Annotated chess game

I think better is 12.Qd2. right?

12.Qd2 was played in chessterkh67 (1802) vs. jraul (1706) and led to a white win in 34, but I am not convinced it is better. What do others think?

I think the simplification is nice for white , makes it easier to attack the d-pawn without fearing counterplay

All these exchanges have loosened the position quite a bit, I'm not sure to see the point in it for white. Ok: he wants to fight for the d pawn, so the less complicated the game is around, more importance gets the pawn defence. Still, white seems not to have very strong options to attack it that black to defend it. Maybe a little lead in developement... but all this is too subtle for me  

The plan to remove the knight that defends d5 seems very logical. Supported by a4, white has this threat "on". Black must do something more than a6 to defend.

All seems very logical now. Black accepts to lose b7 to centralize his pieces and set up a sort of attack. It doesn't seem enough to me, but I am only 1700  

My computer first plays 19.Ba6 but later switches to 19.Be4, assessing the position as equal (-0,1).

I think 19.Ba6? is a mistake. I prefer 19.Be4 with advantage to white.

Bc6, NxB, bxB, Qxc6, Qxd4 (hey, it's hanging!) keeps the pawn advantage. True, the lsb is gone, but black's possible threats too. IMO. I am not recommending it, though.

But after Bc6, NxB, bxB, Qxc6, Qxd4 black has Rxe2 and if Qxa7 Ra8 Qd4 white does keep the extra pawn, as black can't take back on a2 because of back rank mates, but all the same it is hard to see much advantage for white.

Just have a quick look....I dont like that move. Looks like you are playing with a piece down..

Yes, Shredder recommends Be4, but still assesses the position as even after Ba6

19.Be4 is much better. e.g.19.Be4 Rxb5 20.Rfd1 or c1 and white is better.

White's position, the structure of his King's fortress, and his future initiative are all built around having the king's Bishop on that a8-h1 Catalan diagonal.

After Be4, Rxb5, the bishop is "en prise", so white must retire it to b3 (say), and not move the rooks. (Of course not Qxd4 because of Nf3+, but this is "on" from before).

What??? if u played 20.exd3?? Nf3+ forking the king and queen winning immediately, not 20...Rbd8?

yes, quite right!

One does not evaluate a position just by saying "a pawn down"; rather, by measuring 1) material, 2) position, and 3) initiative. Here Black has position and the initiative.

...A lot of people make that mistake.

One may think that the knight fork should have seen before, since it was a side effect of Qxd4, Nf3+ followed by QxQ). Probably, this move is the downside of Ba6.

This move........There is no good defense for it......Can't take pawn exd3 because Nf3+ winning the queen...e3 is the same.

Shredder likes this move

I think it is the best.