Thanks Charlie. Always enjoy your annotations.

My idea is to be able to play e3 to have the option of Bxc4 in the future, and keep this bishop from being very bad and blocked in.

This Queen move makes sense because the DSB is not able to defend b2 so the white queen must.

...and the b2 pawn is not "poisoned" in any way, nor b7 is undefended (e.g. after Qxb2, Rb1).

A typical alignment is with Qc2 and Bd3 for white, but the position is pretty dry after that. I wanted to challenge the black queen, and did not mind at all the doubled pawns.

After 7. Na4 black is more likely to check on a5 or b4 rather than retreat the queen.

IMHO 7. Qc2 is a far more useful move than 7. Qb3. Mostly, because it keeps the tension alive in the centre and keeps the potential of opening the c-file in the cards. 7. Qb3 only serves black in assisting him to equalize quickly with the exchange. As a general rule in it is advisable to avoid exchanges early to ensure great prospects in the future.

Now black can play ...Bb4 with great pressure on c3. Plus e4 is a big hole.

Not sure I realized how important that was at the time - but yes, otherwise Rc1 is a huge waste of time for white.

besides the Ra1 belongs on a1 on the open file.

I think 9...c5 is a bit premature as white has good control of c5 at the moment. I would have played 9...b6 threatening ...c5 embedding the DSB on b4 for good and limiting the scope of the a-rook. Plus it gives the LSB some much needed breathing room.

Yeah, I thought with the queens off that I'd rather have the king in the center in this closed position, but O-O was also playable.

Not only does he connect the rooks he frees the c3-knight from the pin! making e4 solid again.

This is a mistake that underestimates the power of white's influence on the kingside. Black's biggest problem is the limited scope of his bishops. I think necessary to stay in the game was 10...dxc4 11. bxc4 b6 12. Ne5 Bb7 13. Nxd7 Kxd7 and black has good chances to hold.

?? allows the bishop to escape. I supersized that Charlie missed 11. c5!!

I think on c5, Black is in some trouble after Nb5, and his dark-squares are under siege from the N+B. White would probably win the exchange (Nc7, Bd6, Be7 combo) - the black rook runs out of squares. I think a5 was the best move to keep b5 away from the knight.

Again the entombing 12. c5 is much stronger

And now black's dark squares are very weak, and his bishop on c8 very sad.

Yes, Black needs to get e5 in at some point probably to generate some counterplay and maybe expose the white king in the center. Perhaps O-O would have been better some moves ago.

actually black's best counter play comes in the form of forcing the exchange via 13...g5! 14. Bc7 Ne8 15. Bg3 g4! 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 f6 18. Bg3 e5!! with only a small edge for white.