Analysis of a single position

Hi everyone.

I was challenged to a game by a much lower rated player this morning (~400pts difference) and I've been going over the game and pointing out some improvements for them. Because the game was unevenly matched, I won quite easily and don't really need the entire game analysed (the made way too many pawn moves in the opening and I was able to capitalise on the weakened light squares that resulted) but there is one position I was unsure about:

Basically I had gotten to the point where I was trying to capitalise on my opponent's excessive pawn shuffling, and so wanted to get into tactical play as quickly as possible. I moved 11...Nc4, but felt that the move was probably not the best one in the position, probably because of lines after 12.Bxc4. I later checked the move with the engine and the position went from approx. -5 to approx -3, so it obviously wasn't ideal.

My question is: was this a good move, and if not why and what would have been better?

Thanks.

A solid move is just exd4 or exf4, which deals with white's immediate threat of fxe5 and dxe5.  It also tries to open things up when the opponent is behind in development and uncastled.  Another good move is Bg4, which develops black's light squared bishop with tempo by attacking white's queen.  if white blocks using his own light squared bishop, exchange the bishops and the c4 square becomes a great outpost for your knight.

I agree - the next few moves were 12.Bc1 exf4 13. gxf4 Bg4, so I had seen those elements. I guess in hindsight the more forcing Bg4 might have been a better first move from that position.

EDIT: Not least because it has that possibility of removing the bishops threatening the c4 square as you suggested - thus allowing me to use Nc4 to kick the bishop without the Bxc4 I didn't like.

i think any reasonable move here would've worked as long as you employed the right strategy.  His position is a mess. You have a monster lead in development.  He has 1 piece developed and a king a looong way from castling.  You should be able to just open up the center and completely destroy him. I think Nc4 was a good move.  If he trades it off for his light squared bishop that only benefits you as now he has no bishop to defend his horrendously weak light squares.  I don't like Bg4 for that very same reason.  I want to keep my light squared bishop here.  Nor do I wanna trade pieces as white.  Another good plan here might be exd4.  He clearly doesn't want to open the e file so he should recapture with his c pawn.  then just play moves like Re8, Nf5, Qe7, and just pile up pressure on that backwards e pawn.