This is an Excerpt from a PM from my opponent Leo-London. "Going back to the game, on reflection I would never play 3.Nc3 ( three knights ) against the Petrov..3.d4 seems much stronger stronger..usually continuing...Nxd4. 4.Bd3..d5.5.Nxe5..Bd6. 6.O-O..O-O. 7.c4. I have only played a few games on GK as white against the Petrov, so my view is based on the line I would least like my opponent to take when playing black. I didn't like your move 5.d3 either, but I believe you mentioned that in your annotation..Be2 would have been better." Hope this helps - Joanne

This is not a good move at all, it is instead the legendary weakness that EVERYONE plays.

I didn't like 4.Nxe5 much at all. It exposes the pin.

As far as i can see, black could win the e pawn here with 9... Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Rxe4 (The exchange would be pretty much forced to avoid a discovered check and queen hit with Nxc3.)

be1 was better, avoiding doubled pawns

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm looking at Ne4. If Black does Nxe4, then he did not catch how the exchange will end. Leaving Black with 2 or more critical threats, he has to rethink about what he does. Be1 does nothing but start up a cramp, which ends white's game.

Interesting battle. 12.Re1 started up a flaw though, leading you to lose the game.

It took me a while to figure this out. A wiser move would be 17.c3. Why? The c-pawn will be now guarded by the Queen, thus making it useless for Black to keep his Queen at the spot and take your pawns.

White has done well in a very passive position to contain the damage and throw out the invasive rook. She has in my view fairish chances of survival from here.

I'm inclined to think this is an unnecessary concession. Sooner or later no doubt Black will induce pawn moves on the K-side, but there is some argument in favour of waiting until they are forced. Here, Black's K has invasion routes available via f3 or h3 should he want them. Since the Q-side pawns are already weak anyway, I rather like the notion of a minority attack beginning 24.c4 here. If White can reduce Black's majority to its simplest terms: 1-0 (instead of 3-2), White would have realistic drawing chances.

I agree...especially in a rook ending like this.

It seems that Black spent the last few moves deciding on a plan. It also appears that he wasn't too keen on the White rook penetrating to his back rank...

Maybe instead 39.Rd8+ is a refinement that would keep Black's king on the hop. If 39...Kf7 40.Rd7+ gained a tempo; and so Black plays 39...Ke7 40.Rc8 (or Rg8 leads to much the same sort of thing) c5 41.Rc6 Kf7 42.Rc7+ etc.

40.Kc1 seems to be a loss of time. There's nothing to be done bout the a-pawn. 40.Rd6 Kf7 41.Rc6 Rxa2 42.Kc3 might have preserved enough activity to keep White in the fight.