I don`t like the 8th move for either side.
Both sides seem to be moving one piece too often on move 8.
People usually try not to move the same piece around too much.
A secret accompanying tip is to try to make your opponent move the same piece twice.
Thanks for your reply Dale.
After 7...Qf6 I didn't want to trade Queens and help his development. As the Queen was hanging, I moved it to b4 to attack the b7 pawn.
I think its great that you didn`t want to help him develop.
With 8.Be3 you don`t help him develop and you also do.
He should protect his b7 pawn by subracting his zeros a couple of times via 8...0-0-0 and notice how that would be a developing move since his rook is activated in the centre.
I don't like 8 Be3 Qxd4 9 Bxd4. Blacks Queen on f6 hinders blacks development and the bishop looks awkward on d4.
I thought you played well Abacus. Could consider a trap with 10.Bg5+ since 10...Qxg5 11.Nxc7+ wins R+P for the bishop but Black is merely passive after 10...Ne7.
Another possible improvement is 13.exd5 Bxd5 14.Nxd5 Qxd5 15.Qxd5 cxd5 16.O-O-O pressuring the weak d-pawn and winning it after 16...Nf6 17.Bb5+ Kd8 18.Bc4 and the pawn is lost.
But missing the difficult tactic of 16.Rxd5! cxd5 17.Bb5+ Kd8 18.Bg5 pinning the queen let Black off the hook into an equal game. But don't be hard on yourself, that was a tough one and its never easy to keep the pressure on a passive position.
In this game black plays some very passive moves in the opening. Unfortunately I couldn't capitalise on this and by move 29 I had let my advantage slip. (I realise I missed the tricky tactical combination starting with 16 Rxd5!)
Any advice on how I could have kept my advantage into the middle game?