"For those of us who enjoy the postal game, there are probably only a few years left to enjoy it before you will be forced to go electronic or give up CC altogether - at least if you want to play internationally." - Tim Harding in an editorial in Chess Mail, January 2000.
Rene duCret
This month I would like to introduce the reader to Rene duCret. Rene was born in Germany in 1954. He later moved to the United States, played some chess in high school, graduated from Princeton in 1977, gained his MD in 1982, and is currently a professor of diagnostic radiology.
Renee plays little over the board since he started correspondence chess in 1992. Rene began postal chess fiercely - he won his first three master level sections in the North America Pacific Zone and then won two ICCF master sections, one with a 14-0 score.
The results of these successes have qualified him for both the second round and third (semifinal) round of the world championship and the coveted title of International Correspondence Chess Master. Rene is currently playing in the 60th Anniversary of the Swedish Correspondence Chess organization.
Rene notes that the best way to improve your game (with the possible exception of a private GM coach) is to not worry about whether or not a computer is in use - just play! He plans to attain the grandmaster title in the next 5-10 years. I wish him good skill in his quest!
GAME OF THE MONTH
When Black resigns in the following game, he is a pawn ahead, but the endgame is completely hopeless, a testimony to duCret's far reaching vision on Move 24.
KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE [E81]
W: Rene duCret (2598)
B: Anthony Albano (2457)
3rd NAPZ Championship 1998
Notes based on those of Rene duCret
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Be3 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Qd2 exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 Ne8
It's useful to know that 10. ... Nbd7 allows the favorable maneuver Ng1-h3-f2, with control of key squares; Black's move is an unusual attempt to accelerate ... f7-f5.
11. Nge2 f5
This is Black's intention, but it is too ambitious. The king's wing is White territory and the center is too volatile.
12. Ng3 fxe4 13. Ngxe4 Nf6 14. Bf4 Nxe4 15. Nxe4 Re8 16. Be2 Be5 17. Bg5
White's key theme is to exchange Black's dark-squared bishop so that "black holes" appear on the kingside and the Black queenside advance becomes less potent.
17. ... Qc7 18. Nf6+ Bxf6 19. Bxf6 Qf7 20. Bc3 b6 21. 0-0 Ra7 22. Rfe1 Rae7 23. Bc4 Bd7
Black appears ready to advance on the queenside and eventually free the problem on b8. What would you do at this critical moment?
24. Re4!
For the investment of a pawn White maximizes his attack and keeps the knight on b8 out of play.
24. Re4! Rxe4 25. fxe4 Rxe4 26. Rf1 Qe8 27. Bd3 Re3 28. Bc2 b5 29. Qf2
The threat of 29. Qf6 makes its appearance as the dark squares begin to creak.
29. ... b4 30. Bd2 Re2 31. Qf4 Qe7 32. Bd3 Re5 33. Qg3!
The threat of 33. Bf4 is unanswerable. Black plays on, but there is no defense.
33. ... Qg7 34. b3 Kh8 35. Qh4 Re8 36. Rf6, Black resigns.
Here is an early Berliner game from Bryce Avery's excellent Correspondence Chess In America. Most readers know that Berliner won the Fifth World Correspondence Championship, but he also won the Golden Knights Championship three times. This game is from the 1959 playoffs. After you play this game over you will better know why Berliner became a world champion! Ratings are modern style.
KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE [E81]
W: Robert Steinmeyer (2356)
B: Hans Berliner (2516)
1959 Golden Knights Playoffs
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 c6 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 b5 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Nge2 0-0 10. 0-0 e5 11. a3 exd4 12. Nxd4 Bb7 13. a4 b4 14. Nce2 a5 15. Rac1 Nc5 16. b3 Re8 17. Nf4 Rc8 18. Rfd1 Qe7 19. Re1 Qf8 20. Bf1 d5 21. exd5 cxd5 22. Qf2 Nce4 23. Qc2 Nc3 24. Bf2 Bh6 25. g3 dxc4 26. bxc4 Nd7 27. Bh3 f5 28. Nb5 Nxb5 29. axb5 Nc5 30. Rxe8 Rxe8 31. Bg2 a4 32. Rd1 a3 33. Qd2 b3 34. Qb4 a2 35. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 36. Qxc5 b2 37. Qf2 b1=Q 38. Qf1 Qxd1 39. Qxd1 Ra8 40. c5 a1=Q 41. Qxa1 Rxa1+ 42. Kf2 Bxf4, White resigns.
There are enough sacrifices in this gem to brighten up the reader's day. Enjoy!
LATVIAN GAMBIT [C40]
W: Isay Golyak (2224)
B: Chris Campbell (2082)
1997 Golden Knights
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. d4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 Nf6 5. Be2 d6 6. Ng4 Be7 7. Nc3 Bf5 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Ne3 Bg6 10. f4 d5 11. b3 c6 12. g4 h6 13. h4 Nbd7 14. f5 Be8 15. g5 Nh7 16. g6 Nhf6 17. Ng2 Nb6 18. Be3 Bd7 19. Qd2 Qc8 20. Bxh6 gxh6 21. Qxh6 Bxf5 22. Rxf5 Qxf5 23. Rf1 Qd7 24. Bg4 Bd6 25. Bxd7 Nbxd7 26. g7 Rfe8 27. Rxf6 Nxf6 28. Qxf6 Rad8 29. h5, Black resigns.
This may be the U.S. record for the most postal games played over a period of time against the same opponent: Hobart Newton and Dennis Kohler have played 143 games against each other. They have agreed that the match will end only when one of them can no longer play. The world record is 146 games between Englishmen Mathias and Nottage. As that series ended in 1992, there may be an official world record on the horizon. Here is one of the few draws in this continuing match.
ALEKHINE'S DEFENSE [B03]
W: Dennis Kohler
B: Hobart Newton
Flying Knights Postal Club, 1982
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bd3 Bg7 8. Nge2 0-0 9. Be3 Nc6 10. 0-0 Bg4 11. f3 Bf5 12. a3 d5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Bf2 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Qa5 16. Qb1 Bxd3 17. Qxd3 Rfd8 18. Rfb1 Qc7 19. Qb5 b6 20. Bg3 Qd7 21. Kh1 Na5 22. a4 Rac8 23. Qxd7 Rxd7 24. Rb5 Nc4 25. h3 h6 26. Rg1 a6 27. Rbb1 Rd5 28. Rb4 Ra5 29. Bb8 e5 30. Ba7 Bf8 31. Rbb1, draw.