How do you respond when a lower rated opponent chats "take it easy on me"? I've had this happen both in live chess and CC. I have never responded, I just play the game. I can imagine some responses, "This is a rated game, we'll both do our best" or "lol" or "I intend to squash you like a bug!" How do you respond? 

i usually don't respond. play the best you can and try to be friendly afterwards. offer to help improve their chess, send a friend request, etc, etc. blah blah blah.

"I intend to give you my very best game."

I play my hardest against everyone. I wouldn't do others the disrespect of not playing my best.

Maybe he was taking you for a Cubby! 

Ive had it said to me a few times and I just laugh, its just something people say tongue in cheek so to speak. I dont think it is meant lierally so if I play any one of you, please take it easy on me !!!!

 God forbid! 

Hey! Are you be dissin' my Chicago Cubs? 

take it easy, but don,t give up the game. you don,t have to play your "A game".there is still your "B game".

...

Please pardon me if I am misunderstanding, but why should he play his "B game"?

My response

"only if you promise to do likewise"

"No English" works a treat in such instances, and in plenty more besides! Ever been pulled over by the cops?

But yeah, I don't think they're sincerely asking you to drop your playing strength. They're basically saying "hey, you're strong and you're probably going to defeat me in short order".

play the following: 

in all seriousness though, just reply "i shall play by best." and do so, as if you were playing someone of your level. that's all there is to it. even if you "take it easy" on your opponent and he happens to win, he probably won't feel like it was an earned victory anyway.

Don't respond. Then if you lose you can say it cause you took it easy on them.

Respond "okay", and then squash them like a bug.

  I don't find it offensive at all. Just a light-hearted comment. Now if someone called me a Cubs fan.

"You cannot play at chess if you are kind-hearted."

— -- FRENCH PROVERB

I have never expect anyone to 'take it easy' on me, even when I was a 6 year old beginner. My grandpa would crush me every time. Now that I'm older and much better, I have a nice winning streak against him. Victory is much more rewarding when you have to work for it. If my grandpa had ever taken it easy, and lost, then what would my win mean?

P.S. Even if he did take it easy, it would be pretty hard for me to win because my strategy always involved making big zig-zag formations with my pawns. He taught me to protect my pieces so I guess that's how I interpreted it. When I got 'better', I would open with my rook pawns to get the rooks out early. Then when I got CM 9000 I learned some real openings and a bunch of other good stuff.

Yeah, same here, I've never expected anyone would take it seriously.