! Pins the pawn on e5.

? Waste of a tempo, better is 12.h4. The threat of 12...Qg4?? is nothing to be worried about because after 13.Qxg4 Bxg4 14.exf6! White is well ahead in both material and development. This one wasted move could have spelled disaster later in the game for white but black missed an opportunity.

Wouldn't have been necessary if white had played 12.h4...

! Keeping the e-pawn pinned.

Better than 16.Qxg4?! Bxg4 17.Bxf5 gxf6 18.Rxf6 because black's bishop is better placed on g4 then on d7.

! 16...Qxd4? and gxf6?? are horrible blunders. Both protecting the queen and not allowing white to get the knight for free. 16...Qxe2?! 17.Nxe2 gxf6 18.Rxf6 and the knight releases the pin on the e-pawn and defends the d-pawn, very nice for white.

?? This move is a huge blunder because black missed an opportunity to bring the game back in his favor with 19...c5!! This is much superior to 19...Re7. It would cause white's pawn structure to completely buckle down and collapse. 20.dxc5? Rxe5+! and white has lost its advantage, possibly more. If white had played 12.h4 then white would be a tempo up and this position wouldn't have occurred, but since both parties failed to take advantage of tempo, the mistakes cancel out and white keeps his advantage.

! Removes the threat of c5.

! A knight on f6 would make white very happy and trading the rooks just allows black to connect the two kingside pawns.

! Black tries to open up the center, his only option at this point.