Exploring my Game: Trying out the Caro Kann

I've been studying a bit on the Caro Kann. I have recently been playing the French Defence but I just wanted to see how well I do compared to the French. I'm still trying to figure out if i'm a positional or tactical player. So I'm experimenting with the positional and tactical openings. I've recently posted a forum of my french game if you guys haven't seen it yet. Link to the game.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/need-help-improving-my-game-game-analysis

Your opponent lost a piece on move 8. He also should have avoided 7. g4 and just returned the pawn with 7. Nc5. You avoided 7...Be4 8. Qe2 Bxa1 9. Nd6+ Kd8 10. Nxf7+. After that your opponent was a piece down without compensation.

Maybe 12. e6 offered "practical chances."

17. b5 exploits the pin nicely.

I assume when you played 19...Bxc5 you failed to notice that the queen was defending the rook.

I was surprised, but 23...Ra8 traps White's queen. 25...Qf2#, so you chose the strongest move anyway.

31. Qf1 holds out longer, but is futile.

@aggressivesociopath: I fail to see anything after 23...Ra8 24. Qb4, nor 25. Kd1 Qb3+ (25...Rd8??? 26. Qxd8#) 26. Kc1. But of course black's winning. The rest I agree with.

Yeah I probably should have just stuck to what I orignaly wrote instead of writing more and more as I typed.

25. Kd1 Rb8 is a mating net. I am still being a bit lazy, but 26. Bf3 Rb1+ 27. Be1 Qf2#, 26. Bb4 Qb1+, 26. Bxd4 Bxd4 leaves the rook en prise, and 26. Ke1 Nf2+ 27. Kd1 Rb1+ all win.

Some of these patterns are pretty. EDIT I neglected to mention a line where White could give up his queen to countinue.