Please help me analyze

This is a recent game where I played sort of crappy and wanted some advice on what i could have done to win. Yes I know move 19 was bad but I was hoping maybe someone could help me by showing A good move. Thanks in advance nbafan

9.  Bb5+ was pointless, he could have just blocked with the pawn and had you waste a move while giving time for building a little more protection on his part.  You should have traded your e5 knight for his bishop, good game though!

9.Bb5+ was a good enough move. If 9...c6 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bxc6+ forks king and rook.

By move 14 you are in a little trouble having traded off all your active pieces and now he is advancing.

Move 19. was obviously bad, better would have been Rc2 to save the piece. Even better would have been 18.f4 pre-empting the bishop move. You should have worked out why he moved 17...g6, seen 18...Bh6 coming and stopped its effect.

After that you're lost of course. I take it he timed out since the result indicates you won.

19.Rc2 seems forced, but I'd rather prevent the threat with 18.Nf3 or 18.g3

It was pretty even until you blundered the piece really. The above comment is correct, once you are down material you shouldnt then trade rooks. If you aren't ready to resign you need to try and do something active, mix it up, attack stuff, make complications, and to do that you need as many pieces on the board as possible. Allways remember that: When you are behind keep the pieces on the board and try to get things as crazy and dangerous as you can.

   Previous to the mistake it seems you were a bit trade crazy anyway!!! In your games dont just trade off at random. Try to work out which piece is more valueable - yours or his, which controls most squares? Which can move more freely? Which could be used in an attack? If his piece seems better than yours then trading is likely a good idea, but never trade your strong pieces for his weaker ones eg 10.Nxg4?! Your knight is a strong attacking piece in the centre of the board and his king is stuck in the middle. Leave it there!! I bet you some tactics would crop up there soon enough, the chance of a kight fork against the king or something juicy like that. Dont trade that off!!! If you want to limit what his bishop can do you could play 10.f3 and seriously where does his bishop go? It cant do anything. So you have actually traded a really good Knight for a crappy bishop, in that situaion that is as serious a mistake as losing a pawn - easily!

   So in future - main theme of the game - THINK BEFORE YOU TRADE!!!!

   Hope this comment helps you in future with your game.

What does 3 c3 accomplish?

Personally, it looked awkward to me.  I'd rather go 3 knights (Nc4) or Italian (Bc5)

Then, 4 d4.  These are problems.  Move as little pawns in the opening.  Get those pieces active!  Cappablanca, Nimzowitz both talk about it, I'm sure others do too...

You set up a queen trade which, why? Unless you're playing bullet, trading queens, especially when he's got 2 pieces out to your 1 is a losing proposition.

Then you block your bishop in with your knight, it would have been better to bring the dark square bishop out before moving that knight in this case or at least put it on the weak outpost.  Blocking that piece in makes it useless and keeps you from connecting your rooks. 

I would have instead of checking with the bishop, trade the knight for that bishop, it's in a dangerous spot.

Move 19, go Rc2.  Then you're not losing material.

21 Re1 is much stronger.

Didn't you win this regardless?

I agree totally about taking some time to weigh your sacrifices.  Didn't quite get all of them in this game.  Create multiplicities and build pressure via focal points.