To castle or not to castle, that is the question

Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So

2nd Speed Chess Championship; match game 15 (5’+2” per move); Chess.com, November 18, 2017

brnnqkrb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/BRNNQKRB w KQkq - 0 1
Position 435

1. c4. De gustibus non est disputandum: 1. e4 g6 2. g3 b6 3. Nc3 c5 4. 0-0 0-0 5. Nd5 e6 6. Nc7 Qe7 7. Nxa8 Rxa8 8. c3 Nc6 9. b3 b5 10. Qe3 b4 11. Nd3 bxc3 12. dxc3 c4 13. bxc4 Nb6 14. c5 Nc4 15. Qe2 N4e5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. f4 Qc5+ 18. Qf2 Qxf2+ 19. Kxf2 Nc4 20. e5 d5 21. Ke2 Rfc8 22. Kd3 Rc5 23. Bf3 Ra5 24. Rf2 Bg7 25. Bd1 Rc8 26. Re2 Ra6 27. Bb3 Rb6 28. Bb2 Bf8 29. Bc1 Ba3 30. Bd2 Nxd2 31. Rxd2 a5 32. Rf1 h5 33. Rc2 Rb7 34. h3 Kg7 35. Rh1 Ra7 36. Ba4 h4 37. gxh4 Rc4 38. Bb5 Rxf4 39. h5 Rb7 40. c4 dxc4+ 41. Rxc4 Rxc4 42. Bxc4 Rd7 43. Kc2 gxh5 44. Rg1+ Kh6 45. Rg8 Bb4 46. a3 Rc7 47. Kb3 Bxa3 48. Rh8+ Kg7 49. Rxh5 Be7 50. Bd3 Rc5 51. h4 Rd5 52. Be4 Rd4 53. Rh7+ Kg8 54. Bg6 Rf4 ½ : ½ Nakamura – Aronian, 2nd Sinqfield Fischerandom Chess Cup, Saint Louis 2014, match game 5. 1. ... g6 2. g3 b6 3. Bxa8 Rxa8 4. b3 Bxa1 5. Rxa1 c5 6. Nc3 e6 7. e3 Nc6 8. N1e2 N8e7 9. Rd1 0-0. Given the starting position, it was possible to castle on the h-side already from the first move! 10. d4 cxd4. Who knows, maybe 10. ... d5 should have been considered, as after the text Black’s backward d-Pawn will be subjected to White’s pressure. 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Rxd4. Not 12. exd4? d5 and Black would be suddenly free. 12. ... Nc6 13. Rd2 Qe7 14. 0-0 a6. If 14. ... Qb4 then 15. Qa1! with crushing threats. 15. Qe2 Rfd8 16. Rfd1 f5? It does not seem a good idea to allow White’s next move. Whether bad or good, 16. ... d6 was better. 17. Rd6. The inexorable pythonisation begins. 17. ... Rab8 18. e4 Rb7 19. Kg2 Qf6? Now the end comes upon Black immediately. In any event, after 19. ... fxe4 20. Nxe4 Rf8 21. Qd2 White also dominates the board. 20. exf5 gxf5. Unpleasantly forced, as 20. ... Qxf5 loses to 21. Rxc6. 21. Nd5 Qe5 22. Qxe5 Nxe5 23. Nxb6 f4 24. gxf4 Ng6 25. Nxd7 1 : 0.