Chess Log: 1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘f6 3. ♘xe5 ♘xe4 4. d4 c5 5. ♗d3 ♘xf2!

1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘f6 3. ♘xe5 ♘xe4 4. d4 c5 5. ♗d3 ♘xf2! 6. ♔xf2 ♕h4 7. g3 ♕xd4 8. ♔f1 ♕xe5 9. ♘c3 d6 10. ♗f4 ♕f6 11. ♘d5! ♕xb2? [11. ...♕d8] 12. ♘c7! ♔d7 13. ♘xa8 ♘c6 14. ♗f5 ♔d8 15. ♖b1 ♕xa2 16. ♖a1 ♕c4 17. ♗d3 ♕e6 18. ♕e2 ♕xe2 19. ♗xe2 ♗d7 20. ♖d1 ♔c8 21. ♗xd6 ♗xd6 22. ♖xd6 ♖d8 23. ♗g4 ♗xg4 24. ♖xd8 ♔xd8 25. h3 ♗e6 26. ♔f2 ♔c8 27. ♖d1 ♔b8 28. g4 ♔xa8 29. ♔f3 ♘d4 30. ♔e4 ♘xc2?? 31. ♖d8! 1-0 {Black resigns}

I played White. 3. [...♘xe4] is not considered the best line by MCO-13, which favors 3. [...d6]. 4. d4 took us out of the book entirely.

Black was rated 100 points higher than I, and played like it, keeping me off-balance for most of the game with a steady, aggressive attack. Perhaps Black felt a little over-confident, leading to the decisive blunder of 30. [...]♘xc2??. Moving either the a or b Pawn instead, or 30. [...]f5+, might have wrapped things up for all practical purposes.

Chess Log: Petrov's Defense, Black Left The Book Early

5-0 blitz, I played White: 1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘f6 3. ♘xe5 ♘xe4 4. d4 ♗e7 5. ♗d3 ♘xf2 6. ♔xf2 ♗h4 7. g3 ♕f6 8. ♕f3 ♗xg3 9. hxg3 ♕xf3 10. ♘xf3 d5 11. ♖xh7 ♖g8 12. ♖h1 ♗g4 13. ♗f4 ♘d7 14. ♗xc7 ♖c8 15. ♖e1 ♔f8 16. ♗d6 1-0 {Black checkmated}

Petrov's Defense often makes me nervous, if Black stays in the Book. Which was not the case here. 3. [...] ♘xe4? is generally considered a blunder. So is my 4. d4?, but still, already by his 6th move Black is in pretty serious trouble. 13. [...] ♘d7?? was a major mistake even by the standards of this low level of play, and 15. [...] ♔f8?? sealed the deal. 15. [...] ♗e6 would've kept Black alive for at least a while.

The standard openings are standard for a reason.