Chess Log: 1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 ♘f6 4. O-O ♘g4 5. h3 h5

5-0 blitz, I played White:

1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 ♘f6 4. O-O ♘g4 5. h3 h5 6. ♘h2 d6 7. ♗e2 ♘d4 8. ♗xg4 hxg4 9. ♘xg4 ♗xg4 10. ♕xg4 ♘xc2 11. ♘a3 ♘xa1 12. b3 ♘xb3 13. axb3 ♕f6 14. d3 ♗e7 15. ♘c4 ♖h4 16. ♕g3 O-O-O 17. ♘e3 ♕g6 18. ♘f5 ♗f6 19. ♘xh4 ♕xg3 20. fxg3 g6 21. ♘f3 c6 22. ♗g5 ♗xg5 23. ♘xg5 d5 24. ♖xf7 dxe4 25. dxe4 ♖d3 26. ♖f8 ♔c7 27. ♘e6 ♔b6 28. b4 ♖xg3 29. ♔f2 ♖b3 30. ♖g8 ♖xb4 31. ♖xg6 ♖xe4 32. ♔f3 ♖c4 33. g3 a5 34. h4 a4 35. ♖g8 ♖c3 36. ♔g2 a3 37. ♖a8 ♖c2 38. ♔h3 a2 39. ♘d8 e4 40. ♘f7 e3 41. ♘g5 e2 42. ♘f3 ♔b5 43. ♘d4 ♔c4 44. ♘xc2 ♔d3 45. ♖xa2 ♔d2 46. h5 b5 47. h6 b4 48. ♘xb4 ♔d1 49. ♘c2 c5 50. h7 e1=Q 51. ♘xe1 ♔xe1 52. h8=Q 1-0 {Black resigns}

Not 6. hxg4?, because then 6. ... hxg4! opens up the h-file to both the Black Rook and the Black Queen, putting White into a world of hurt. And again, 10. ♕xg4, even though it allowed Black to trade a Knight for the Rook at a1, instead of 10. hxg4?.

My win was partly skillful use of my remaining Knight starting on my 15th move, partly a couple of blunders by Black, and partly luck. I'd like to claim that the impressive use of my Knight starting with 39. ♘d8 was pure skill, but I was just flailing on the 39th move, and it wasn't until 41. ♘g5 that I began to see how strong the Knight was going to be in the endgame -- just began to see it. And 48. ♘xb4+! is a nice move, but I didn't have it planned before my 48th move. This game was closer than it might look.