h3: Hero or Zero?

Very instructive comparitions and a lot of work to find exact positions. Nice!

Just two suggestions.

It's strange a little to refer to engine's evaluation of Philidor defense after second move that this is +1 for white. I agree that h3 is not the best move in this position but talking about +1 after move two in defence that is played from hundreds years is kind of exaggeration.

About this "big blunders game" - bad example 6 - you wrote: "h3 is played, and it remains unclear why this was played." I guess it was played to avoid black's Qg4 with Q trade. So hard to say it was bad idea on this level with two pieces less. But OK, now I see f3 was much better. :D

@szczyk said in #11:
> Very instructive comparitions and a lot of work to find exact positions. Nice!
>
> Just two suggestions.
>
> It's strange a little to refer to engine's evaluation of Philidor defense after second move that this is +1 for white. I agree that h3 is not the best move in this position but talking about +1 after move two in defence that is played from hundreds years is kind of exaggeration.
>
> About this "big blunders game" - bad example 6 - you wrote: "h3 is played, and it remains unclear why this was played." I guess it was played to avoid black's Qg4 with Q trade. So hard to say it was bad idea on this level with two pieces less. But OK, now I see f3 was much better. :D

You make a fair point about Philidor haha Maybe my bias against that opening was showing a little bit. I will note that, while not a GM, I am not sure I have lost a tournament game against the Philidor, ever. I am sure someone could trash me with it. But your point is very reasonable.

On your second point, the two kids who played that game were new tournament players. I guarantee there was no plan behind h3 in that particular game (I didn't include names of players in games because some were minors). But yes, it is reasonable that h3 could have been played out of fear of some kind of Qg4 trade. This game was played in 2017 at my chess club so I cannot ask the players their thoughts :-P

yeah