Annotated chess game

No consideration for Bb1 to stay on the much more active b1-h7 diagonal? c2 also works for that purpose, which keeps Rb1 as an option, but restricts you from playin Qc2

I was thinking the same. b7 is not likely to become weak soon, so why not Bb1, aiming to prepare a battery on h7? It has the extra advantage to prevent Bf5 by black, which will be annoying.

I'd certainly look at Bb1 or Bc2 first. Be2 looks counter-intuitive.

I was concerned that retreating to b1 or c2 allowed quite a powerful pin with Bg4

jkarp, the reason Bb2 isn't played is because Bb2 doesn't actually accomplish anything on that square aside from defending c3, which isn't exactly the easiest square for black to attack to begin with. The indirect plan for the bishop on c1 is probably to develop on the king side, since after e4 the knight on d2 will move soon enough.

Perhaps after a4 the Bishop could even come to a3

1) Otherwise, white has little game going on. 2) That was Ne2's main purpose. Otherwise, it will have been just cramping his own pieces. 3) it threats to leave the c4 pawn semi-isolated, and vulnerable. White can go for b5, thoug.

...and he couldn't have stopped it if your lsb was on b1. Easy to see and say it... now!  

In that case Joe, I could have taken his c pawn. Damalfi, if I had retreated my bishop to b1 or c2 and he had pinned my knight with Bg4, I wouldn't have been able to play Nd2.

Interesting combination, but this opens the c-file for black however, white needs to be cautious of the backward c3-pawn.

White has a very strong passed d pawn...

This is looking great for White: central passed pawn, freedom now for both bishops. Black has got rid of his vulnerable d-pawn, but the cost seems high, unless he can contrive strong pressure against the hanging pawn couple (c and d).

I agree with Ion. I was starting to feel very confident at this point....

The Bishop has no perpective there, completing developent is only useful if you actually find active squares for the pieces you develop.

Bf5 was also good. White better stops the e pawn with Ne3 (Bg6) or Be3 (NxB opens the f column for white).

15...Bf5 16.Ne3 Nxe3 17.Bxe3 and suddenly White's centre pawns are very mobile.

I think 15...Bf5 16.Ne3 Nxe3 17.fxe3 is good for white too....my bishop is going to b2, c4 and d5 may be coming in, my Rf1 has a lovely open file.....

Bb2, c4 and d5 Joe

I like Re1 here, adds another defender to the bishop and gets the rook to the e-file, adding some pressure to the far advanced black pawn on e4.

It seems drawish, but sound. I agree.

Or move the Queen off the c-file. +++++ Joe, 17.Bd2 was unplayable on account of 17...Nxe2ch 18.Kh1 Nf5, and the quick raid nets Black a whole bishop.

Pretty move, I did not see this, but coincidentally Re1 would have prevented this from happening, the queen is overloaded on c2.

Yep: saw this. My first thought was to get the Q off the file, but Re1 also came into consideration.

Also it looks like g3 would have trapped that knight, so going back was the safest option. But d3 is also a nice square to land on here.

White is now in a very bad way: minorities on both flanks, a pawn short, isolated d-pawn on an open file (passed, yes, but very vulnerable). That the d-pawn can be defended by the bishop means that bishop is not going to have much scope...

Ion is right. I was thinking I was heading to a loss....