Slow game - Analysis and tips needed

Hi, 

I am posting my last slow time control game. I have studied in detail the game both by myself and via the assistance of chess engines. 

Nevertheless, I feel like I jeopardize my position doing simple mistakes that could be avoided through some related principles/guidelines.

For example, when a pawn of mine is attacked many times I really try to find ways to defend it once more, even though the best reply would be creating some threats of my own..

I would really appreciate some advice on this issues.

You dropped your queen. If that were my game, mentioning that fact would come ahead of overprotecting a pawn.

One of the problems of that game was that your pieces were tripping over each other. 

4.e3   This is where you start to go wrong. If you want to play this kind of position you want to get your dark squared Bishop outside of your pawn chain. That way your pieces won't be so cramped. Play Bf4 or Bg5 first and then after you can play e3.

12.Nf1? You want to make sure that the e-file stays closed so your Queen doesn't become a target. Also you are a little behind in development so it makes sense to keep the center more closed. Instead of Nf1 you should either play d5 or dxe5 to make sure that a pawn stays on e5 to block the file. By letting the e-file open up your opponent was able to take advantage of your Queen's position.

You should look at master games in the database to get more familiar with how to play this kind of position.

Thank you very much for your feedback. This analysis really helps me see ideas to implement in future games.

You left a valuable knight under the fire of the g7 bishop, guarded by your queen. A queen can glue a position together, but it is better to place pieces where they are guarded by pawns, so the queen does not become overloaded. Was there a good reason to have your knight on that square instead of moving it back to f3? If just to block the bishop's fire on b2, you could have left the queen on the second rank.

Even before that, you left your bishop on d3, under the fire of the c5 knight. Unless that square was so important, placing the bishop on c2 would have been much better, corralling the knight and keeping the bishop safe. That does block the queen's protection of b2, though. Maybe Rb1. I don't like leaving rooks on the diagonal of that bishop.

This is not a standard opening. Could you post what your plans were at each stage?

I did not see the discovery attack from the queen on the knight, though I should have. Still, following simple principles of not leaving your pieces x-rayed and only guarded by an overloaded queen would have avoided all that.

Nb3 looks better than Nf1.

Your e pawn moves twice to go to e4 because it needs so much minor piece help because of the black pieces guarding that square, first needing to get the bishop out. You block your c1 bishop with your knight to guard e4, then move the knight to get the bishop out to go pin the other knight, then move your knight back again. These extra moves give Black time to pile up. Once Black plays d5, it is too late to save both the b2 and e4 pawns. One must fall.

Since you were willing to trade your dark squared bishop for the f6 knight, you should have done that much earlier, before developing your b1 knight, removing one defender from e4.

You must have looked at the whole game. I'm sure he could see he dropped his queen and maybe knows how to avoid it. He wants advice on the more subtle and early areas.

... I did not find any games in his profile. How do you know he dropped his queen? Stockfish says -1.7, not -9.

Good advice. I just want to add: it would be nice to play Nb3 before playing d5, so the black knight does not get c5. Once on c5, it can play Nxb3 and give you isolated double pawns, which the b7 bishop would drool over.