Here are two annotated games from a former state champion:

 

Deshpande (2100) - Smith, Dan (2170)
WI Closed Championship, 1997

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 h6 8.Bf4 Qa5 9.Qd2 Kh7 10.Nf3 Nh5?! The knight has no future here. For this to make sense, black must be planning f5. But he has no intention of doing this. His only logical plan is to try for e6 or b5. 11.Be3 Na6 12.0-0 Bd7 13.h3 Nf6 The knight returns to its most useful post. It would have been forced back here after white's next move anyway. 14.Nh2 Nc7 15.a4 I did not wish to give black the slightest bit of counterplay associated with b5, with perhaps a piece sacrifice, even though it may be unsound for black. e.g., [15.f4 b5 16.cxb5 Nxb5 17.Nxb5 Qxd2 18.Bxd2 Nxe4] 15...a6 16.f4 Ng8 17.Nf3 Rab8 Even with five pieces supporting b5, black cannot play b5 due to axb5, uncovering an attack on the queen. 18.e5 Ne8 19.Bd3 Qc7 20.Rae1 Kh8 21.Qc2 e6 22.Ne4 b6 23.Bd2 Ne7 24.Nc3 exd5 25.cxd5 c4 26.Be4 Nf5 27.Kh2 h5 28.g4! it's worth a pawn to open the h-file. 28...hxg4 29.hxg4 Nh6 30.Rh1 Nxg4+ 31.Kg3+ Kg8 32.e6! fxe6 33.Bxg6 e5 [33...exd5 34.Bh7+ Kh8 35.Bg8+ Kxg8 36.Qh7+ Kf7 37.Ng5+ Kf6 38.Nxd5#] 34.f5 [34.Bh7+ Kf7 35.Qg6+ Ke7 and the king may escape on d8.] 34...Nef6 35.Ng5 Qc5 36.Nce4 Qd4 [36...Qxd5 Dan Smith later said this move would win for black, but it still looks complex after 37. Bb4, especially since black was in time trouble.] 37.Bc3 Qxd5 38.Rd1 Nxe4+ 39.Nxe4 Qb7? 40.Kxg4 d5 41.Qh2 Rfd8 42.Nf6+?![42.Qh7+ Both players were in time pressure here. There are many ways to win more quickly than the game. This nice queen sacrifice was found by my friend Henry Meifert. 42...Kf8 43.Qxg7+! Kxg7 44.Bxe5+ Kf8 45.Rh8+ Ke7 46.Bf6#] 42...Kf8 43.Bxe5 Bxa4 44.Nh7+?! time pressure shows again! [44.Bd6+! Rxd6 45.Qxd6+ Qe7 46.Nh7+ wins the queen] 44...Ke7 45.Bxg7 Bxd1+ 46.Rxd1 Rd6 47.Qe5+ Kd7 48.Rxd5! Qc6 49.Rxd6+ Qxd6 50.Qxd6+ Kxd6 51.f6 b5 52.f7 b4 53.f8Q+ Rxf8 54.Bxf8+ 1-0

 

Betaneli, Alex (2280) - Deshpande (2100)
WI Closed Championship, 1997

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Black must prepare either b5, d5, or f5. I decided on f5, but the implementation was inaccurate. Black gets permanent weaknesses on b5 and d5.9...Nd7 10.Rc1 a5 11.Ndb5 Nc5 12.b3 f5 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.g4! Alex finds a nice plan associated with g4 and f4 followed by Bf3. At first glance this looks like an awkward weakening move, but the white king is quite safe with white's control of d5. 14...Bd7 15.f4 Kh8 16.Bf3 Rb8 17.Rc2 Qe8 18.Rd2 Nb4? 19.a3? [19.Bxc5 dxc5 (19...Bxb5 20.Bxb4 axb4 21.Nxb5) 20.Rxd7 Bd4+ 21.Nxd4 Qxd7 ] 19...Bxb5 20.Nxb5 Nc6 21.h4?! I believe that white should be attacking on the queen side, where his bishops are pointing. 21...Qf7 22.Bd5 Qf6 23.Rh2 Ne6 I had visions of putting a knight on d4, but I miss a simple tactical blow. 24.Qd2 Ncd4? 25.Nxd4 Nxd4 26.g5 Qf5 27.Bxd4 e5 28.Be3?! The bishop should be kept on the long diagonal. 28...exf4 29.Bd4 [29.Rxf4] 29...Be5 30.Bxe5+ dxe5 31.Qc2 Qg4+ 32.Qg2 Qf5 33.h5 Kg7 34.hxg6 hxg6 35.Be4? [35.Rh7+! This forced mate was found by Scot Henderson. 35...Kxh7 36.Qh2+ Kg7 37.Qh6#] 35...Qd7 36.Qd2 Qg4+ 37.Rg2 Qh3 38.Qd3 Qe6 39.Qd5 Qe7 40.Re1 Rbd8 41.Qxb7 Rd7 42.Qc6 Rd6 43.Qb7 Rd7 44.Qb5?! f3! 45.Rh2 Qxg5+ 46.Kh1 Rd2! 47.Rxd2? [47.Qb7+ Rf7 48.Rh7+! Kxh7 49.Qxf7+ Kh6 50.Qf8+ (50.Qxg6+ Qxg6 51.Bxg6 f2 52.Rf1 Kxg6 53.Kg2 Rb2 54.Rc1 Rxb3 55.c5 Rb7=) 50...Kh7 51.Qf7+=] 47...Qh4+ Mate in 2 is unavoidable. 0-1