nc5 14.Nde4<br />13...Bf5 14.Nfd2 Nc5<br />Better appears 14. ..c6 Bg4 15.fxg3<br />15.f3. If 15. Nxc5 dxc5 16.Bg4 fxg3<br />15. .. fxg3. <br />If 15. ..Bxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.fxe4<br />16.hxg3 g4<br />Black continues to attack on the kingside. If 16...c6 17.g4<br />17.Qc2 c6. Deciding to challenge the centre<br />18.fxg4. If 18.Bd3 Nxd3+ 19.Qxd3 Qb6<br />18. ..Bg6 19.Bd3 cxd5<br />Worth a look is 19...Nxd3+ 20.Qxd3 Qb6 (20...Qa5 21.a3) 21.b3<br />20.Nxc5. If 20.cxd5 Rc8 21.Qb1 Nxd3+ 22.Qxd3 Qb6<br />20...e4 21.Bxe4<br />If 21.Ncxe4 dxe4 22.Bxe4 Bxe4 23.Nxe4 Qa5+ 24.Kd1 d5 and Black is better<br />21...dxe4<br />If 21...Qe7 22.cxd5 Rac8<br />22.Ne6 Qb6 23.Nxf8 Rxf8<br />If 23...Qe3+ 24.Kd1 Rxf8 25.Nf1 leading to an unclear position<br />24.c5. White has still not castled and can think about it now 24.0–0–0 e3<br />24...dxc5<br />Diagram 1<br />25.0–0–0<br />White finally castles but it is the wrong time and the wrong move now! If 25.Qb3+ Bf7 (25...Qxb3 26.axb3 Bxb2 27.Rxa7 e3 28.Nf3 Bd3 29.Kd1 Bc3 30.Ra2) 26.Qxb6 axb6 27.0–0–0 e3 28.Nf3 with an unclear position<br />25...e3<br />A dangerous pawn advance!<br />26.Qb3+ c4<br />Black had a better move in 26...Bf7 27.Qxb6 exd2+ 28.Rxd2 axb6 29.Rd7 and Blackis better<br />27.Qxb6<br />If 27.Nxc4 Rc8 28.Rd7 Qxb3 29.axb3 b5 30.Rhd1 bxc4 31.Rd8+ Rxd8 32.Rxd8+ Kf7 33.Rd7+ Kf8 34.bxc4 Bxb2+<br />27...exd2+ 28.Rxd2 axb6<br />Black has gained the upper hand and there is hardly anything that White can do<br />29.Rd6 Bd3. Black’s bishop batter is very menacing now!<br />30.Rxb6 Bd4 31.Rxb7 Be3+ 32.Kd1 Rf2<br />Black’s pieces are hovering around the White king and it is just a matter of time and moves that a checkmating net is woven<br />33.Re7 Bg5 34.Rb7 Rc2 35.Ke1 (35.Rb8+ Kf7 36.Rf1+ Ke7) 35...Rc1+ 0–1<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Re8 Nxe8 2.Rxe8 Qf6 3.Bxf6+ Rxf6 4.Qc3 Kg7 5.Rxf8 and White wins.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Castling is a special feature of the king and chess basics stress the importance of castling early to set up a sort of fortress around the king.<br /><br /></p>.<p> It is always difficult to mount an attack on the castled king and hence the emphasis. However delayed castling can create problems many a time.<br /><br />The game which follows is a good example where White delays castling for a long time and castles almost at the end when Black is launching a heavy attack. The middle-game is an interesting one where balance is more or less maintained. White’s game immediately crumbles once he castles on the queen side.<br /><br />White: Heini Olsen (2270) – Black: Stefan Kindermann (2565)<br />Reykjavik, 1998<br />King’s Indian Defence<br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6<br />The King’s Indian Defence which is one of the most popular defences against the Queen’s Gambit<br />5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 <br />Black can also play 6. ..c5<br />7.d5 Na6 8.Bg5<br />White can also castle here<br />8...h6. He immediately wants to push the bishop back<br />9.Bh4 g5<br />If 9...c5 10.Nd2 (10.0–0 Qe8 11.Nd2 Nh7 12.Nb5 Qd7 13.f3 Ng5 14.a3 Qe7 15.Bf2 f5<br />10.Bg3 Nxe4. Temporarily giving up the knight in a combination<br />11.Nxe4 f5 12.Nc3<br />If 12.Nfd2 fxe4 13.Nxe4 Bf5 14.Bd3 g4 15.0–0 h5 16.f3 Bxe4 17.Bxe4 Nc5 18.Bc2 e4<br />12...f4 13.Ne4. If 13.Nd2 Nc5 14.Nde4<br />13...Bf5 14.Nfd2 Nc5<br />Better appears 14. ..c6 Bg4 15.fxg3<br />15.f3. If 15. Nxc5 dxc5 16.Bg4 fxg3<br />15. .. fxg3. <br />If 15. ..Bxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.fxe4<br />16.hxg3 g4<br />Black continues to attack on the kingside. If 16...c6 17.g4<br />17.Qc2 c6. Deciding to challenge the centre<br />18.fxg4. If 18.Bd3 Nxd3+ 19.Qxd3 Qb6<br />18. ..Bg6 19.Bd3 cxd5<br />Worth a look is 19...Nxd3+ 20.Qxd3 Qb6 (20...Qa5 21.a3) 21.b3<br />20.Nxc5. If 20.cxd5 Rc8 21.Qb1 Nxd3+ 22.Qxd3 Qb6<br />20...e4 21.Bxe4<br />If 21.Ncxe4 dxe4 22.Bxe4 Bxe4 23.Nxe4 Qa5+ 24.Kd1 d5 and Black is better<br />21...dxe4<br />If 21...Qe7 22.cxd5 Rac8<br />22.Ne6 Qb6 23.Nxf8 Rxf8<br />If 23...Qe3+ 24.Kd1 Rxf8 25.Nf1 leading to an unclear position<br />24.c5. White has still not castled and can think about it now 24.0–0–0 e3<br />24...dxc5<br />Diagram 1<br />25.0–0–0<br />White finally castles but it is the wrong time and the wrong move now! If 25.Qb3+ Bf7 (25...Qxb3 26.axb3 Bxb2 27.Rxa7 e3 28.Nf3 Bd3 29.Kd1 Bc3 30.Ra2) 26.Qxb6 axb6 27.0–0–0 e3 28.Nf3 with an unclear position<br />25...e3<br />A dangerous pawn advance!<br />26.Qb3+ c4<br />Black had a better move in 26...Bf7 27.Qxb6 exd2+ 28.Rxd2 axb6 29.Rd7 and Blackis better<br />27.Qxb6<br />If 27.Nxc4 Rc8 28.Rd7 Qxb3 29.axb3 b5 30.Rhd1 bxc4 31.Rd8+ Rxd8 32.Rxd8+ Kf7 33.Rd7+ Kf8 34.bxc4 Bxb2+<br />27...exd2+ 28.Rxd2 axb6<br />Black has gained the upper hand and there is hardly anything that White can do<br />29.Rd6 Bd3. Black’s bishop batter is very menacing now!<br />30.Rxb6 Bd4 31.Rxb7 Be3+ 32.Kd1 Rf2<br />Black’s pieces are hovering around the White king and it is just a matter of time and moves that a checkmating net is woven<br />33.Re7 Bg5 34.Rb7 Rc2 35.Ke1 (35.Rb8+ Kf7 36.Rf1+ Ke7) 35...Rc1+ 0–1<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Re8 Nxe8 2.Rxe8 Qf6 3.Bxf6+ Rxf6 4.Qc3 Kg7 5.Rxf8 and White wins.<br /><br /></p>
