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If I were white, however, I would not have played e3, as this would weaken my pawn structure.

sorry Joe, but this is just the main line of this opening variation. By the way, e3 is defending d4, in case c5xd4, c3 x d4 and I keep having a very good pawn centre structure as it happens in moves 26 ... 27

I would play 6.Bd3 since c4 is a move I want black to make. White wants to play on the king side and a closed centre helps to do this. I've played these positions quite a lot in my youth. The optimal position white wants is Bd3, Nbd2 (its important to control the e4-square), 0-0, Ne5, Rf3-h3, with strong attacking chances.

great advice, tks a lot. Effectively, c4 would be good for me, closing the centre and part of queen side, then i could develop and attack quietly in king side. I will remenber it !

? Although this is not a blunder, it's certainly a mistake and quite weak because of what you just mentioned about tempii loss. He decided to bring his Queen out before completing development. Now, you get to continue with development, while he just wasted move, with his Queen.

The queen 'needs' to be developed too. Whether that needs to happens before or after you moved all your other pieces depends on the situation. I would say this move has more merit than, let's say, 7. ... Bd7.

What about 9.Nc2. Wouldn't that have done the same?

sure but i have to go first on a3 to go to c2....

I don't like this plan. Your LSB is your good Bishop--trading it off is going to leave your light squares terrifically weak (e4, for instance). On the other hand, I think Black's best response to 13.Bh5 is not to trade, but rather to play 14...g6, with ...Bf8 to follow eventually.

? Believe it or not, I think that this is a mistake. This is actually attempting an f7 attack, even if you do not want to mate in one. The only drawback, is that your opponent is probably going to see this threat. After this, he can win a tempo and drive your Queen back with 14...g6, while he continues with development. This is actually how I lost two games and played horribly in one of those games.

14. g6 weakens the kingside. This is a fine move.

I actually like ...g6, but a move earlier (see my comment above).

As mentioned in my previous comment, best was 14...f6. That would have been the drawback. Of course, it opens up the King, but a few commentators with high ratings said that you can't really base chess on that.

f6 is followed by 15. Qf7+

Qf7+ doesn't achieve much I think. But f6 just weakens the kingside a bit, which gives black a target. Maybe 15. Ng4, with eyes on a future sac on f6 to rip open the black king.

Well if 14...f6 15.Qf7+ Kh8 16.Ng6+! hxg6 17.Rf3 with the threat of Rh3 mate is quite problematic for black.

jkarp, you said 14...g6 was best, not f6.

Why isn't it better?

if Bf6xh4 i have to retake with the queen and then loose the threat on f7

? But, this undevelops (takes away from your development).

yes it was risky !

@jkarp, this is not really undeveloping--White just needs to redeploy the Knight to a better square. On c2 it wasn't contributing anything, so it could hardly be said to have been developed anyway! Now, granted, that doesn't make this a good move; losing the Bishop for nothing is just an outright mistake. After 16...Bxh4 17.N1f3 Bf6, White has no good way to continue (18.Ng5? Bxg5 19.fxg5 Rf8 and Black is safe, if cramped, and all he has to do is exchange down to make his material advantage felt).

! This move was one of your best as it gains tempii and completes development. The only problem is that your Knight got kicked around the board, twice, for this attack. I have been told that you generally don't want pieces kicked around, when you can get things, in one move.

Good thinking and planning. The only thing, is that you usually want to avoid obvious attacks. This, however, was quite, as he does not have a lot to defend with.

Better was probably Bxg5

Brings the rook nicely into the action though, pointing at f7. White's sac is risky - maybe not sound - but it does have some things going for it!

I agree with strepsil999. 18...Bxg5 19.fxg5 Rf8 (with ...Nd8 to follow if needed) looked fine for Black.

Why?

win a secon pawn, going on breaking his castle, pressuring, ...etc... that's enough, isnt it ?

Jkarp, what move would you make?

19...Rdc8 is a terrible move. 19...Rf8 was far better, forcing another exchange--favorable for Black.