Bulla,
Damn you're getting good! I can't believe you got away with that Knight sacrifice!! Now if only you could choose some not-ugly pieces when you post your game . . . :p
Opening Deviations
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Oh and 2. Bb5 is still book. The computer plays 2. ... Nc6?! which deviates from the mainlines right away, which is uncharacteristic of it. When I challenge the computer, it usually stays on the mainlines for at least 5-10 moves, opening and heading into the middle game at Master-level strength.
2. Bb5 isn't one of the more popular lines in the French because it doesn't prevent Black from playing c5. Black responds in Morph-like fashion with 2. ... a6! 3. Ba4 b5! and now I can just play 3. ... c5 to taunt you with an avalanche of Queenside expansion. You have to respond with 4. Bc2 further transposing the opening into a Closed Ruy Lopez ala Fisch.
And with all of the extra Queenside space Black gained, he or she will have no problems achieving an = or +/= position in the next couple of moves.
Playing 20.Nxf4 was just too tempting not to play. I get 2 pawns and an attack on black's king which really doesn't have any cover. His queen is stuck defending his bishop which also locks his rook on a8 out of the action. I thought at the very LEAST I would get a perpetual check.
I think 7...bxc6 was a huge mistake. It weakened the c5 square, boxed in his bishop, and gave my knight an extremely powerful outpost.
I plyed 2.Bb5 just off the top of my head. I had a feeling that the computer wouldn't play a6,b5,c5, because they just don't think like that. I haven't really studied the french, but I know that in the advance variation, black being able to play c5 is crucial.
I'm starting to question the strength of this computer.
Bulla,
I'm still unsure about 20. Nxf4!? I think if the computer played the fairly intuitive 22. Ke7 rather than Kf7?? it would be in pretty good shape: removing the pin on the Knight and leaving White with less inroads into the position, allowing time for Black to marshall his superior forces.
It's a bold move, and a strong one too, that worked. But I'm still unconvinced that it is the right move in the position.
Anyway, I posted a game where I tried out the Caro-Kann for the first time. It does make beating the computer look pretty easy sometimes, but feast your eyes on some of these examples:
Whenever I'm playing against a computer I like to deviate from book lines right from the beginning. I think that's the only way to see how strong the computer really is. Here LCP plays a French Defense. I was really satisfied with the opening. Its an advance variation but with one major difference, black is not able to play c5.