CryptoNote technical discussion and Chess Challenge

[XMRpromotions]

h3 to stop Ng4

[smooth]

h3 to stop Ng4

I don't see Ng4 as that dangerous (we can just move the queen) but I'm going to vote for h3 because I don't like having to go on the defensive.

I think we have a tie now so this move will lose to O-O unless someone else votes for it.

h3

[8XMR]

O-O

[dre1982]

h3 to stop Ng4

those moves are very ineffective. It better to develop. Will post tomorrow a game I just played at the club where you can see why.

[XMRpromotions]

h3 to stop Ng4

those moves are very ineffective. It better to develop. Will post tomorrow a game I just played at the club where you can see why.

I don't see Ng4 as that dangerous (we can just move the queen) but I'm going to vote for h3 because I don't like having to go on the defensive.

I see no point in debating because O-O looks fine and I agree with smooth that Ng4 is not "dangerous". However h3 is also a good move. See this game:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1802118&kpage=3

9.h3 would lead to literally the exact same position. In that game black played 9....Nd7 and 10....Nde5

It is not hard to imagine how h3 could be helpful since Ng4 and Nde5 accomplishes the same thing (as Nd7 and Nde5) and makes white move the queen again. So if any time is "wasted" with h3, time is potentially gained by not having to move the queen in response to Ng4 on its way to e5.

We have a nice center with white. The problem is finding an easy way to develop our pieces to good squares. For example, we would like to play b3 and Bb2 but it is not always so easy for tactical reasons on the long diagonal. Svidler ended up "wasting" a move with Rb1 in a failed attempt to prepare it. We may want to talk about another plan besides Rb1 based on the game linked above.

[smooth]

h3 to stop Ng4

those moves are very ineffective. It better to develop. Will post tomorrow a game I just played at the club where you can see why.

I don't see Ng4 as that dangerous (we can just move the queen) but I'm going to vote for h3 because I don't like having to go on the defensive.

I see no point in debating because O-O looks fine and I agree with smooth that Ng4 is not "dangerous". However h3 is also a good move. See this game:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1802118&kpage=3

9.h3 would lead to literally the exact same position. In that game black played 9....Nd7 and 10....Nde5

It is not hard to imagine how h3 could be helpful since Ng4 and Nde5 accomplishes the same thing (as Nd7 and Nde5) and makes white move the queen again. So if any time is "wasted" with h3, time is potentially gained by not having to move the queen in response to Ng4 on its way to e5.

We have a nice center with white. The problem is finding an easy way to develop our pieces to good squares. For example, we would like to play b3 and Bb2 but it is not always so easy for tactical reasons on the long diagonal. Svidler ended up "wasting" a move with Rb1 in a failed attempt to prepare it. We may want to talk about another plan besides Rb1 based on the game linked above.

We could just skip Rb1 and just play b3. I don't see where Rb1 is needed, although maybe it helps a deter an attack on that side a bit.

EDIT: Oh, okay the pawn at b2 is protecting the c3 knight from being pinned once black moves the knight (as in above game). Hmm.

[boolberry]

Current position
Based on the votes in this thread Team Monero has chosen to play O-O. Now it is time for Team Boolberry to respond. I will plan to count votes again tomorrow at approximately 0:00 UTC.

Team Monero (white pieces) vs. Team Boolberry (black pieces)
black to move

1.e4    c5
2.Nf3   d6
3.d4    cxd4
4.Qxd4 a6
5.c4    Nc6
6.Qe3  g6
7.Nc3  Bg7
8.Be2  Nf6
9.O-O

[boolberry]

I vote for Ng4

[dre1982]

I would play here 0-0. King safety first

[languagehasmeaning]

I would play here 0-0. King safety first

O-O

[newb4now]

I would play here 0-0. King safety first

O-O

O-O

[boolberry]

Current position
Based on the votes in this thread Team Boolberry has chosen to play O-O. Now it is time for Team Monero to respond. I will plan to count votes again tomorrow at approximately 0:00 UTC.

Team Monero (white pieces) vs. Team Boolberry (black pieces)
white to move

1.e4    c5
2.Nf3   d6
3.d4    cxd4
4.Qxd4 a6
5.c4    Nc6
6.Qe3  g6
7.Nc3  Bg7
8.Be2  Nf6
9.O-O O-O

[smooth]

Rd1

[XMRpromotions]

Rd1

I think d1 is a good square for the rook but I am worried about

10.Rd1 Ng4
depending on where we move our queen Qb6 could a problem because f2 would be weak.

How about 10.h3 now? It will stop both Ng4 and Bg4 for black.

I would love to play 10.b3 but it fails to

10.b3     Nxe4
11.Qxe4 Bxc3

10.b3     Nxe4
11.Nxe4  Bxa1

My second favorite move after 10.h3 is probably 10.Nd5

[LucyLovesCrypto]

Nd5

[ArticMine]

My vote is for h3. On Rd1 there is Ng4 followed by Qb6 with f2 becoming a problem. I also do not like Nd5 since it allows Ng4.

[LucyLovesCrypto]

My vote is for h3. On Rd1 there is Ng4 followed by Qb6 with f2 becoming a problem. I also do not like Nd5 since it allows Ng4.

I would like to change my vote to h3 instead of Nd5.

[smooth]

Well I voted for h3 last time, it's certainly not a bad move. I'll leave my vote as I feel we can successfully move the queen after Ng4 but we will probably move h3 and I'm happy with that.

[Febo]

h3 , they already showed they could move horse.

[boolberry]

Current position
Based on the votes in this thread Team Monero has chosen to play h3. Now it is time for Team Boolberry to respond. I will plan to count votes again tomorrow at approximately 0:00 UTC.

Team Monero (white pieces) vs. Team Boolberry (black pieces)
black to move

1.e4    c5
2.Nf3   d6
3.d4    cxd4
4.Qxd4 a6
5.c4    Nc6
6.Qe3  g6
7.Nc3  Bg7
8.Be2  Nf6
9.O-O O-O
10.h3