Lets play a game of Chess

[chesthing]

A slow game is one thing but days between moves? c'mon.

[1714805565]

1714805565

[1714805565]

1714805565

[1714805565]

1714805565

[languagehasmeaning]

A slow game is one thing but days between moves? c'mon.

Yeah, our opponent definitely seemed faster in our last game. I don't mind really. It just means that I am less likely to miss a move even if I don't log into bitcointalk for a day or two.

He is probably just busier now for some reason. To me being able to play someone of his caliber is worth it.

If you get bored you can always join the game below. There is a strict 1 move per day pace:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1190988.0

[letsplayagame]

Qh5: 7 votes (XMRpromotions, chesthing, galdur, languagehasmeaning, Morecoin Freeman, marcus1986, boolberry)
Qxf1+: 1 vote (hermesesus)

Your move bitcointalk. You have the black pieces

The current position is updated below:

Game 2 (letsplayagame vs bitcointalk):
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.f3

[Morecoin Freeman]

♝Bf5: 1 vote (Morecoin Freeman)

Connecting our Rooks!

[hermesesus]

♝Bf5: 1 vote (Morecoin Freeman)

Connecting our Rooks!

Bf5: 2 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus)

[galdur]

Bf5: 3 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur)

[boolberry]

Bf5: 3 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur)

Bf5: 4 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur, boolberry)

Everyone voting already knows this but to any beginners watching, Bf5 18.g4 (forking the bishop and queen) fails to Qxh2++

[XMRpromotions]

Bf5: 5 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur, boolberry, XMRpromotions)

I wonder if OP is playing in this:
http://www.londonchessclassic.com/gct/gct_schedule.htm

[marcus1986]

Bf5: 6 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur, boolberry, XMRpromotions, marcus1986)

[languagehasmeaning]

Bf5: 7 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur, boolberry, XMRpromotions, marcus1986, languagehasmeaning)

[languagehasmeaning]

Bf5: 5 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur, boolberry, XMRpromotions)

I wonder if OP is playing in this:
http://www.londonchessclassic.com/gct/gct_schedule.htm

4 draws and just 1 win in round 1. Giri beat Topalov

[galdur]

Bf5: 5 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur, boolberry, XMRpromotions)

I wonder if OP is playing in this:
http://www.londonchessclassic.com/gct/gct_schedule.htm

4 draws and just 1 win in round 1. Giri beat Topalov

Yeah, Mr. Topalov offered him a finger and Mr. Giri said thank you and quickly snapped off the arm.  

Giri is an excellent player and very good at somehow helping, leading the opponent into blunders. A mark of the best.

[letsplayagame]

Bf5: 7 votes (Morecoin Freeman, hermesesus, galdur, boolberry, XMRpromotions, marcus1986, languagehasmeaning)

Your move bitcointalk. You have the black pieces

The current position is updated below:

Game 2 (letsplayagame vs bitcointalk):
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.f3 Bf5 18.a4

[knightkon]

Stop playing defense and move:
B5 --> B4

[jjacob]

Bxe4 : 2 votes (knightkon, jjacob)

Our knight will be forced away once he takes the Bishop and this will threaten the f7 pawn.
The f7 pawn seems to be well defended, doesn't it?

[shanerc563]

I am in on Bxe4 : 3 votes (knightkon, jjacob, shanerc563)
However I do not understand the lettering Bxe4 if someone could break it down for me so that i can better understand.  Thank you in advance.

[boolberry]

I am in on Bxe4 : 3 votes (knightkon, jjacob, shanerc563)

Stop playing defense and move:
B5 --> B4

I have corrected the vote count above because knightkon voted for b4 (b5-b4)
Bxe4 : 2 votes (jjacob, shanerc563)
b4: knightkon

I cannot find any forced win for white if we play Bxe4. It appears to be more of a positional sacrifice. White will have a bishop, pawn and long term initiative for the rook. We would have a small material advantage but be on the defensive due to our weak pawn structure.

Bxe4 : 2 votes (jjacob, shanerc563)
b4: 2 votes (knightkon, boolberry)

My vote was a hard decision and I may be convinced to change it to Bxe4 after more careful study.

[Morecoin Freeman]

However I do not understand the lettering Bxe4 if someone could break it down for me so that i can better understand.  Thank you in advance.

The files are labeled a through h.
The ranks are numbered 1 to 8.

Pieces are identified by an uppercase letter:
K for king, Q for queen, R for rook, B for bishop, and N for knight (since K is already used).
Pawns are not identified by uppercase letters, but rather by the absence of one.

When a piece makes a capture, an "x" is inserted immediately before the destination square.
For example, Bxe5 (bishop captures the piece on e5).

When a pawn makes a capture, the file from which the pawn departed is used to identify the pawn.
For example, exd5 (pawn on the e-file captures the piece on d5).

Castling is indicated by the special notations O-O (for kingside castling) and O-O-O (queenside castling).

A move that places the opponent's king in check has the symbol "+" appended.

Checkmate at the completion of moves can be represented by the symbol "# ".

[boolberry]

However I do not understand the lettering Bxe4 if someone could break it down for me so that i can better understand.  Thank you in advance.

The files are labeled a through h.
The ranks are numbered 1 to 8.

Pieces are identified by an uppercase letter:
K for king, Q for queen, R for rook, B for bishop, and N for knight (since K is already used).
Pawns are not identified by uppercase letters, but rather by the absence of one.

When a piece makes a capture, an "x" is inserted immediately before the destination square.
For example, Bxe5 (bishop captures the piece on e5).

When a pawn makes a capture, the file from which the pawn departed is used to identify the pawn.
For example, exd5 (pawn on the e-file captures the piece on d5).

Castling is indicated by the special notations O-O (for kingside castling) and O-O-O (queenside castling).

A move that places the opponent's king in check has the symbol "+" appended.

Checkmate at the completion of moves can be represented by the symbol "# ".

Good explanation Morecoin. I also found this link in the OP:

To make things easier for the community, I suggest all your moves are discussed in algebraic notation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algebraic_chess_notation

[XMRpromotions]

Bxe4 : 3 votes (jjacob, shanerc563, XMRpromotions)
b4: 2 votes (knightkon, boolberry)

I vote for accepting the sacrifice. Unlike last game we will have some material compensation for being on the defensive.
I found one line we must avoid:
18.a4 Bxe4
19.fxe4 Ne7?
20.Qf6 wins the g5 pawn because of the threat of e5 (and we cannot retreat our bishop without losing our knight)

after 19.fxe4 Nc7 the position seems unclear. For example 20.Qf6 Ne6 21.Bxe6? allows Qd1+ forces 22.Qf1 (and a better endgame for us because after 22.Kg2? fxe6 wins for us!). Of course 21. Bxe6 (and 20.Qf6) are not forced. 20.e5 should give white some good attacking chances.

knightkon and boolberry what is your plan after:

18.a4 b4
19.c4

It seems like we will still have to retreat our knight. White then will have the option of retreating his rook keeping a material edge but with our knight on a more passive square.