Annotated chess game

Probably for the sake of variety. I do know people who play blindfold simuls vary the openings as much as possible as an aid to remembering or reconstructing the positions in their minds. Possibly some such motive is at work here - to help recall the planned continuation in the game in front of the player.

A good choice. It is pretty theoretical, but it's not drawish. The simul player isn't going to be sorry to have some games heading early for the ending, nor will he worry if the ending reached is about even.

This is the Winawer. Fantastic opening for both sides.

Not so good on account of Black's response. The most often played move is 4.e5, and I have played 4.a3 here on GK (ionadowman vs kikoursus) in which both sides battered each other to a standstill. Alekhine once played 4.Bd2!? "The Fingerslip", which turned out to be playable after 4...dxe4. As Black (on GK) I have had 4.exd5 played against me with an interesting game.

Nonetheless, 4. Ne2 is quite playable.

panicked? why not Bg5?

7.Bg5 renews the attack on the lead e-pawn, developing a bishop at the same time. If Black plays 7...h6 then 8.Bxf6.

Instead on advancing the b-pawn 2 squares, preferable seems just the one, partly for the sake of flexibilty, but mostly to avoid weakening too much the light squares in White's position. White had only the dark-square bishop (DSB), so in general (without going berserk about it) should try and avoid placing too many pawns on dark squares. Meanwhile, Black's extra pawn has come at the cost of a rather disrupted pawn structure on the Q-side (tho' you can see the upside of that for Black!).

Not exactly, but it's a good square for the bishop, all the same. Black at once begins to exploit the light squares weakened by White.

Technically, an outpost, as I remember it, is a square on the opponent's half of the board, defended by a pawn and impossible for the opposing player to attack with one of his own pawns. If Black had pawn on d5 or b5 then this would qualify as an outpost.

It does make sense to give up a rather passively placed or relatively immobile bishop for a potentially more useful knight. If you pick up a pawn into the bargain, it is indeed a good move!

And leaving the knight pinned (or half-pinned, really) against the g2-square. 16.Ng3 is possible, but White's choice seems OK.

Black has a well positioned bishop and a more aggressive position, but at the cost of the doubled pawns. It's generally even, but if wight can trade down to an endgame he would have the advantage.