Link to the GK analyzed game: game

This is known as the English Opening , and there are several variations after this 1st move .... 

A strong, defensive formation. Signals that he is not going to be too aggressive right now. Formations like that are always a bit of a problem breaking down, but on the other hand their offensive potential is limited.

When playing against a (transposed) Queen's Gambit, I usually try to go for the Campbridge Spring Defence. (White to play) Black usually plays Bb4, dxc4, b5, a6 and then Bb7 afterwards.

There is nothing wrong with 6.Be2. I actually dislike 6.Bd3 because of Black's strong reply 6...e5, threatening to fork the knight and bishop.

I find it interesting that you moved 6.Be2. It is a bit passive and I think I would have preferred 6.Bd3, especially as his bishop is in no position to attempt to pin your Nf3. On d3 the bishop would shadow the d-file, yes, but that file is likely going to remain closed for quite some time. And it is unlikely that your queen will need that square either. And you might have found a use for the bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal... -------------------------------- @Random: Good point. Of course, on 6...e5 he would have just captured your pawn. But the point is well taken: the advance _can_ be bothersome, and for that reason it might be better to place the bishop on e2. On the other hand, as long as e5 can be blocked - or taken - then the bishop will be more useful on d3. 8.b4 is the correct response to his pawn formation: it prepares an attack on the base. It also grabs space on the queenside and reinforces the advanced pawn on c5.

I would have worried that he would advance to e4 - as indeed he did. You might have considered exchanging on e5, then posting the knight on d4 (immediately if he recaptured with the knight, after Qc2 + Bb2 (and possibly Bd3) if he recaptured with the bishop).

I feel that this is like a wasted move due to the closing of the center on the next move. However, due to the closed position of the game, both sides can afford the time to reposition all of their pieces, so 10.Bb2 is not a drastic blunder.

Limiting Squares is good , however I'm not sure that it's good here , by playing g3 , you open up your castled position , now if the Bishop were on or could go to g2 , this would present a strong castle position , but without it , you weaken the position , my other thought is , you have a concentrated force aiming at Q side ..... maybe look there for some opponent weakness .....

The problem you have here is that Black is poised to explode against your K-side, and the locked down pawn formation in the center means that you will have difficulties bringing reinforcements to your king if he gets rolling, while he has open lines and space enough to spare (which makes it easy for him to reinforce his attack). So yes, g3 is good/required in this situation. If you had done 14.h3 I would begin to worry that he might actually succeed in sacrifing the bishop there to break up your K-side. However, now you have to be prepared, as chestigger points out, to move your bishop back go g2 to defend your king. The problem with Q-side vs. K-side attacks is, that the K-side attack is always the more dangerous of the two (in general, and only if both kings castled short).

This sort of move always worries me, especially with Black's pawn on e4. The f3 hole could prove quite dangerous later on (along with the concerns voiced by others above).

I think that 14.g3 is a fine move. Black does not have a lot of room to maneuver. While most of the white pieces are on the wrong side of the fence, there are no clear attacking lanes for Black at this moment.

Bxc6, and playing on the queenside against c6. Passive defence onthekingsidewill only give chances tothe enemy.

I don't like opening the h file , Black has way to many pieces he can move in that direction .....

@chestigger: correct, but this kind of defensive positions is (colors reversed) very common in the Pirc, which I used to play a lot. It looks a bit drafty, but as long as there is a bishop on g2 it is actually quite sound against anything but overwhelming force - which Black will have some difficulties arranging.

Whether the h file is open or not is less important than the fact that g3 lost a defender!

I saw that I could open up the White's king position with this sacrifice, and so I did. My other pieces, which are mostly geared towards the kingside, could then do some more damage. Taking the knight is forced due to the bishop-queen fork. (21.Qh5 Nxh3+ is bad for white)

The bishop cannot be taken due to the discovered attack 22.f4+! after which the h3 bishop falls. Ouch!

A busted castle position ..... yes it does expose your K

Black should better have a good plan for not exchanging BxR.

Actually, while it is a bit drafty around your King, Black is not in any position to draw advantage from that. You have very nicely taken away much of his K-side initiative by that move. I do wonder if he shouldn't do 24...f4 now though? I think that could have been a bit nasty.

The problem with 24...f4 is that white can intercept the f column by playing 25.Bf5!, also threatening my g6 knight. My next move (24...Bc8) aimed to prevent a white piece to land on f5. (Perhaps I should have played 24...Rf8?) Interestingly enough, the computer gives this position a dead equality!

Always a sound, defensive strategy: rob him of attacking material and he will be much less dangerous.

I should have taken the bishop on c8 first. 27.Bf5!! was a much stronger move.

@a_random_guy I saw this after I saw the computer analysis

I was looking for a way to compensate for my exposed king.

White is slightly winning in this position. He is currently +3 in material! Sure, Black can cut that material advantage to +1 using the following tactic, but lesser number of pieces on the board amplify that advantage...

The White K is way to exposed .....

Tha Black pawns are much more vulnerable than the White ones! If white survives the assault, he can mop up the pawns and have an easy win!