In this case, after an up-and-down opening (first up, then down), I blunder the exchange - although if you win in the end, you can call it an "unintentional exchange sacrifice". After the "sacrifice" I do fight well for compensation, while in contrast my opponent plays passively and focuses on attempting to trade down material, without much else in terms of a plan. I spot a possible tactic after my opponent weakens his kingside with 27...g6?! and eventually get the chance to execute it, leading to a breakthrough and a win. (By coincidence - or perhaps not - this matches up nicely with ideas in the recent "importance of sequencing" post).
While reviewing my initial notes in the database, I was struck by how the final result colored my outlook on the entire game. My opening play was initially fine but then got significantly weaker as I approached the middlegame, which is a recurring pattern that I've identified (so will now fix, as in Third Time's the Charm). Specifically, one of my main recurring errors has been neglecting development and allowing my opponent to restrict my pieces, which always brings problems with it. I should have been harsher (or more realistic) during my earlier evaluation and recognized that the narrative of triumph after the "unintentional sacrifice" was due less to my abilities - although I did find some correct ideas - rather than my opponent's passivity and creation of unnecessary weaknesses.
