Annotated chess game

I hope so too, I have no idea!

Yes, I think if black wants a draw, the Slav Defense is even more solid.

7.h4 does not lose a piece for a pawn. After the exchange g5 (7....hxg5 8.hxg5) the Nf6 is attacked. It is forced to go to e4, otherwise Qh7 is mate. After 8.....Nf6 9.Nxe4 dxe4 10.Qxe4 mate on h7 is threatened again. 10.....g6 is met with Qh4 mating. So yes it is a planned sac which nets white two pawns and a raging attack against the black king for the bishop. In practice not many of my opponents accept the bishop.

In the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez, Black has an analogous line available: the Alapin Gambit. Here's a rather ragged example from my first few months playing on Gameknot: game

A good solid line. I remember that game Anand v Topalov. I liked the h6 move was inserted as Anand was already preparing for the endgame (making a possible flight square for his king).

A well-known motif. Here, exchanges are intended, but in situations in which this knight move captures a pawn on e4, it is a material-winning idea. The idea can crop up with colours reversed, too.

Well, White doesn't want to lose a piece, but 8. Bg3 would allow Black to swap it for a knight. He'd rather get Black's good bishop.

Here, Black is probably ill-advised to go for 8...Nxc3 9.Bxd8 Nxd1 10.Be7! Nxb2 11.Bxf8 Kxf8 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Rb1 Na5 when Black gets just one pawn for the exchange, and not a very good game. But you should always have a mind open to that type of sequence, because it sometimes yields dividends. My first round game in the South Island Championship, 1986, featured just such a sequence.

Were I playing Black I would have been very happy to see this, as the doubled pawns are far from a liability after 9...dxe4 10.Nd2 f5. Black retains some leverage against d5 by a timely advance of his rear e-pawn.

To defend the e4 pawn.

It seems, however, that 10...e5 is quite playable. Who knew? I would have played ...f5 almost by reflex, here.