Annotated chess game

Mine too

I play 1.e4 most often

After 3. Nc3 there is an interesting pawn sacrifice 3.... e5?! which leads to double-edged play. That is why some players play 3. Nf3 followed by 4. Nc3

i always go 3.nc3 but now i will have to consider going 3.nf3

'Double-edged play' - like anything else double-edged (a.k.a. two-edged), could go either way. A double-edged sword is so called because one is (supposedly) as likely to cut oneself with it as the enemy. Probably the most legendary two-edged sword was Tyrfing: which always brought victory to its wielder, but would also, sooner or later, be his death. So far I don't know of any 'Tyrfing Variation' in chess...

It started out as a slav, but with e6 it transposed back into the main line of the Queens Gambit declined

The problem with this move is that it can met with e5, freeing Black's position, for example e5 10. dxe5 Ng4 11. Bf4 Nxc5 after 12. h3 Nh6 13. Bxh6 gxh6 14. Bc2 black as compensation for his doubled h pawns.

Black should have played h6 followed by e5

I think the early ...e5 hit is just about mandatory for Black. The constraint on Black's Q-side can become a serious matter, if left too long unattended.

I think it is an excellent idea

There is just one small drawback: White had a quick kill available. The right move was 14.Bxh7ch! and mate in 2 more moves. Black would have stayed on roughly level terms after 13...g6! instead of ...f6??

Clever. But 16...e5 also came into consideration.

If Black takes tthis pawn at once (17...gxf3 e.p.) then ...e5 is back on the table.

you know, thats what he said after the game!

Yes, but you would be exchanging off his dreadful light squared bishop. You could go after the g pawn with Be2.

Castling was also good. Black really ought to have taken the f-pawn when he had the chance.

The bishop has a very fine diagonal upon which it can act aggressively. Unfortunately for Black, the squares his knight would like to land on are central and light-coloured. Just where the Bishop is on overwatch.

I think I would have chosen 25.Kd2 to enable rooks the more quickly to communicate.

Maybe black's best is to follow the king across, and play Kg8-f7-d7

After g5 his knight f6 is hanging.