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[title "White to move"]
[fen "2b2rk1/pr2n1bp/2p1p1p1/2pqPp2/N2p1P1Q/1P1P1N2/P1PB2PP/1R3R1K w - - 1 0"]
In this position, I was considering the best move for white. Re1 seems good but why not Ba5? Or even c4? After Re1, what's the best plan for white?
Why do you think the moves you suggest are any good?
Before you decide on any candidate moves you should analyze the position, consider how you can improve your position while minimizing counter play.
I would approach the position as follows. Other alternative ways might exist...
Looking at the position I notice a number of things:
Based on the analysis you should come up with ideas of how to approach the position. Generally you want to open the position to some extent as you are unlikely to win with 8 pawns on the board. You are not going to win either by just doing moves that look natural or superficially "good" like Re1 or Ba5 (what do you want to achieve?)
Think of a number of different plans and how realistic they are. Also consider your opponent's option. In this case, only white decides where to open the position and you should make sure that such opening of the position is to your advantage as black can basically just sit and wait.
Opening closed positions by pawn breaks on the flanks is a standard theme that any semi-advanced player knows.
A few possible ideas for a plan together with a rough evaluation. No concrete moves yet.:
Looking deeper into the rough plans judging how risky they are and in how far they can give you an advantage.
b4 gives black play on the open b file or even the option for counter play with c4. Also the Queen might enter in some lines via a2.
c3/c4 opens the c file for white which is good, but potentially leaves white with a weak d pawn.
Which one to pick depends a bit on your experience with such positions. To me the opening with c3, c4 seems much safer giving black less counterplay and you have immediately targets with the weak black pawns on the c file.
Once we've decided on a plan (opening the position with c3 or c4), it is time to settle on a move. An immediate c4 or c3 is probably premature as your pieces are not ideally placed.
How can we prepare the opening of the position so that we avoid any counterplay? Where should the pieces go?
So, I would improve the position with Rbc1, Rfd1, perhaps Qf2 and then play c3 or c4. Whether you first play Rbc1 or Rfd1 should not matter much.
Note that there are at least two tactical ideas that help you in opening the position with c4:
So in summary I'd go with Rbc1 now and later open the position with c3 or c4.
First, how would you evaluate the position? This should help you come up with a plan and thus the moves to consider. It seems you are randomly selecting moves, which you would then calculate the consequences.
Black has serious weaknesses you can think to exploit. How about those c-pawns? c5 looks very weak. And White's Knights are probably drooling over all the holes they can hop on.
B-c1-a3xc5 looks like the juiciest plan (someday getting a Knight to d6 is attractive too). You just have to make sure Black can't get away with something like c5-c4. Black will have to do something desperate for counter-play.
A dream line would go: 1.Bc1 Re8 2.Ba3 Rb5 3.Nfd2 Bf8 4.Nc4 Rd8 5.Nd6 Ra5 6.Qf6
My knight on a4 is crying to go to c4 then even on to d6 so moving it to b2 to get there is great, especially since it will take an extra move for my opponent to get his bishop to a6 as the rook is currently in the way.
There is a temptation to play Ng5. My opponent would have to advance the h-pawn to prevent the threat against it. h6 would force my knight to go back again so appears to waste tempo but it also potentially weakens my opponent's kingside. And what if I leave the knight on g5 and play Rf3? After the exchange on g5 my opponent can move the king to f7 before my rook gets to h3.
But hey, what if first I get the other knight to d6 - that covers f7 and then I can consider Ng5 later followed by moving the rook to f3 and h3.
If I have sacrificed the knight and the pawn on f4 is now on g5 there's a chance the bishop will remain useful on d2.
I haven't put this through an engine, and of course my opponent will play moves in between but I like Nb2 for my move at this point.
(I am going to post this, then do my analysis. Maybe there's a flaw but it's a plan, not necessarily the best move).
I just want to remark that it is not always necessary to have a definite plan. If you do have a single, obviously best plan, it is because your opponent has played badly. Here, even though Black has played badly, having weak pawns and disorganized pieces, there does not seem to be a clear way of exploiting this. One reaction to this situation is just to improve your pieces and wait for Black to make another mistake, while keeping more than one plan as an option. I like the play described by @user1583209, but I want to put forward an alterative.
Some answers have observed that there is no prospect of a quick Kingside attack, but there is a good prospect of a slow one. I note that the Na4 is badly placed for a K-side attack. It can be improved by N-b2-c4 and perhaps a2-a4. Then it cuts out virtually all Black Q-side play. It stands on a good square and has a good square to go to on d6. We will need to advance our g and/or h Pawns, so we put the K where it will be safer (perhaps e2), and then bring the Rooks to g1 and h1, We put the Bishop where it can join in, say h4. It usually is not good to lead the attack with a Q, so find a place where she is mobile and can join in, like f2. All of this might take ten or fifteen moves, but I dont see any way for Black to take advantage.
Moreover, this does not involve any committal moves. If you were to become convinced that the c3 plan was better, you could actually take back almost all of these moves and start again
