I played a game against a considerably higher rated opponent.  His opening was weird and rather planless and his later play wasn't the best either, but that might have been due to his opening.  The fact is, as mentioned, is that he is considerably higher rated, and presumably a better player, but, even though I don't think my own play was particularly inspired, but he gaveme so much lattitude, I really didn't have to try to find better moves and it was enough to eke out a win.  Granted the game was only 5/0, but I think this guy lost in the opening.

Yeah, it was a weird game.  Sometimes these terrible openings leave me spending too much time trying to figure out where to swim in untried waters. Maybe he was sandbagging; maybe he was too arrogant?

Looks like s/he was goofing off in the opening for whatever reason, and then started to play.

????

Whatever.  I don't see why he didn't play BxN(f6) at move 17, he couldn't just have missed it, surely?

He was a higher rated player, but I wouldn't say consederably higher rated.

Thats just what I was going to say.....Bxf6, I think the player was horsing around so to speak, but black was too timid in her addressing the weak awkward moves, meaning no disrespect and maybe you were enjoying the game waiting to see the other surprises to come, lolo

Me neither. I'd say considerably.

I'd say, conflagerally.

I'd say conwoodyerably.

He developed and then he UNdeveloped me thinks that you Scared the poor fella !

Hey, I once played a guy who opened with 1 f3 2 Kf2...and he won.  Just be glad you didn't lose. 

Undeveloping is an Underrated and little Understood chess concept called Un-Passant.

PS: I'm always glad when I don't lose.  Was the guy who won pretending to be B. Fischer in ICC?

He was close enough to BF for my (dis)comfort. 

I seem to have heard of this syndrome myself...

Your opponent appears to have made the usual beginners mistake of bringing the Queen out far too soon.

I don't think that you need to spend lots of time trying to figure out the opening just play by principles and no doubt it will all come together.

Qf3 then Qd1 gives you a couple of tempo and just look at the position after 6 moves, you have four pieces in play and 2 excellent centre pawns...what has your opponent got? 4 pawns in play...

It, and the many others, were played at  3/0 time-control.  I tend to doubt if someone could have consulted an engine while playing at that speed. I don't know if an engine could have been hard-wired into ICC without detection, but an engine, it seems, wouldn't play such an unlikely opening.