I agree with tug. I can't really see what 7...f5 accomplishes. Martin could just ignore it and play 8. e5. Then we've just made our kingside weaker and our g7 bishop is kinda dead (it's no longer putting pressure on d4).
Also after 7...f5 can't Martin just play 8. exf5 Bxf5 9. Bxf5 gxf5 10. Qab3.5+ and win the b7-pawn?
I stick with my vote for b6. It's a solid hedgehog move.
I'm fine with playing 7...e5. Both 7...b6 and 7...e5 look fine to me. I wont analyze more on this move anyway. Unless someone points out why one move is better than another I don't think I'll change my mind at this point. But we have to make a move so soon (I think) that it feels a bit late to come up with new moves/new ideas now and change our minds last minute.
If we make a move much later than now then it's possible that I wont be awake when we make the move.
I'll vote for whichever of the moves 7...b6 and 7...e5 has the most votes by the time voting ends.
I vote e5.
This new event is crazy. I'd be surprised if the game lasted 15 more moves.
I vote "accept draw".
We got lucky! No one was liking our position and an Event was exactly what I (we) was hoping for. Now, we find out anew if we our really in over our heads… in trouble. Haven't even looked at the Event yet, but dax doesn't like it. Yikes!
We do have a reply of c6 to the possible Qa4+, but I'm not liking this rubber match, with so much at stake in deciding the 3rd game. By accepting Martin's draw offer, everyone wins.
I vote accept draw, too.
We've been very unlucky with the events here.
In fact what am I even thinking? We're just dead lost here, this is mate in two. I don't think Martin has seen that yet but he will.
8. Qab3.5+ Kf8 9. Qe8#
8... Kf8 is forced, as blocking the check is illegal (Qe7 wins king).
So yea, mate in two. Accept draw.
I've deleted three posts of analysis as I don't want to waste peoples' time. It's mate in two, analysing other lines is pointless.
8... Qab3.5+ Kf8...
9. Qe8 wins our queen as it has nowhere to bounce to, the king is pushed to g8, leaving us in check and only one resource... Bf8, but that's illegal as Qxf8 just wins the king.
I will post my brief analysis soon, but yes It's very much lost for us, so we should accept draw.
I just noticed we can't even play 8... Kf8, since the e-pawn has been pushed, exposing the diagonal.
So Qa4 is just checkmate. We can't block, and we can't run.
I just noticed we can't even play 8... Kf8, since the e-pawn has been pushed, exposing the diagonal.
So Qa4 is just checkmate. We can't block, and we can't run.
We could block with 8...Qd6.5, right? Of course it's super lost after 9. Qxa7 but still, at least queens are still on the board at that point.
No, Qd6 is illegal, as he has Qe7 to win the king.
Qab3.5 is mate.
Oh you said Qd6, still doesn't block because the king is directly exposed to check from a4
I need to ask you guys this "stupid" question. Martin's Bishop… by it moving to that half-move "four corners" can change its color, now, at will. Correct? Just asking this so that I get the clarification-understanding. It occupies any of those four squares, and moves like a Bishop from any of those four squares — thereby being either Black or White — for now. Just yes or no… don't go into detail.
Yes.