C20 1.e4 e5: Unusual White second moves (1.e4 e5 2.d3 Nc6 3.g3)

I have kept climbing back up to where I once was in Chess.com's Online Chess ratings. I think I am 75 points behind my peak rating at the moment so I still have work cut out for me in order to reach new heights but if the games keep ending the way they have it should be only a matter of time when I get back to 1974 or somewhere around there. I have only moved in a couple of my games today and after I made a huge blunder which might very well mean the first loss for me in a Chess960 game, I thought I should take a break from moving and update the blog again. I have concluded 9 Chess960 games in my life and from those games I have 8 wins and one draw. That does not tell all that much from my abilities as a Chess960 player as my opposition has been mainly lower rated people. The game I am sharing now is one that features another offbeat opening that you rarely see played anymore. In all my games over the years I have maybe faced this line 10-20 times out of several thousand games. I have added a few more puzzles also today to mate in one, two and three pages. The beginner stuff I typed about yesterday will start appearing this weekend or that is the plan anyway.

[Event "Corr game 30.4.2004-25.5.2004"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2004.04.29"] [Round "?"] [White "AhmadFarhan"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C20"] [WhiteElo "1062"] [BlackElo "1849"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "62"] [EventDate "2004.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. d3 {C20 King Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation} Nc6 3. g3 {C20 1.e4 e5: Unusual White second moves} d6 (3... d5 4. Bg2 dxe4 5. Bxe4 Nf6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. Nc3 Nd5 8. Bd2 Rb8 9. Qe2 Bd6 10. O-O-O O-O 11. h4 Qe7 12. Kb1 Be6 13. b3 a5 14. Na4 Nb6 15. Nxb6 Rxb6 16. Bxa5 Ra6 17. Be1 Rfa8 18. c4 {Meijers,V (2415)-Krivonosov,O (2400) Latvia 1994 0-1 (37)}) 4. f4 g6 $146 (4... f5 5. exf5 Bxf5 6. fxe5 dxe5 7. g4 Qh4+ 8. Ke2 Bxg4+ 9. Kd2 Bxd1 10. Kxd1 Bd6 11. Bg2 Nge7 12. Nc3 a6 13. a3 {0-1 (13) Chambi,A-Larico,R La Paz 2014}) 5. Nf3 Bg7 { 0.47/20} (5... h5 $11 {-0.06/21}) 6. Nc3 {-0.23/19} ({White should play} 6. fxe5 $14 {0.47/20} dxe5 7. Bg2) 6... Nge7 {0.27/19} (6... Nf6 $142 {-0.23/19}) 7. Ng5 {-1.21/17} (7. Bg2 $11 {0.27/19 keeps the balance.}) 7... f6 {-0.22/20} (7... exf4 $17 {-1.21/17} 8. gxf4 O-O) 8. Nf3 $11 {The position is equal.} Be6 {-0.11/19} (8... Bg4 $15 {-0.63/17}) 9. Bg2 $1 Qd7 10. O-O f5 $2 {0.83/20 [#]} (10... exf4 $17 {-0.76/20} 11. Bxf4 O-O) 11. Bh3 $2 {-1.43/18} (11. Ng5 $16 { 0.83/20 keeps the pressure on.}) 11... O-O $2 {0.47/19} (11... O-O-O $17 { -1.43/18} 12. fxe5 dxe5) 12. Qd2 $2 {-1.86/20} (12. Ng5 $1 $14 {0.47/19 keeps the upper hand.}) 12... Rf6 $2 {0.60/18} (12... fxe4 $19 {-1.86/20} 13. Bxe6+ Qxe6 14. Nxe4 exf4 15. gxf4 Rae8) 13. exf5 {-0.13/20} (13. Ng5 $1 $14 {0.60/18} ) 13... Nxf5 14. Ng5 {-1.11/20} (14. fxe5 $1 $11 {0.08/20} Nxe5 15. Nxe5 dxe5 16. Ne4) 14... h6 $2 {0.99/20 [#]} (14... exf4 $1 $17 {-1.11/20 and life is bright.} 15. Rxf4 Re8) 15. fxe5 {0.05/21} (15. Nxe6 $16 {0.99/20} Qxe6 16. Qg2) 15... Nxe5 16. Bg2 $2 {-4.71/20} (16. Nxe6 $16 {0.82/19 is forced if you want to stay better.} Qxe6 17. Qf2) 16... hxg5 $19 17. Qxg5 $2 {-8.52/20} (17. Ne4 { -3.90/20} Rff8 18. Nxg5) 17... Rf7 18. Bxb7 Rb8 19. Be4 Bh6 20. Qxh6 Nxh6 21. Bxh6 Rxb2 22. d4 Nc6 {-4.36/22} (22... Rxf1+ $142 {-11.27/20} 23. Rxf1 d5) 23. Bxg6 {-9.72/18} (23. d5 $142 {-4.36/22} Ne7 24. dxe6 Qxe6 25. Bd3) 23... Nxd4 24. Rab1 Rxf1+ 25. Rxf1 Bf5 26. g4 Bxg6 {Black mates.} 27. Rf8+ Kh7 28. g5 Qg4+ 29. Kf2 Rxc2+ 30. Ke3 Rxc3+ 31. Kd2 Rc2+ {Accuracy: White = 23%, Black = 22%.} 0-1