Robert_New_Alekhine vs. solskytz Match

Another Botvinnik Chess Match, 24 games, Time Control is 30 12 (solskytz was trying to make it longer and longer...).

PLAYERS:

Robert_New_Alekhine

USCF Rating: 2100, FIDE unrated (should be around 2050).

Chess.com blitz rating: 2100

Chess.com bullet rating: 2270

Chess.com standard rating (only played 10 games): 1700

Stats for solskytz are coming up soon. 

Will add it to BCM2, just firstly clarify all the rules and starting colours. :)

Solskytz can be white if he wants; I would prefer no chatting, time control 30 12; What else should I mention? 

Sweet when is the first game?

Yeah - I was driving for 30 15, but I will try to make every second count. 

My ratings are at a low right now - especially the blitz, which is perilously near my 1900 "floor" (I haven't gone below that number for a while)

Chat will be disabled after the preliminary greetings and perhaps the first couple of moves, every game (mainly to prevent fans from interfering and making suggestions at the critical moment...!!!!)

Server chooses the colours for game 1

Then we switch on game 2

Then we switch again on game 4, 6, 8 and so on...

Game one: Monday, at Midnight Belgian time - which corresponds to 17:00 EST. 

Don't think we should disable chat...the players cannot see what people are writing about the game. 

We will play regularly on Mondays. 

Pettrof 3...Nxe4:

Based on solskytz's match with CP6033 and my blitz games with him, solzkytz seems to like playing a line which I up until now continued to think unsound--the Pettrof with 3...Nxe4.

Theory has shown that black has chances, with Mamedyarov even winning a game against another 2700. However, it is my belief that if white knows the opening he can get...a dry, boring, equal ending. 

Here is the Main Line, recommended by the database:

Qxe5, the only other viable choice for white to prove an advantage, falls flat on its face.

Conclusion: The Pettroff 3...Nxe4 line is an interesting choice, even against prepared players. The main line leads to an equal position, with not even a slight pull for black. Is there another, possibly better alternative? Hopefully! I'm still searching for it. 

An interesting analysis. I wasn't familiar with the resource you mentioned in moves 10, 11 and 12 for black, and thought that the sequence up to that point pretty much refuted the line... which was why I thought that it was playable only in blitz, and only against somebody who does not know it. 

Even with this resource, though, I'm still not convinced that after move 12 in your line black really has full equality. The tactics are all over the place - this is basically a computer generated line that I became familiar with several years ago. It is really rife with tactics - and the more you look (with a good engine) the more amazing stuff keeps popping up. 

Check it out, if you will - the line you give is everything but dry, boring or equal... 

Quite apart from this specific line that you mentioned, there are other lines in this variation which I find troublesome for black. 

GOOD!

Thanks for this!

As the match goes on, you'll find many games and analysis on this thread. Very recommended!! :-)

Of course, black should attempt to complete his development before taking the pawn. Not saying it's equal, but it's equal. 

*almost equal*

<Robert New Alekhine> I find it full of poison for black... he could do a lot better (in view of this line, and a couple of others...), if he simply plays 3...d6 :-)

First game tomorrow. 

Good luck!

THE FIRST GAME BEGINS IN 2 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES!!!

Actually in 3 hours and 23 minutes :-)

We said midnight here, which is supposed to be 17:00 EST, not so??

17:00 EST is in roughly 1h and 50 minutes.....