Hello, i'm looking for some hints as to where to go from here.  I have the white pieces and it is my move.  I'm playing the chess.com computer on easy to try and improve my game, it rates the position as ever so slightly in my favour.

I'm pretty much a beginner at chess, i've got to this position by following the opening principles.  I've had a few victories against this program from similar positions but without the black queen there, which allows me to kill the knight with my black bishop and open the fortress.  In this case the computer can just take with the queen leaving the fortress intact and i'm a little stumped.

 

I tend to find i win or lose in the middle game when i move from opening principles to a cunning plan.  How should i go about analysing this kind of position?  I went to some trouble to control d5, but i can't see how to use it.

Basically i'm interested in what a more experienced player is thinking when they look at not just this position, but any one like it - moving from the opening to the middle/end. 

it's better to take the bishop first...giving the opponent some difficulties of controlling the doubled pawns...

you can also place the knight on d5 for an outpost

don't forget to play on the center!

center! center! center! that's it

I like knight on d5.  Even if all the trades are made, you've still got  a presence in the center (as Dash3000 points out).