7 Bxg5? is a mistake here. White gives up the bishop's pair and develops black's queen. White does not even double black's pawns, as ...gxf6 is not forced. With 7 f4 white threatens 8 e5.
You played the game very well after that. 14...Rac8 and 18...Bxc2 are fine. You could have won differently, but that does not matter.
Not sure I like 8. ... Be7. What is the Black Queen doing stuck out there on f6? All of your play will be on the opposite wing!
I would seriously consider swinging the Queen back through d8 and over to the Q-side where it belongs... or even playing b5 followed by Qe7 and then Qb7.
THEN play Be7.
Sure, you lose some time... but that's nothing new in the Najdorf. Black's advantages are long-term: two center Pawns against one and the dark-squared Bishop vs a Knight. White's development advantage is temporary... eight or ten moves from now, there won't be any trace of it left.
Hi
Thank you everyone for your inputs over last couple of months. I have steadily improved from 950 to1400 in roughly 6 months
Special thanks to KeSetoKaiba, tygxc, nerwal for your inputs. You guys have been fairly regular in answering my questions.
I played this game yesterday as Black.
https://www.chess.com/a/22CBB8UrSzPAW
Few questions here
After 6.Bg5 e6, almost 85% of the games( in roughly 14k games in chess.com master games List) are 7. f4, but in the game 6. Bxf6 was played ( only three games in database).
So, it's a very rare played move. A possible reason is that bishop wasted 2 moves and allowed to develop opponent's piece. Is my reasoning correct?
Move 14 i played Rac8, i am not sure about the placement of rook. In hindsight, may be i could have kept it there, as now a6 pawn is undefended. May be Rfc8 is best move, providing protection to LSB. I often have this in rook placement. Your thoughts on this would be helpful.
Move 18 Bxc2 is a mistake .Qg6 appears better. Why?
Thanks
Bharat