Annotated chess game

It would be interesting to know why you choosed this way among others...

I second damalfi's question.

I was already planning c4 and swinging my rook to the king side

With the rook positioned as it is, I seriously considered 12...Qa5, adding pressure on c3 and on the queenside. White can defend easily enough however, and after 13.Qc2 it is difficult to argue that Black's queen is particularly well-placed; if anything it actually blocks my a-pawn from advancing.

Black is seriously threatening c4, closing in white's lsb, but needs a move more (b6) to protect the pawn with Ba6 after Rb5, or a6.

This way white gives up possibilities of attack on the queenside, but he has a rook on the third rank to sustain any attempt on the kinside... you can well say that this was the purpose of Rb3. On the other side, it seems to me that here black has Qa5+, threatening a2 ( a self-trap?). If white goes Qd2, black seems ok after QxQ, BxQ.

On 14.Qd2 I was prepared to continue 14...Re8 with good play against the still uncastled king. Lines like 15.Bb2 exd5 16.exd5 Bf5 looked good to me. Possible continuations include 17.Re3 Bxb2 18.Qxb2 Rxe3 19.fxe3 Re8 20.Qc3 Qe7 and White is lost.

well, if the idea is to save the h pawn, why not h4? It preludes h5. 14. g3 is another idea, planning f4 and moving toward the kingside (black's lsb is alone against the queen and lsb aligned). Finally, the sac Bh5 (with the idea gxB, Qxh5) is not enough to give some return... now, but maybe. White has the "ace" of a rook free to run to h3, aligned with the queen and looking to h7. With h3, white discards those options (maybe rightfully!).

Black doesn't get much from exd5, right now.

Also avoiding the nasty Bd7-a4... White still hasn't castled, but is prepared to do that anytime. Black, on the other hand, is ready to move in the center. He could prepare a bit more, settling his rooks on the files, but then he runs the risk of White taking the initiative. Better to act now and control what's going to happen.

Now, with the queen not supporting the white bishop, the pawn's exchange is better for black.

Now, this gives black even the chance to think about something like f5. White's dominion of the black squares (Qh6) must prove to be all that powerful. I don't say this is good, just an idea.

The queen in d2 has another disadvantage: makes Bd4 possible. Bd4 prevents white to cover the e file with Re3. Even right now, black could have played with 16... Ba4, and if Re3, Bd4. Black will exchange the white rook mantaining pressure on the e column. (Of course, I can be wrong).

Look at the position on the board for a moment. Black has walked into this with open eyes: White has a passed pawn on d5. However, the strength of that pawn rests on it being protected by its sibling on c4 - and that is a weak pawn. Take away c4 and Black not only weakens it - a lot - but also gains a passed pawn on c5 with the added advantage of potential control of d4 and the option of gaining space and lines on the Q-side.

Wonderful. The possibility of c4 worked before, forcing white to take back with exd5. This undermines white's queenside, and white hasn't managed to get attack on the kingside still. As always, in check: you can't allow yourself passive moves. None but the nastier one is the good one. White should have gone f4, or go for it right now, before it's too late.

I won't say this is the best answer. White can afford bxc4, Bxc4, or b4... if something is going on his way on the kingside.

Black's c-pawn is dangerous.

This looks very dangerous, white should probably not have taken here

Move on c-pawn!

Feisty little pawn, that! I may not be able to hold on to it, but he is virtually forced to take it seriously now, and that means that his defence of the d- and b-pawns will suffer. Also, in many variations, my bishops stand to grow enormously in power due to the open lines they may gain.

Absolutely right. Black played very well its cards. Let this pawn in was too much of a present.

The best. 20.Qc2 is answered by 20...Qc5!?

I considered 20...a6 but rejected it due to 21.bxa6 Qa5 22.a3 and White is better. Trying to win the pawn outright is dangerous. The best line I found leads to White possessing a couple of extremely dangerous passed pawns and - I judged - a better position overall: 20...Qa5 21.a3 Rab8 22.Be3 a6 23.bxa6 Rxb4 24.axb4 Qxb4 25.a7 Ba4 ...

Very interesting! Really complex.

I'd try Bh2+for a black win