Yes; I am faced with this many times after Giucco Piano.

A dynamic line in the Giuoco Piano.

I actually like the active 5. d4

Unfortunately, 5.d4 at this level rather tends to peter out into an early draw. So White holds it back for a more opportune moment.

White is off to an agressive start, I like it.

Yes, but this is on the queenside, whilst black's king is on the kingside.

That may be true, but in games like this, especially between grand-masters, weakening the one side can win the overall game eventually. We'll have to see how this works out.

A great deal depends upon how useful this Q-side expansion is [a] to constrain Black, or [b] create the potential to break through on this wing.

This way to defend against the B's trap proves to be more effective. Here it is advisable since after b5 the N has a good place to go.

A good counter move for sure.

Adventurously, we could have 9. bxa5 Rxa5?!

White is not very well developed, here. I don't see any attack line.

Yes, it seems black is already winning here, but it is still early. More moves shall be made before we start seeing who the victor is.

I agree with both. Perhaps he wasthinking about Nb3 unleashing the bishop. Again, if he had played 5. d4 five moves earlier, this wouldn't have happened.

Here's a thing: White has gained a fair amount of space on the Q-side, but now it's a question of 'where to from here?' On the other flank, the situation is still fluid, with considerable potential for Black to develop K-side operations. But really, what defines the situation is the state of the centre, and here, in its semi-closed/semi-open state, I'm inclined to think that White is slightly better placed to dictate terms. That might be something a better versed player would be able to comment.

True, but I still think the bishop is rather squashed here.

I'm pretty sure White won't want the c-pawn to settle on c4 - not while the light-square bishops (LSBs) remain on the board (his own would be shut in whilst Black's remains free to roam). White must have it in mind to strike out by d3-d4 at some point, but this will probably require preparation, especially for what might follow.

Black gets his break in first! At this point I think we begin to see the true state of the centre. The situation after 12.exd5 doesn't look very pleasant, as White's restrained centre would come under considerable immediate pressure.

To be honest, I like 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. c4 strengthening the pawn chain but this squashes the bishop.

This Queen move was the best I could come up with as well. After 12.exd5 Nxd5 13,c4 Ndf4 things already look unpleasant for White. So, instead, 13.Bxd5 Qxd5 14.Qc2 Bf5 15.Ne4 Rad8 and White is under a whole deal of pressure.

And also developing a strong pawn chain. Rb1 is recommended.

Ratcheting up the tension. Here we are looking at the downside of too early expansion that has led to the advanced pawns becoming immobilized and vulnerable to attack. It has turned out the Black's pawns were the more mobile after all.

Joe, remember that a passed pawn is one that has no enemy pawn directly in front, or in front on a file next to the one it's standing on. If the game now went 13...cxb5 then 14.axb5 would then make Black's a-pawn passed. White would not want this, hence his previous move that allows 13...cxb5 14.Rxb5. Black won't be so keen to permit this particular exchange, so he in turn is not going to take on b5. The tension will persist there for a while in all probability.

Preventative. A prophylactic move in chess is one that [a] prevents the opponent playing a move he wants to play. A White knight on g5 in combination with the bishop on a2 might have become a nuisance. Black removes that possibility from the game.

This pawn move looks like a serious concession at first sight. But it doesn't really shut in his bishop, even if Black closes the centre by 15...d4 (16.c5, possibly followed by 17.b6). So this break is very well timed. The situation seems to be very finely balanced right now.

15...dxc4 16.Bxc4 would have suited White very well.

It would have left the White d-pawn backward into the bargain.

This also allows black, if he wants to, to fianchetto on b7 sometime.

If the Queen must needs blockade the c-pawn, then blockade the c-pawn she will (19.Bxc5 Qxc5).