8.d5! was actually a good move. locking his black squared bishop with no activity and allowing you to focus on queen side.
But 8...c5? 9. dxc6? look so terrible as you just allowed him to aggregate pawn in the center.
better was 8...c6 9.Bc4
16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. fxe4 seems better to me.
17...Bf5 looks good for black
26...Qf6 was much better.
8.d5! was actually a good move. locking his black squared bishop with no activity and allowing you to focus on queen side.
But 8...c5? 9. dxc6? look so terrible as you just allowed him to aggregate pawn in the center.
better was 8...c6 9.Bc4
16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. fxe4 seems better to me.
17...Bf5 looks good for black
26...Qf6 was much better.
hbsgowd: Thanks for the feedback. As I said, I don't know the theory that well, so thanks for clarifying the role of D5; when making it, I had those ideas in mind, but I was also thinking, in retrospect, that it might have been a bit too commital. In hindsight, I agree with the criticism on dxc wholeheartedly. It almost singlehandedly destroyed my game.
As far as your suggestions on move 16, I still think that, in that position, it would have been very dangerous, crippling my pawn structure. Ultimately, it would have probably left me passive, defending the weakened pawn. With this in mind, I think that the move played gave me some degree of flexibility to play with. Nevertheless, I think that, at this point, you have an element of pick your poison.
As for 17 ...Bf5, I actually would label this move a bit dubious, and I much prefer the way black went about things in the actual game. Simply stated, an immediate Bf5 can be answered by Bd3, after which my position all of a sudden becomes much, much healthier. In this position, black needs to eventually play the f5 push to fully take advantage of those center pawns and this Bishop move just gets in the way.
Finally, as for 26...Qf6!, nice find. I think that might even be curtains. (The threat of e6 would be absolutely devestating).
Anyway, thanks for responding helping to disect this game.
This was a game, played at 10/0 time controls, that I managed to save from the ashes, facing down a central pawn mass deep in my own position. Some feedback on where precisely I went wrong and whether there were any ways, aside from the desperation tactics that somehow succeeded in spite of themselves, to have saved the game. Game complete with my thoughts and decision making. Please give your thoughts on my moves, my decision making, and the game in general.