Annotated Game #334: Misery loves company

This final-round tournament game was rather miserable, contributing to a rather miserable outing overall; at least I didn't lose all of the games, which was some consolation. Again I achieve an advantage out of the opening - here, as early as move 3 - but poor thinking and evaluation of my opponent's potential threats mean I am on the ropes before the middlegame even properly starts. My opponent misses several critical continuations, but in the end is able to very effectively dominate with his pieces, while mine are ineffective. Props to him for not collapsing to the early pressure and fighting back effectively.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class C"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B10"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "89"] [GameId "2263074706079778"] 1. e4 c6 2. c4 d5 3. Nc3 $2 {I had never seen this move before, likely because of} d4 (3... dxe4 {seemed to be what my opponent was expecting, which is at least less bad for White.}) 4. Nce2 e5 $17 {Black's pawn on d4 is extremely strong and cannot be effectively challenged.} 5. d3 Bg4 $6 $15 {here starts the wrong thinking. Other pieces are better developed first.} (5... Bb4+) (5... Nf6) 6. a3 {now ...Bb4 is not possible.} a5 {played to restrict b2-b4.} 7. f3 {while this is awkward for White, it is even more awkward for my light-square bishop, which has nowhere good to go.} Bh5 $6 {this seemed like the obvious choice at the time, but the bishop can now be a target, without contributing anything in return.} (7... Bc8 8. f4 f6 $15 9. f5 $6 Na6 $17) 8. Nh3 {developing to the only square available, although it would be to White's advantage to chase the Bh5 first.} (8. g4 $11) 8... Be7 {looking to control g5, but perhaps not the best developing option.} (8... Nf6) (8... Bd6) 9. Ng3 Bh4 $6 {this was part of the idea of developing the bishop to e7. However, pinning the knight is not particularly effective.} (9... Bg6 10. f4 exf4 11. Bxf4 Nf6 $15) 10. Nf2 {breaking the pin. My exchanging on g3 would be favorable to White, losing the two bishops and opening up the file for the Rh1.} Bg6 {now correctly evacuating the bishop.} 11. f4 f6 $2 {White could now immediately play Qg4!} (11... exf4 12. Bxf4 Nd7 $11) 12. f5 $6 (12. Qg4 $1) 12... Bf7 $11 {after a long and rather ineffectual journey, the bishop has retreated to a safe, defensive square.} 13. Qg4 {this is still very good. Now I make what should have been an immediately losing decision.} Bxg3 $2 (13... Bg5 {I never considered this retreat.} 14. Bxg5 fxg5 15. h4 gxh4 {allows} 16. Qxg7 {but now} Qf6 $1 $11 {is possible, defending h8.}) 14. hxg3 $6 $14 (14. Qxg7 $1 $18 {and the rook is lost.}) 14... g5 {this ends up loosening things on the kingside more than I want, although it's a fair defensive try. Mentally, however, I am feeling rattled from my position having gone from clearly advantageous to almost lost in a short timespan.} (14... Kf8 $14) 15. fxg6 Bxg6 {I've now lost the h6 square, but White cannot exploit that...yet.} 16. Qe6+ Qe7 $2 {I continue to be rattled on the defense.} (16... Kf8 $14) 17. Qc8+ $1 $18 Kf7 18. Qh3 $6 $14 {luckily for me, my opponent again misses a critical continuation.} (18. Bh6 $1 Nxh6 19. Qxh8 Ng8 $18 {amazingly, Black cannot get at White's queen to trap it, only exchange it after an eventual ...Qg7.}) 18... Qe6 (18... Nd7 $5 $14) 19. Qh4 Nd7 20. Be2 Ne7 $2 {I thought for a while here, but ended up in a bad defensive position. It was more important to leave the knight on g8 and keep an eye on h6. The other knight could then be more active.} (20... Nc5 $14 {provides some useful activity.}) 21. Bh6 $16 (21. Bg4 $1 {I spotted this idea and was relieved when my opponent did not play it, although I did not fully see the idea of him targeting f6 by eventually castling.} Qd6 22. Bxd7 Qxd7 23. Ng4 Qe6 24. O-O $18) 21... b5 $2 {a desperate bid for counterplay.} (21... Ng8 $16) 22. b3 $18 {despite this not being the strongest follow-up, I have no good choices now.} a4 (22... Ng8 23. Bg4 $18) 23. b4 bxc4 24. dxc4 c5 25. b5 $6 (25. Bg4) 25... Nb6 {unfortunately I still do not understand the need to get the other knight more involved in the defense, although White is still winning in any case.} (25... Ng8 26. Bg4 Qxc4 27. Rc1 Qxb5 28. Bxd7 Qxd7 29. Ng4 $18) 26. Rc1 {so far I've at least been successful at distracting my opponent from making further progress on the kingside.} Rad8 (26... Ng8) 27. Bd3 $6 $16 Nec8 $2 {heading in the wrong direction, for the ultimate knight fail.} 28. O-O $1 $18 {the White king had been in the center so long, I'd forgotten it could castle. Now the threat to f6 after Ng4 cannot be blocked, with the Bh6 playing an important role by covering f8.} Ke7 29. Ng4 {from now on, my opponent executes the attack well.} Nd7 30. Nxf6 $1 Kd6 31. Rf2 Kc7 {unfortunately, the queenside is now unsafe for the king as well, so my position cannot avoid collapse.} 32. Rcf1 Nxf6 33. Rxf6 Qe8 34. Qg4 {White's pieces are incredibly dominant, whereas mine have almost no good squares.} Rd6 {at this point, I am just playing on to see if my opponent will blunder if given the opportunity. He does not.} 35. Qd1 Nb6 36. Rxd6 $1 Kxd6 37. Rf6+ Kc7 38. Qd2 Qa8 39. Rc6+ Kb7 40. Rxc5 Nd7 41. Rc6 Nb8 42. Rd6 Kc7 43. Re6 Bxe4 44. Rxe5 Bb7 45. Bf4 1-0