Formulating a middle game plan

[Event "Open invite"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2011.11.24"] [EndDate "2011.12.05"] [Round "?"] [White "rob39"] [Black "Serge v K"] [WhiteRating "1402"] [BlackRating "1427"] [WhiteElo "1402"] [BlackElo "1427"] [Result "0-1"] [GameId "8872523"] 1. e4 d5 {Scandinavian} 2. exd5 Qd8xd5 3. Ng1f3 {Like VelvetEars says, Nc3 is a free move here. Nf3 can follow later} Bc8g4 4. Bf1e2 Ng8f6 5. c4 {Even here, Nc3 looks the more solid move, the Bishop is helping the f Knight so may leave that c pawn hanging} Qd5e6 6. O-O {Good, safety first} Bg4xf3 7. Be2xf3 c6 8. Qd1c2 {VelvetEars rightly points out the benefit of Re1 and/or d4 here, while Varenka points out that you moved Qc2 to cover the hanging pawn. What you have been doing in move 7 is building an attack on b7. By playing Qb3, you would still protect the hanging pawn but force the opponent to consider the defence of his back line} Qe6d6 9. b3 h5 10. Bc1b2 {Good move} Nf6g4 11. g3 {Also a good move. His white squared bishop is off, so the risk of breaking down the pawn structure is less} Ng4e5 12. Bf3g2 h4 13. d4 Ne5g4 14. Nb1d2 {Maybe h3 here? Moves the Knight back a protects against the Ne3 coming up --- Marinkatomb:- Actually, i disagree here, you've missed a serious black threat, ..Nxh2! Kxh2 ..hxg3+ (double check no less) Kg1 where black has all sorts of ways to proceed, though ..gxf2 seems pretty good as the Queen and rook can be combined. Therefore i feel 14.Qf5 should be considered, as it threates the knight on g4, but also threatens mate in one on c8... } hxg3 15. fxg3 Ng4e3 16. Qc2d3 Ne3xf1 17. Ra1xf1 {So this is the important part. You are Rook for Bishop down, but you are much better developed than your opponent. At this point you should be thinking Go for the Jugular, or King as he's more often known} g6 18. Nd2e4 Qd6c7 19. Ne4g5 Rh8h5 20. Ng5xf7 {And you've done exactly that, good work!} Rh5f5 21. Rf1xf5 gxf5 22. Qd3xf5 Nb8d7 23. d5 {This is the big mistake. This isn't necessary and will free up the opponents Queen and Knight. Qg6 is the move. Discovered checks are so powerful. The Knight holds the King in place by covering the one flight square, and Ng5+ or Nd6+ as the next move puts you well on top, probably into a winning position} Qc7a5 24. Qf5e6 Nd7c5 25. Qe6g6 {Now you've been pushed into that very move, black now has options to put you in check though, whereas before the Queen was boxed in} Qa5e1 {and here she comes} 26. Bg2f1 Qe1e3 27. Kg1g2 Qe3d2 28. Kg2g1 Qd2xb2 {And now because the Queen could get out, the bishop is down} 29. Nf7d6 {Now you use you discovered check} Ke8d7 30. Bf1h3 Kd7c7 31. Qg6f5 {but unfortunately it is too little too late} exd6 {and black has enough pieces to see off the rest of your attack and go into a winning endgame} 0-1