This win in the fifth and final round of the 2007 Washington Quick Chess tournament gave me third place and the Under 2000 prize. MacGregor's 4-1 score going into this game gave him a tie for first despite the loss.
1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.d4
exd4
4.Bc4
Nf6
5.Ng5
An ancient line, probably not fully sound, but hard to meet if you don't know it. I found this little gem back at the U.S. Open, Seattle, 1966, browsing my newly purchased German edition of Estrin's book on the Two Knights Defense in my hotel room.
5...Ne5
[White, of course, hoped for 5...d5
6.exd5
Nxd5
7.0-0
Be7
8.Nxf7
with a nice variation of the Fried Liver Attack.]
6.Bb3
h6
7.f4
hxg5
8.fxe5
Nxe4
9.Qxd4
Nc5
10.Nc3
Be7
[Chopping the Knight, now or after 10...d6
11.Be3
Nxb3
12.axb3
dxe5
13.Qxe5+
Qe7
is book.]
11.Be3
0-0
12.0-0-0
b6
Allowing White to preserve his Bishop with tempo can't be good.
13.Bd5
c6
14.Bf3
Qc7
15.Ne4
[The thinking was his Knight looked better than mine, so why not swap? But, Fritz likes 15.Nb5
Qb8
16.Nd6
with a bind, and this does seem better than my move.]
15...Nxe4
16.Qxe4
Bb7
17.Qf5
Rad8
18.Bh5
Intending to add a Rook to the f-file pressure and to sac the Bishop for two Pawns, if he played g6. Then, I could look for a win while keeping the perpetual in my back pocket.
18...d5
[In fact, after 18...g6
? 19.Bxg6
fxg6
20.Qxg6+
Kh8
21.h4
g4
22.Qh6+
Kg8
23.Rd4
mate is unstoppable.]
19.e6
fxe6
[Black best chance was to give up the Exchange with 19...Bf6
20.Bxf7+
Rxf7
21.exf7+
Qxf7
]
20.Qxe6+
Kh8
21.Qh3
Bc8
22.Bg4+
? [Tossing away the advantage. Several spectators saw the correct 22.g4
! when Black is toast.]
22...Kg8
23.Be6+
Bxe6
24.Qxe6+
Kh7
25.h4
gxh4
? [The open KR file is deadly. The game's about equal, says Dr. Fritz, after 25...g4
26.Qxg4
Qe5
27.Rhe1
Qe4
28.Qg3
Bd6
29.Qh3
Qc4
30.Kb1
Rde8
31.h5
]
26.Rd4
g6
27.Rdxh4+
!
27...Bxh4
28.Rxh4+
And Black resigned in time to avoid checkmate. 1-0