*** No engine suggested moves, ONLY human moves***


1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Ne4 5. e3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 g6 7. Bd3 Bh6 8. Ba3 Bg7 9. O-O Nc6 10. Rb1 Ne7 11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. Qc2 Ne7 13. Qb3 c6 14. Qb4 Bf6 15. Rfd1 Nd5 16. Qb3 Qa5 17. Rdc1 Nc7 18. Bd6...

Tough...I was thinking of pulling inward and forming something like a hippopotamus defense. I don't think black has the time for it right away and maybe never. That dark bishop is a killer, must be put down!
18...Be7

Seems like the best choice... Any better ideas?

My opponent was online and I played 18... Be7 a few minutes ago. I really couldn't see anything better and letting him continue to improve his position won't fly. It's nap time and the game is a 3 day move increment. The dog had me up and out at 4:30-5:45 this morning and then we were out again for a couple hours bout 9:30.
I watched a lichess2 min blitz game. I didn't get the Im's name... it's too fast for my eyes. Made me dizzy.

Yeah, those blitz games are nutz..At one time I could competently play a 2min game... not anymore.

Here's where it stands after mid day dream time.
18..... Be7
19. Bxe7 Kxe7
20.Ne5
_________
I'll look closer later, but first glance is 20.... c5.

20. Ne5 f6 21. Nc4 Qb5 blunder 22. Qa3+ Kd7 23. Rxb5 cxb5 24. Qd6+ resign

Ouch

Yep...

Black to play at 18 was hard... It was the opening sequence. This dude was playing positional only. I doubt he kept track of your board other than impriving his pieces at each of his turns. He seems classical. Kill him with a hyper modern game. I doubt he could handle it.

You may be correct that he was playing positional. Gameknot has a database that is available to use for premium members. I've been a member off/on (not a member now, so no data base) over the years and have noticed that there's a group of players that play the DB moves. It's uncanny sometimes how these guys find the highest rated move, turn after turn. When I had a DB and found players moving mechanically by the book, I started looking for the oddest move... the move with the least history in the DB and force them to play chess.

I haven't really explored the lichess yet. Where should I be looking to find these hyper modern games?

Leelachess or Leelabot is the newest AI that has an account in lichess.

I watch the youtubes from kingcrusher and agadmator. The latter focuses more on human games, the former has been obsessing in Leela Zero and before that Alpha Zero.

Roger the AI's.
I watched a couple of agadmator vids. Played a couple games with stockfish level 4. Interesting first experience. It's going to take a while to get used to the set up and widgets. I did an analysis on my first game. Pretty cool that the analysis is like immediately done. At GK, an analysis takes a day or at least a few hours and are not managed quite so interactively.

I like the arrows that show move direction.