Won, but I could have done better.

Hey everyone,

Below is a game that I played earlier today. Even though I was able to secure the win, I felt my play was a little bit shaky atparts. I could really benefit from the input of other players in identifying some overlooked opportunities/threats. I've been working on improving my positional play and plan choice, so strategic critiques would be most helpful.

Thanks! Enjoy the game.

Man, ignore the typos in my annotation haha. 

Your plan of g3 - Bg2 looks strange after having played e3 (loss of tempo + slight weakening of f3). 9.Nxd5 and you have a fine game with a minority attack and a good bishop (although Black's is not blocked, which might make other players prefer not to trade) (if you don't know what this is, here is an introduction : http://www.chess.com/article/view/minority-attack)

Yet, the plan to fianchetto the bishop is a good thing to remember against the Tarrasch defense (QGD with Black playing an early ...c5, e.g. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5 ; Black ends with an isolated pawn). The bishop pressures the isolated pawn here (Rubinstein's line, if I remember well).

12.Nxd5 is too late, it leads to equal play. You got the edge very soon because Black missed 15...Qb8 ! (instead of the dubious Bc4 (?) ) which would have fought for the c file efficiently.

I agree with most of your next comments (including 24.f4 ? -> 24.f3 !), but the Rc6 move looks strange to me. I would rather have gone for the c5 square with Ne5-d7-c5, to push the majority (the c file is of no great importance if you must trade more than one rook for it).

27.Rxa7 takes a pawn safely, with the idea to take back on d7 with the knight (again, to reach c5 !).

30.Ra6 (?) is incorrect. Maybe there is some win with the strange line 30...fxe5 31.fxe5 !?, but that's playing with fire. The problem with the line in the game (30.Ra6 fxe5 31.Rxd6 e4+!) is that either 32.Kg4 and 32...Rc3 ! (which was not played) gets a dangerous passer at the same time as it gets behind the white pawns, or 32.K(anywhere on the 2nd rank) 32...Rc2+ picks the a pawn, and the king cannot defend simultaneously h2 and e3 against the rook.

After that, Black misses ..Rc3 (again, with the idea to push e4)  several times.

And before the final slaughter, you played 36.fxe6, with the (correct !) comment 'I would gladly trade rooks. THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU PLAY 36.Rxe6+ (!) ???