I kind of messed up my bishop opening C24 but even though I kinda like it sometimes I just have trouble getting it right.

[Event "unrated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2012.06.10"]
[Round "?"]
[White "KiwiHeretic"]
[Black "fttbrain"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1138"]
[BlackElo "1547"]
[ECO "C24"]
[TimeControl "1200+10"]

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 h6 4. Nc3 $6 {I should have played a3 at this point to avoid the N pin by BLSB.} Bb4 {pin} 5. Bd2 d6 6. a3 Bxc3 7. Bxc3 Bg4 8. f3 Be6 {At this point I probably should have retreated the LSB to a2.  Would have avoided collapsing my pawn structure on capture.} 9. Qd2 Bxc4 10. dxc4 Nbd7 11. O-O-O O-O 12. f4 {This was an attempt  to begin knocking down blacks pawn defense in order to start to mount an attack on the black's king side.} exf4 13. Qxf4 Qe7 14. Re1 Rfe8 15. e5 $4 {What a blunder !!  But did I have a choice?} dxe5 16. Bxe5 Nxe5 17. Rxe5 Qxe5 18. Qxe5 Rxe5 {A poor miscalculation resulted in trading off one piece too many.} 19. Nf3 Re6 20. Nd4 Re4 21. Rd1 Rae8 22. b3 Re1 23. Kd2 Rxd1+ 24. Kxd1 Rd8 25. c3 c5 26. Kc2 cxd4 {KiwiHeretic resigns} 0-1

Ok, let's try it.

1. Pin on c3 was nothing scary;

2. Move 8. f3 is a little bad one, you could play Qd2 (with h3 and O-O-O) or Ne2 (with O-O next) and after that his Bg4 is just waiste of time;

3. Move 9. ... Bxc4 is not that scary. You have doubled pawns on c line, but you get d file, so probably it's even better for you;

4. Move 12. f4 is a big bad one. Black could play 12. ... Nxe4! and you have serious trouble; You should develope your kNight instead.

5. And we have 15. e5 which looses only pawn if you did not do 16. Bxe5 which losses Bishop, and later after 17. Rxe5 it's Rook which is lost.

Well, rest is obvious.

Now it's time for some kind of advice.

First, you are too fearful with pins. Second, in desperation you are all attack. You should be something between - not too fearful and not to desperate to attack. You should know that it was quite good game looking by difference in your ranks. Your play don't look so bad - if not 12. f4 which killed you, you were on equal level.

Yeah, its seems to be tricky to get the balance right between defense and attack.  Earlier I was playing too defensively.  Thanks for your comments.