Annotated chess game

Nc6 Bb5 Nxd4 is winning I think  

Perhaps we could rationalise the move, as Aron Nimzowitsch once did in an even more bizarre line in the Sicilian: "a conscious exaggeration of the prophylactic principle". As Black intends Q-side play, for which the move is very useful, ...a6 is not so much to be reprehended here. as facilitating the future advance of the b-pawn.

I think you're (tag1153) thinking of the position after 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 which can be annoying, but as far1ey said, in this position that would just hang white's queen.

It might not be idyllic, but where else should the queen go? d5 seems like a target for black's pieces to develop against, c3 is a target to things like ...Bb4 and it slows the knight's natural development, d2 stuffs up development worse and Qd1 seems like a step backwards. I think 5.Qd3 is the only real alternative, but white might not want to allow 5...Ne5 where white loses the two bishops. I think 5.Qe3 is the move I would lean towards, and it's also the normal move in this kind of early d4 with Qxd4 positions, like the center game: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 where the bishop will be alright on d2, but more importantly the queen has good control and is usually pretty safe.

7.e5! looks good. after Ng4 Qe4 blacks position is grim.

It seems that generally speaking, if White has deployed a B at c4 or b3,Black tends to keep the c4-f7 diagonal closed, which is at least part of the motivation behind ...e6. The pawn move ...e6 does have central counterplay (...d5) in mind, too, with due preparation, and when the time is right...

If Black had played 6...e5, his dark square bishop's maneuvers would have been very limited after d6.

Perfectly in accordance with a sicilian - the b5 break. However, I do not know whether now is the right time to play it (I am not up to date with the theory in this variation of the Sicilian)

Nor am I, but I don't see much wrong with the text move (not that there's a whole lot wrong with ...Be7 either). I have a feeling that getting the move in before White got to play Nc3 might have been a shrewd decision. Since White has to retire the bishop (with the consequent loss of time) Black's position is by no means compromised. I like ...b5 here.

It does seem more in keeping, doesn't it? Possibly White saw no future in his bishop's continuing to "bite on granite" on the a2-g8 diagonal, but I think pressure on Black's centre was worth maintaining from b3. Maybe White feared ...Na5. I'm not sure that ought to frighten White very much...

Yes. The bishop hinders the d5 break - another typical sicilian break even if it is biting on granite.

I believe this is played before b5 to prevent it not after b5 as b4 (as Thomas shows) is bad for white.

e5 still seems strong.

Black could simply castle: 12...0-0 13.cxb4? Nxb4 seems to confront white with threats on e4 and c2. Maybe 12...d5 isn't a bad idea neither - the move can't be far off... Black looked to have a fine game at this point. 12...bxc3 seems to help redevelop White's knight.

The knight is badly placed on the back rank - there is no need to help bring it back into play. Although after 0-0 cxb4 Nxb4 the knight can now come to c3 but black has other threats as ion mentions.

Not the kind of position you want to be playing in obiviously but there is no straightforward win...

It's also very cramped. The light square bishop can only move to a8. The e8 knight can only move to c7, where it obstructs the rook's play; the queen can only move to two plausible spots. With me being the sharp, tactical player I prefer open positions.

I agree with the annotater - this is dubious but I must admit I am perplexed why Rb1 is better. The only reason I can see why white moved Ne4 is to attack the d6 square which is awfully weak and if white can control that square enough then the black pieces will be stuck (on e7 e8) to defend it. However, black just plays d5! and its all good  

! The right pawn break. Now exd en passant is bad due to Nxd6 when the black pieces become active and the white centre is gone.