Annotated chess game

I agree with your decision. Taking his knight would allow him to recapture bringing a side pawn closer to the center. It would also leave his a pawn isolated, but I still think it would be in his favor to exchange.

Also possible here was 6.e4, with a species of Maroczy Bind.

This leads to a White's K-side being rather porous on the light squares. But there is also a tactical reason why this pawn advance was ill-advised, as will soon become apparent. Maybe 7.Nb3, Nb5 or even Nf3 ought probably to have come into consideration.

Thanks, I can see that now.....It is funny how you can be blind to some moves at times. I guess it comes down to experience!

better was Bg2 to complete the fianchetto and allow 0-0 to get the K to safety as mentioned in the annotators comments 2 entries back

better was Be2 to allow the K an escape. Cant use Bg2 any more as then the pawn is lost

The f2 square, by the look, becomes a target.

castling into blacks strength. Better was cxd5

Yes I can see that now. I was getting in deeper and deeper here.

A fairly easy decision. In these sorts of circumstances you would take with the King only if you had a good and compelling reason, e.g. if a pin were likely to develop on the c1-h6 diagonal.

A bit of a puzzle, this move, almost as if White has two idea for this bishop's future, and got them mixed up. I would probably have played 17.Bb3 to discourage ...Nd5, and, if I wanted the bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal for some reason, retired it to c2. If I wnted it to keep an eye on the Q-side, then 17.Be2 seems preferable, keeping the line of the d2-rook open.

blocks your own R and points at nothing. Better was Bb3 keeping the long diagonal

This will lose another pawn. I can't see anything better than 18.a3 by way of an alternative, though Black will more than likely snap up the minor exchange, Bishop for knight.

I think White has lost her way in this game, as the blows are just raining down. The right move was 20.Kc2, though Black will almost certainly exchange a pair of minor pieces: 20...Nb4ch 21.Kb3 Nxd3 22.Rxd3 after which Black's two extra pawns should win.

Yes, I get overwhelmed and have a deafeted mentality! I have noticed this in other games where mentally I am defeated so give up the fight (even subconsciously). Unlike Pete who once told me he always thinks he can win right up to the end. There's got to be a lesson in this somehow!

Keep the pieces on as much as you can, Without them, White has no play at all.

One rook bad, two rooks good! Better would have been 23...Rhd1, and then move the bishop aside.

dont swap off pieces when you are behind. Look at the strength that black has on the Q-side. 2 passed pawns and a R with another to join in, correct was Ra1 to start a counter defense.

Were I Black I would have played 25...Rc8 at this point, ensuring that the moment White tries to get her pieces into action, the rooks come off.