RHP'ers vs Fritz8: The Game :-)

Originally posted by shortgoth1
I'm by no means an expert, but I do like to play the scotch. After 4. Nxd4 (which is the most likely move going by the votes thus far), the most common replies I've seen/played are:

4... Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 (main line as far as I know, leave it up to black to decide the next move, generally 6... Qg6 to put pressure on the e pawn and allow Nf6 and ca ...[text shortened]... 5. Qxd4 Nf6

My money would be on Fritz playing Qh4, 'cause it's a vicious attacking engine.

Originally posted by Corsair
Question for you shortgoth!

I looked at this and thought 6 e5 was better. Having said that, I never play the scotch so would welcome your views.

Originally posted by shortgoth1
Sorry mate, that should read 6. Bd3, intending to castle. And you're right, e5 is playable, I just prefer to get another piece out and castle as soon as possible. Also, I made another error in one of the other "usual" lines. After NxN, QxN, the other night move is Ne7, not Nf6. I tried to correct them, but for some reason it wouldn't let me edit the post a second time.

I should also add that if he plays 4... Qh4, Nb5 pretty much forces him to move the king and lose castling rights, but the attack he's building up is usually worth it for black and the game turns into a tactic-fest very quickly.

Originally posted by shortgoth1
I should also add that if he plays 4... Qh4, Nb5 pretty much forces him to move the king and lose castling rights, but the attack he's building up is usually worth it for black and the game turns into a tactic-fest very quickly.

Originally posted by Corsair
Presumably if we go down that line then we do lose a pawn for the trouble of sticking the black king in the middle?

This kind of thing 4... Qh4, 5 Nb5 Bb4+, 6 Bd2 Qxe4+, 7 Be2 ... now Fritzy gotta move the king but we are a pawn down. Is there any avoiding the lost pawn?

Exactly, there's no possible variation after 5. Nb5 in which you get to keep the pawn and going material down with a poorly placed knight and black already on the attack is probably not the best way to play against a machine, hence 5. Nc3 is best after 4... Qh4. Still, if people want an exciting game, it's a good fun line, assuming Fritz even plays Qh4.

Originally posted by shortgoth1
Exactly, there's no possible variation after 5. Nb5 in which you get to keep the pawn and going material down with a poorly placed knight and black already on the attack is probably not the best way to play against a machine, hence 5. Nc3 is best after 4... Qh4. Still, if people want an [b]exciting game, it's a good fun line, assuming Fritz even plays Qh4.[/b]

What are the odds of that?

Id go with Nb5, its a sexy move. Im not really looking to get into an endgame against tablebase, one slip and we are gone. With fritzy's king in the center we stand a much better chance. Pawns be damned I say! :-)

The line is pretty much forced too.

4...Qh4 5. Nb5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Kd8 8. O-O

For me white is in much better shape than black.

Originally posted by shortgoth1
What are the odds of that?

Originally posted by Grayeyesofsorrow
Id go with Nb5, its a sexy move. Im not really looking to get into an endgame against tablebase, one slip and we are gone. With fritzy's king in the center we stand a much better chance. Pawns be damned I say! :-)

Originally posted by shortgoth1
Excellent reasoning, I'd like to see an Nb5 game against Fritz (I've attempted them myself and always get hammered unless I set the engine to true patzer level but I have faith in the RHP crew) and you can't argue with sexy chess.

Edit - misinterpreted the other statement. An opening book that likes gambits and attacking openings? How did you tweak ...[text shortened]... ell, I can just about run a game through it but haven't really gotten into the various options.

Originally posted by shortgoth1
Excellent reasoning, I'd like to see an Nb5 game against Fritz (I've attempted them myself and always get hammered unless I set the engine to true patzer level but I have faith in the RHP crew) and you can't argue with sexy chess.

...[text shortened]... me through it but haven't really gotten into the various options.

Originally posted by Grayeyesofsorrow
You should have got an opening book with Fritz? If not you can get them online. Once you have the opening book you can open it and give value to the moves.

We are going to have to beat fritz on something along the lines of long term positional advantage. King in the center is bang on what we need. If we try to keep the game even then we proba ...[text shortened]... 0 moves on that king is still going to be fritz's weak point. It gives us a focus for attack.