French v. e5

@little_guinea_pig make me a b3 in future or i leave. i find it stupid that someone who i am completely better than i on a higher board than me

may i ask who won?

I'm 1800 rapid. I was put at board 5 because others have higher rapid ratings. I understand that you guys are likely to win against me, but at this point I just want to play and get it over with.

@little_guinea_pig - Your call.  Would you rather play @roughraf?  If not, I'll go ahead and fill in on Board 5.

We should probably try to recruit a couple more for the next match, though.  Don't want folks to have to wait like this again.

Team e5 leads at the moment, with one board match left to play.  However, this is part of a larger challenge with two other teams (for the Sicilian and Caro-Kann), and so each team will play two more matches before the final result is in.

Roger that.

@roughraf - please send me two challenges, one with black and one with white.  Remember the time control is 3 days per move.  Good luck!

Just to give an update, the Board 5 match is well underway.

The e5 game started as a Petroff and transposed into the main line of the Two Knights Defense.  Only 13 moves in, but it's been tactically spectacular thus far, and I think you'll enjoy reviewing this opening once the game finishes.

The French game is an Advance Variation, which has been naturally much tamer, though with some interesting themes.

I won the e5 game:

https://www.chess.com/game/daily/354164545

Kicking myself for missing 15. ..Rxe5!! (16. Qxe5 Nd3+ and wins), and couldn't see the continuation from 17. ..Qf4 so I went with the simplifying 17. ..Qe3+ instead.  @roughraf chose the classical main line to the Two Knights Defense, which is sharp and tactical, and we both missed an awful lot, but it was a ton of fun to play.  Main point of this game is to be very wary of leaving your king in the center.

The French Game is still very much up in the air.

It really was a blast.  Petroff games are our level are often kill-or-be-killed games right from the outset, and this was no exception.  I do love high-tension games.

Resigned the French game:

https://www.chess.com/game/daily/354164523

Things started to go awry at move 10, where I needed to play 10. Nxc6 to end black's central pressure.  Instead I dropped a pawn (and a center pawn at that).  Then I kept missing tactics - missed 24. Nxf5! would put me ahead, 28. f6! allows the rear f-pawn to fix on a light square, took the h-pawn on move 44 instead of pulling the black king over and getting the bishops off first, and somehow miscalculated on move 50 where 50. Ke2! likely allows me to hold, since black has the wrong bishop for the h-pawn.

Still, @roughraf played an excellent game, and handled the endgame with great precision (avoiding, among other things the trap of 48. ..d4? 49. cxd4 c3? 50. bxc3 Bxa3 50. Kg2 draw due to the wrong bishop).

Final score in this match is Team e5 9, Team French 5.  We'll await the end of the Sicilian v. Caro-Kann match.  Well, played, everyone!

broken

Sorry I've been taking a break from daily so my games against @ricorat won't end that soon... will resume today but school is a killer.