Maybe yes, maybe no.  If I find a way for White to play for two results (win/draw), then no.    However, I don't think White gets any advantage objectively at any point after 5.Bc4 so I would consider playing it again.  In general I don't like to play the same positions twice.  But I will think on it when the time comes.

Hello again!

White can play anything on his first move and draw.  That is almost the case for Black too; minus the cases Black drops a pawn on move 1.

I like my position.  Against a player such as Paul, it's ideal.  I know that Paul is an excellent player, but in these complicated positions, he may have made a few inaccuracies; at a few points I could have played differently, but so far as I am aware, my moves seem to be fully justified objectively on each move.  We shall see.  I play dynamic chess – sure, a mistake can lose the game but I have some chances and life is too short not to have fun - and my methods have been working okay this tournament thus far it seems; perhaps I may not be taking much risk at all.  I play for fun, and to learn, and three results are possible, it's great.  Such complicated positions are enormously entertaining for me - no piece trades yet.  I have extensive preparation in these positions, which make my chances to gain advantage and initiative more likely than normal.

Objectively, to my knowledge - and if you feel differently, that is fine and your choice, of course - the hippo is not busted, it's a +/= position in some circumstances, so I only play the hippo under very select circumstances in which White does not get a +/= position.  It is particularly difficult for players to play against it because structurally Black has no targets and White has to make concessions to create one.  It is a nuanced opening, yet not objectively a sub-optimal one according to my analysis - White has more options than normal, but Black has the resources on each to equalize; the positions may look passive to the observer, but often, they are full of dynamic potential.    I thought it a good choice against Paul because the engines are only useful for checking the lines you look at; the nuances and the best moves often have to be found manually; the computer will often miss Black's resources.  Additionally we are breaking new theoretical ground; it is pleasant to simply play chess.  There are psychological advantages also; the opponent may get overconfident or discouraged.   I am familiar with the structures that stem from the Modern systems; both sides have many possibilities.  True, the Modern is a highly intricate system, requires a great deal of creativity and innovation, and understanding of how to play various pawn structures; yet, to me, these are all attractive elements of chess.  For more information on the system I am playing, you can check out the book Tiger's Modern on this system (from which I derived some of my theory on the Modern), which has analysis of the most excellent quality, written by a 2600 player who plays these systems regularly.

In correspondence chess, the opening has to be understood to know the draw lines nowadays; for instance had I played 12.g5 in my other game against Ruben, it would be a draw.  I think some of the top players do sometimes occasionally play sub-optimal openings, but a second-rate opening is sometimes good enough for a draw or better, given a little help and/or excellent technique; the chess engines have made more chess positions more easily drawable.

I am not interested in a book draw, if somebody plays the Marshall against me and hopes for a draw, that's their choice - but I will make them work for it, if possible; in sum, I just want to play the best chess I can and learn and have fun while doing it. :-)  My philosophy of chess is different than yours on the Modern, I guess, White has many possibilities and Black is doing well on all of them IMO given that you know how to find your way; the statistics are interesting but the objective value is the key.

no doubt,i will be very very careful i do not underestimate you.you could yet win this game and make me suffer my first loss at corr chess.

Its a great game, but lets not get to carried away there is a lot of cc history.

i expect you are banking on g3.Lets see what happens,i have already said  Qg5 was a decent move.

hi i did not say i was winning,but hope i can null your attack.great game.