Hard to know whether this is still the "Bishop's Opening", as by move 4 the game could equally well have been the "Two Knights' Defence": 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3.

This does look more like a 2 knights defense, perhaps even a Hungarian defense with passive white play.

White goes to a lot effort to save her bad bishop and put it on a not very effective square. I would prefer Bb3. If Nxb3 than White has axb giving the a1-rook a half open file to operate on, this balances Black's bishop pair in pretty much a closed position. This also would seem to block Black's queenside counterplay.

I like my bishops too, but Bb3 is more thematic and consistent with this type of position. While it may seem tempting to encourage Black to advance the queenside pawns, this gives Black exactly the kind of position they want. If the intent was to save the bishop then d3 was not the right approach.

After 10...c5, it reminds me a closed spanish; except for white pawn in d3 instead of d4, and move order : 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4

Thematically, this seems like a closed spanish, where white delays d4. Generally the better player wins these types of positions.

I think we might indeed have transposed into a Ruy Lopez here. Not really what I had in mind to start with!

But also played to discourage a White knight from coming in at d5. Meanwhile, Black is also interested in establishing his DSB "in fianchetto". The method chosen keeps the King's rook on the f-file, which looks as though it might be more useful than the e-file. Of course I got this from the database, but I liked the logic. Possibly the downside is that those knights look far away on the Q-side there!

The position is closed and the play so far has been focused on the queenside. Although it looks strange, black has adequate time to shift the knights as needed.

In fact that was what I had in mind: 16.Bg5 f6 17.Bd2 f5. Of course, the retreat to h4 would have been risky: 16.Bg5 f6 17.Bh4 g5 18.Bg3 h5 etc. The bishop move to d2 does have in mind a possible discovery against the a5-knight, but White doesn't get time for that. Meanwhile, hereabouts (from move 14 on), White maybe should dtart looking seriously at a central break by (for example) d3-d4.

If 16 Bg5, then I might try ...f6!? I agree, White needs to start considering d4 before Black takes over the kingside as well.

Isn't it better not to exchange ? At least it keeps some control on d5, and if black exchange pawns, d column is open on weak d6 pawn. I prefer black position still.

I also would not exchange on f5. White is on the defensive but a timely d4 might defuse the sting of the kingside pawn steamroller.

I did wonder if Joanne might try 17.Bg5 or maybe even 17.Nh6+!?. It's not clear what, if anything, the latter achieves, but it's the sort of thing that can be very worrying for that reason. White plays possibly too conservatively hereabouts, which leads her game very gradually downhill.

Not sure burrying alive the bishop in b2 is the best plan. May be Qb3, Rd1. Or Re4 with Rxc4 and Rae1. This knight currently block R+B and restrain the Q. It is a huge one !

24 Bc1 isn't so bad if followed by 24 N(f)d2, trying to exchange the strong knight.

Earlier, 20.d4 still gave White a very reasonable game. I find these kinds of positions very difficult to play and to judge, myself, as there aren't any really concrete lines by which to assess how one is doing. For instance, had White played 20.d4, how ought Black to respond (20..cxd4; 20...exd4 or maybe 20...Nc6)? Probably Black ought to preface any reply by exchanging on c2 first. White's 24th move I had supposed was to make way for a knight, and since she didn't first move the a1-rook, she must have felt that the a-file might yet be of some use. At this point I felt that Black had obtained over the last few moves a marked edge, but it was not easy always to predict White's moves.

I had expected exchanges on d4, not c4: 26.Nd4 Nxd4, with a very satisfactory position for Black. But this seems even better. In this game continuation, bold, bad, Sir Brian the Black eyes hungrily his new fiefdom at d3.

Having pushed his opponent peaces on the 1stand 2nd line, black uses it's spatial superiority and strong center to attack poor Henry.

This position reminds me a bit of the games of Tigran Petrosian. Ain't that pawn centre a sight to behold, though? Incidentally, ...Qg5 or ...Qh4 were very playable alternatives.

If 32.gxf4 Rxf4 is deadly.

Unexpected, but Black has a mighty position now. No longer playable is 34.Qxe4 on account of 34...Nd3+.

Actually, I think now that 34...Ne2+ might have been marginally more accurate, but this move will do.

Did you notice that black could have played this game with the handicap of a rook ? I mean, Ra8 was sleeping during the whole batle, impressive.

yes, Ra8 is just waiting for His majesty's instruction to post him any moment He needs the rook, the important is he can proceed to the desired post at a single tick of the clock! (mobility )

Agreed, an early d4 was essential for White

At some point in the early middlegame, a central thrust d3-d4 would have broken open the centre and given White an approximate parity with Black. Once firmly established, and despite the yawning vacuum to their rear, that powerful quartet of pawns had White's position bound in an unbreakable grip.