Help me analyze this game. I don't understand what I could have done better.

Help me understand this game. It felt like I was getting attacked and the only thing I did was defending and nothing more. I wish I could have done something different so I could have attacked my opponent or perhaps created and imbalance of some sort?

More specifically I do not understand why the engine wants me to play c6 over and over again.

Was it to gain space and push d5? or was it to avoid his knight jumping on d5? Anyway 8 moves in and the engine is already giving +1 to my opponent :/

I was black btw

Black's setup was just passive and unambitious from the start. No space, no good square, no piece play. It's possible to counter 1. b3 with much more energy than that. That's why the engine wants 5... c5, taking space and squares in the center (I would even recommend c5 at move 1)
Taking on d4 so soon is really bad, it activates all White pieces. Black should play 0-0, c6, Re8, Bf8 like in an Old Indian or a Philidor, and wait to slowly untangle.
There is a reason why those Spanish lines with d6 fell out of favour. Morphy's a6-b5 and the Berlin piece play are just better plans.

c6 is for d5 next. It takes the space in the center, controls the light squares in the center (e4-d5-c4) which is important since Black doesn't have a light squared bishop, and opens a good diagonal for the Bf8.

This is just the Philidor with early b3 and Bb2, really not something black should be afraid of. 6...exd4 is a serious mistake. Black should castle, play Re8 and possibly Bf8 and only then take on d4 and is absoutely fine.
But c6 is not necessary here, Black can do without as long as there is no bishop on c4.

I understand your criticism.

The reason why I did take on d4 was because I didn't want trades on e5. If my d pawn becomes an e pawn on e5 the pawn structure looks so symmetrical, only difference would be me not pushing b6. Wouldn't these types of structures lead to boring draws??

@Nerwal

You can bitch all you want but this model game is how you should play it!

[Event "Olympiad-37"]
[Site "Turin"]
[Date "2006.05.30"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Berg, Emanuel"]
[Black "Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C41"]
[WhiteElo "2539"]
[BlackElo "2555"]
[PlyCount "110"]
[EventDate "2006.05.21"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ITA"]
[WhiteTeam "Sweden"]
[BlackTeam "Vietnam"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SWE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "VIE"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. b3 Be7 6. Bb2 O-O 7. Bd3 Re8 8. O-O
   Bf8 9. Qd2 b6 10. Rad1 Bb7 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 dxe5 13. Qe2 c6 14. Ba6 Qc8
2. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Rd3 Rad8 17. Rfd1 Qc8 18. Nb1 Rxd3 19. cxd3 Nd7 20. Qc2 Bc5
3. Nd2 Nf8 22. Nf3 Ng6 23. h3 Qe6 24. Qc4 Qxc4 25. dxc4 f6 26. Rd7 Re7 27.
   Rd8+ Kf7 28. g3 Re8 29. Rd7+ Re7 30. Rd8 Re8 31. Rd1 Nf8 32. Kf1 Ne6 33. Rd7+
   Re7 34. Rd1 a5 35. a3 Rb7 36. Rd3 Bf8 37. Nd2 g6 38. Ke2 Bh6 39. b4 axb4 40.
   axb4 Ra7 41. h4 c5 42. Ra3 Rd7 43. Rd3 Rxd3 44. Kxd3 Bxd2 45. Kxd2 cxb4 46. Kc2
   Nc5 47. f3 Ke6 48. Bc1 f5 49. exf5+ gxf5 50. Bd2 b3+ 51. Kc3 e4 52. f4 Kf7 53.
   Be3 Kg6 54. Bd4 Kh5 55. Bf6 e3 0-1

Black does not play early c6 because he wants to play b6 and Bb7 next and solve the problem of his light squared bishop. He also did not play exd4 but he no doubt would have at some point if dxe5 had not been played.

@ColossusChess said in #4:

This is just the Philidor with early b3 and Bb2, really not something black should be afraid of. 6...exd4 is a serious mistake. Black should castle, play Re8 and possibly Bf8 and only then take on d4 and is absoutely fine.
But c6 is not necessary here, Black can do without as long as there is no bishop on c4.

But why is the engine saying it is the best move like over and over again? I'm just curious.

@ColossusChess said in #6:

[Event "Olympiad-37"]
[Site "Turin"]
[Date "2006.05.30"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Berg, Emanuel"]
[Black "Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C41"]
[WhiteElo "2539"]
[BlackElo "2555"]
[PlyCount "110"]
[EventDate "2006.05.21"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ITA"]
[WhiteTeam "Sweden"]
[BlackTeam "Vietnam"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SWE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "VIE"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. b3 Be7 6. Bb2 O-O 7. Bd3 Re8 8. O-O
   Bf8 9. Qd2 b6 10. Rad1 Bb7 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 dxe5 13. Qe2 c6 14. Ba6 Qc8
2. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Rd3 Rad8 17. Rfd1 Qc8 18. Nb1 Rxd3 19. cxd3 Nd7 20. Qc2 Bc5
3. Nd2 Nf8 22. Nf3 Ng6 23. h3 Qe6 24. Qc4 Qxc4 25. dxc4 f6 26. Rd7 Re7 27.
   Rd8+ Kf7 28. g3 Re8 29. Rd7+ Re7 30. Rd8 Re8 31. Rd1 Nf8 32. Kf1 Ne6 33. Rd7+
   Re7 34. Rd1 a5 35. a3 Rb7 36. Rd3 Bf8 37. Nd2 g6 38. Ke2 Bh6 39. b4 axb4 40.
   axb4 Ra7 41. h4 c5 42. Ra3 Rd7 43. Rd3 Rxd3 44. Kxd3 Bxd2 45. Kxd2 cxb4 46. Kc2
   Nc5 47. f3 Ke6 48. Bc1 f5 49. exf5+ gxf5 50. Bd2 b3+ 51. Kc3 e4 52. f4 Kf7 53.
   Be3 Kg6 54. Bd4 Kh5 55. Bf6 e3 0-1

Thanks for the game, I will take a look at it

@ColossusChess said in #4:

Black can do without as long as there is no bishop on c4.

Just to clarify, if that bishop gets to c4, then I have to play c6 and d5 to scare it away?

Maybe it's not forced but it's generally played this way. For example if 7.Bc4 Re8?? then 8.Bxf7 wins the game. 7...b6 is maybe playable but extremely uncommon.