I still remember the time when the type of set up White adopts was known as the Porcupine Attack. I much prefer that appellation!

I remember it being called the St. George attack. In Russia it is called the Rauzer Attack, although Razer would play 6 f3.

9. Bc4 is the main line, though that is after the usual move 8... Nc6 instead of 8... Nbd7. Does Black's knight move make a huge difference?

Black responds to 9 O-O-O with 9...d5 when after 10 dxe5 Nxd5 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 Nxd5 cxd5 13 Qxd5 Qc7, Black has more than a pawn's worth of compensation. White lately has been playing (in the 9 O-O-O line) 12 Bd4 e5 13 Bc5 and Black can offer the exchange with ...Be6. 9 Bc4 (restraining ...d5) is generally considered the better line for White. ...Nbd7 is consistent with ..a6 the Dragadorph. In the Dragadorph Black delays castling and often delays ...Bg7, after which Black can gain a tempo (by delaying ...Bg7) if White plays B-h6.

Frankly, 9. O-O-O would have been better for white. It is not all that clear where the light square bishop should develop. Since castling queen-side is usual in the Yugoslav Attack, you're not giving away any secrets by going ahead and doing it. By placing the Bishop on c4, you have committed yourself early and Black has time to respond rather than react. You want your opponent to react because then he will be on the defensive. **** Black should be expecting O-O-O. Why not surprise him with 11. h4! ? **** It is a subtle difference. And yes, 8. ... Nc6 instead of 8. ... Nbd7 can make a huge difference. It is a different path and the knight controls different squares. ***** Blake, that is some good information; but with the black knight on d7, the Queen does not have control over the d file that would allow a favorable d5 push by Black. The d5 push only works with the knight at c6. Therefore, White does not have to worry about that line in this case. 11. Nxc6 is an impossible move because there is nothing there to capture.

not sure if there was an imperative to echange bishops. True Black could move the bishop back to h8, but that takes time. I think I would have tried h4 instead.

Either 12. h4 or 13. h4 is OK. **** Better is 13. Nf5. Black cannot take because of the Qg5 follow through.

14. h4 would have been a little bit better;but Black keeps giving you more breathing room. **** Again 15. h4 is winning. **** The name of the game for most Sicilian variations is to attack the opponent's King. If you search there first and cannot find anything useful, then search for a tactic against the Queen-side. White had several different attack possibilities against the Black King but did not take advantage. One of them started with 13. Bxg7.

Believe it or not! 17. h4 still gives White the advantage.

18. h4 was a good move; but it no longer yields much, if any, of an advantage after Nc4. But Black again gives White breathing room with 18... e6 (a relatively useless move).

Not sure what White gains by exchanging Qs.

White had fine attacking chances with the queens on! Namely: 29.g5! Qe7 (when the enemy Q has just the one move, there's usually something good in the position) 30.Qd5 (30.fxg6 at once might be good, as well). Now if 30...gxf5 31.Qxf5 White threatens to mate by 32.Rh6 Nxh6 33.gxh6 etc. It's very difficult to find any kind of defence for Black, here. Otherwise, 30...Re8, say, and then comes 31.fxg6 hxg6 32.Re2! followed by 33.Rf6 and a winning attack. When you have the initiative, the pressure, and the space, it is usually best not to exchange pieces (except at a premium in time and space - that is to say, such exchanges gain you something a little extra in terms of time and space).

My previous comment notwithstanding, White has retained a bit of an edge for the endgame in terms of the passed pawn, the slightly better overall pawn structure, and the more active pieces.

I would have considered 32 Ne6.

I agree with dmaestro. White doesn't want her pieces to be written down to passivity. 32.Ne6 Nxg4!? 33.Nxg5 was fine for White.

Instead Black could have brought his h8-rook into useful action by 34...h5.

35.Ne6 would have placed the knight on a useful square. Now that we have a double-rook ending it seems to me Most - if not all - White's earlier advantage has disappeared after, say, 36...h5.

I think 36...Rg8 was a minor slip, giving White a small adge...