I've never played a game quite like this, which is true of all games.  But this one was particularly interesting to me.  I don't know positional play very well, so I was out of my element.  I don't really know where my pieces need to be to have maximum effect.  I think I did well here, but the blunder really caused the win more than my play.  So I ask the community - after the 16th move, who is in better position and why?

 My analysis is that I have a slightly better position, as I am in a position to trade off his strong bishop for my weak bishop, my forward knight is in the middle instead of on the wrong side of the board, my dark bishop is lined up against his King, and my King-side pawns are on the attack giving me plenty of space there.  Also, my two rooks have open space in front of them allowing them to be doubled in 2 moves instead of 3.

Like I said, I don't know positioning very well, so I could be totally off base with my analysis.  So please, pick it apart. :)  Thanks! 

When you have castled on opposite sides of the board, one of the major factors is who can open up the pawns in front of the enemy king first. I think black  had an opportunity at move 13 to open the g-file by playing 13. ... gxh4 14. Bxh4 Rg4 and double the rooks on the g-file.  Notice that since the f-pawn is pinned it doesn't support the g-pawn if it is pushed to g3.

 

At move 17, instead of blundering, white could try 17. a4 a6 18. a5 Ba7 19. b5 and now it is white who is opening files leading to the black king. White's rooks and queen will go over to that side of the board and try to infiltrate black's king position. 

Thanks Loomis!

 I'm always shaky on whether to push forward or capture with pawns...  Also, again, the counterplay for white involves pawns.  I just can't seem to figure out pawns.

I agree with Loomis's comments about the 13th move, but I think his idea of 17. a4 is wrong, because of.

 

17. a4 Nxd5! (Normally this trade should be considered poor, because White's Knight advances and you trade off your good knight, but we'll make an exception here. Consider it a clearance sacrifice, because that's what it is) 18. Nxd5 (Need to get rid of that KNight too) Bxd5 19. exd5 f6! 20. Ne4 Nf3+ (if you don't want to risk this sac, then advancing the f pawn to f4 guarantees a win as well) 21. f4 Ng5 22. f5 Bh2 23. f6 and Black has a won position. Also, note the possible sacs on f3 with the KNight, I dont think any of them work against best play (which requres moving the King to h1) but they're interesting.

Akuni, I looked at that line and though 17. a4 Nxd5 18. exd5 and now black is threatening the light squared bishop immediately and is threatening to trap the dark squared bishop by playing a5. Maybe black will eventually get enough compensation for the piece by playing f5 and f4, but I don't see it. I could be totally wrong, but this was my analysis, that 18. Nxd5 by white is a mistake, but white gets good play out of 18. exd5.

Blimey, fantastic last move.

In the opening after 4.Bc4 you could have played 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6. This leads to a more open position, which would tend to be a more tactical game, which may fit your style of play better. It is also an important idea in King pawn games. When the pawn on e4 is only defended by the knight on c3 and whites bishop is on c4 you should know that you at least have the option to take the e4 pawn and then win back your piece with d5. This idea comes up in alot of king pawn openings for both black and white.

Thanks pvmike.  It's important to know how to make the game the kind of game you need it to be.  I was always stuck wondering why king pawn openings kept ending up as positional games for me even though that's queen pawn's gig.

MolotovRuss:

Yes, it was. :D

Gonnosuke:

Thanks for writing a book!  You're right about initiative, which I get more of an idea of when the board is open and I'm repeatedly in check and only need one move to start a mating net, but can't.  I'm sure it's important throughout, but it's harder to see.  But I know it's important especially for black to grab that initiative whenever he can.

Thanks for the analysis of the position, too. :)