When Black delays castling, White may get a brief window of opportunity.
Aron Nimzovich White
Karl Gilg Black
Kecskemet 1927
Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation B30
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 ♕c7 4 c3 a6 5 ♗a4 ♘f6 6 ♕e2 e5 7 0-0 ♗e7
8 d4!
Black was one move away (...b5 or ...0-0) from a fully satisfactory game. But now 8...0-0 9 ♗xc6! (9...♕xc6 10 dxe5 ♘xe4? 11 ♖e1) is trouble.
8...cxd4 9 cxd4 ♘xd4
Trading knights helps White’s queen gets to the kingside faster. Better was 9...exd4 (10 e5 ♘d5).
10 ♘xd4 exd4 11 e5 d3! 12 ♕e3
Black likely intended 13...♘g4, to win another pawn. Then 14 ♕g3 h5 (15 ♗f4? g5! or 15 f4? ♗c5+). But White should continue 15 ♘c3! ♕xe5 16 ♗f4 with the better chances.
12...♘d5 13 ♕g3 g6?
Better was 13...0-0 14 ♗h6 ♗f6 (15 exf6? ♕xg3) because of 15 ♖e1! b5 16 ♗b3 ♗b7.
14 ♗b3! ♘b4 15 ♗xf7+! ♔d8
And here 15...♔xf7? 16 e6+ and ♕xc7.
16 ♗h6 ♘c2 17 ♘c3 ♘d4
Question 274: Why not 17...♘xa1 ?
18 ♕xd3 ♕xe5 19 ♖fe1 ♕f6 20 ♖xe7! resigns.
In view of 20...♔xe7 21 ♘d5+ and 20...♕xe7 21 ♕xd4.
Martin Martinez White
Dennis Gonzales Black
Tromso 2014
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 ♕c7 4 c3 e5 5 0-0 ♗e7 6 d4 cxd4 7 cxd4 ♘f6? 8 dxe5 ♘xe5 9 ♗f4 ♗d6 10 ♗xe5 ♗xe5 11 ♘xe5 ♕xe5 12 ♘c3 0-0 13 f4 ♕c7 14 e5 ♘e8 15 ♔h1 a6 16 ♘d5 ♕c5 17 ♗d3 ♘c7? 18 ♗xh7+! ♔xh7 19 ♕h5+ ♔g8 20 ♘f6+! gxf6 21 ♕g4+ ♔h8 22 ♖f3 resigns.