for 37 moves, I was doing well....

Ouch, man.  There's nothing like snatching defeat form the jaws of victory -- I feel your pain!

What's more, I recognize some of the same mistakes I make (a LOT) in my games -- and I'm hardly GM material.  Playing at your level would be high enough above my rating to make my nose bleed!  My biggest mistakes are not preparing my attacks properly and bringing them on too early without making sure I've got adequate compensation for the pieces I (inevitably) lose. Between that and losing my center unintentionally.....well, I really end up screwing myself on that one.

I do thank you for posting this, though.  Sorry you had a tough time :(

I feel your pain! I just had a tournament a few weeks ago where I TWICE pried defeat determinedly from the jaws of victory. Nevertheless, you certainly outplayed your opponent, save the blunder at the end.

I'm not a huge fan of your opening play:

4. d3 is unnecessary and instead a plan with c3 and d4 as in the standard Giuoco Piano would be better. An aggressive and fun alternative is 4. b4, the Evans gambit, although it is highly tactical and perhaps unsuitable for lower-rated players.

Trading two minor pieces for a rook is considered bad by theory and with Ng5 and Nxf7 you are trading off your only developed pieces.

Just my two cents on the opening. 

Auntie_Main, thanx. You and I will know the pain you're talking about for quite a while. Probably no chess player ever gets by that...

RRM888, thank you for your analysis, I'll take it point by point. Not a challenge, understand, but a discussion. I'd love a response.

1. The Evans Gambit is beyond me right now. I'm not sharp enough yet. 

2. D3 clears the way for the Bishop, and supports the center. Your suggestion loses tempo, blocks the Knights development, and leads to a battle in the center that I'm pretty sure I should try to avoid.  I may pass up opportunities, but I also bypass threats, and the blocked center allows me to use the greater mobility of my extra rook to quickly switch the action from one flank to the other. Not that I dispute your ideas, but they don't seem to fit my plans in this game. 

3. The exchange gets a R and a P. Does the P change anything?

4. "and with Ng5 and Nxf7 you are trading off your only developed pieces." NxF7 is clearing a path. I don't see where Ng5 comes into it. Can you explain a bit further?

Thanks so much.

Russ. 

The imbalance of 2 minor pieces for a rook is often a very unsound imbalance in my opinion, even though he got an extra pawn for it.. the position was only won because black gave away so many pawns (Obviously after bishop takes rook, black is clearly better)

I've done some reading since, and the exchange is disapproved because  minor pieces are more important early, and there is a loss in development and time as the knight and bishop cost moves, then disappear. Later in the game, it seems to be more acceptable, tho harder to pull off.

It's weird, because at no time in this game did I consider my self to be behind in development. I was aware that after move 7 I had work to do, but after 14, every thing seemed peachy.

However, ya'll seem to suggest it was my opponents play, rather than my strategy. All right, cool. Thanks all. 

In move 8 rather than h3 developing a piece would be better.The knight can't come to g4 either Queen captures it.in my opinion 11.Kh1 also a waste move I mean u could play something better like developing your bishop for example to g5 and pin the knight.In 13 capturing with bishop was nicer since it develops a piece.I did not like 15.Bxe5 since you give your only bishop against bishop pair.Bishop pairs are dangerous so the right strategy would be trying to exchange your bishop with bishop.24.Kg1 and 27.Kh1 back again! It shows that your king move was not well planned so costed you two moves maybe would lead you to win.And 25.Rf1 did not give you an advantage just gave black a passed pawn.29.Qc8+ king moves then 30.gxf4 u fork quen and bishop.It shows that u had a good position despite the moves I criticized.You missed the chance good luck next time! 38.Ra1 shows that u focused on a-file too much. this kind of mistakes happen don't be upset be more careful next time. Lovely play it was.

lapsekili, thank you for your input, advice and encouragement, it was much appreciated and I promise you I'm taking it all in. I'll respond to your analysis, point by point, because I don't think I was able to follow all of it.

8 h3 was indeed a wasted move. It's a standard move on my part, meant to head off pressure from the n and b, but the p was still on d7, you're right about that. 

11 kh1 was the right play, i believe. I'm preparing for my next moves, in which I clear the f file for my rook, and develop my bishop. I believe my position is more powerful w/o the f pawn, since it would hinder my planned attack.

15 yep. you are correct.

24 kg1 protects against the q advance, kh1 surrenders that duty to the rook and moves the king to safety. Neither move is wasted, however, there may have been a more efficient way. 

25 Rf1...where is the passed pawn? If you mean the eventual one on the h file, it is isolated and worthless, I can remove it at my leisure.

29 and 30. yep, missed opportunity. This has happened before, i get fixated on my predetermined strategy and am no longer in the moment, losing obvious avenues of advancement. 

I mean 26..exf4 maybe it is not right to call it a passed pawn but he advances the pawn at least I would not like the opponents pawn come closer to my king.

good game

I feel sorry for you loosing your rook.

Here is some advice though.

When you sacd on f7 you didn't have any pieces that could make an attack and while you developed.

He didn't play perfect chess though.

end of move 34."And now the A file is open. Except for A1, of course. But any idiot should be able to get around THAT."

Move 38.Ra1.

I like that attitude lol.

My little incomplete analysis.

You can go through it and suggest improvements.

I will be updating it once in a while.