Jon Edwards has received the International Correspondence Chess Master title from ICCF. The reception of this title marks a remarkable series of successes for Jon: Four-time champion of APCT, first place in the 10th U.S. Correspondence Chess Championship, first in a NAPZ Master tournament, and first place in the Eighth North American Invitational Chess Championship.

Many of Jon's games can be found in his book The Chess Analyst published by Thinkers' Press, almost a textbook on how to win with the Hedgehog formation. Currently Jon is playing second board for a U.S. team that is in strong contention to qualify for the finals of the XIII Olympiad. Congratulations, Jon!

GAME OF THE MONTH

The following battle features Jon as Black against the highest-rated international U.S. player, Rene duCret. It is a struggle that rages over the board as Jon brings home a point against a formidable opponent.

MODERN BENONI [A60]
W: Rene duCret (2613)
B: Jon Edwards (2510)
NAPZ, 1998

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 b5 6. Bg2 Bb7 7. e4 d6 8. Nf3 Be7

It seems feasible for Black to take the e-pawn: 8. ... Nxe4 9. Qe2 Qe7 10. Qxb5+ Bc6!, but Jon's safe method of equalizing is noteworthy.

9. 0-0 0-0 10. Nh4 Re8 11. Re1 Nbd7 12. a4 a6 13. Na3 Nb6 14. b3 b4

Black has won the battle of the opening with more space on the queenside and control of the c4-square. The disharmony of White's pieces is obvious.

15. Nc2 a5 16. Nf5 Bf8 17. f3 Nfd7 18. Bb2 g6 19. Nfe3 Ba6 20. Bf1 Qc8 21. Rc1 Bxf1 22. Rxf1 Qa6 23. Re1 Rac8 24. Kg2

Now Black realizes control of c4 and establishes a better endgame.

24. ... c4 25. Nxc4 Nxc4 26. bxc4 Rxc4 27. Rb1 Bg7 28. Nd4 Qb6 29. Nc6

For Black's better pawn structure, White has compensation in this proud knight.

29. ... Qc5 30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. Rc1 Rxc1 32. Qxc1 Qxc1 33. Rxc1 Ra8 34. g4 Nc5 35. Ra1 f5! 36. exf5 gxf5 37. gxf5

In retrospect, this is the losing move, but White's game is very difficult. Stronger resistance comes from 37. Kg3.

37. ... Kf6 38. f4 Re8 39. Rb1 Re4 40. Nxa5 Kxf5 41 Kf3

White's last chance is 41. Nc6!? Nxa4 42. Nxb4, when Black still has a lot of work to do.

41. ... Rxf4+ 42. Ke3 Re4+ 43. Kd2 Rh4 44. h3 Nxa4 45. Nc6 Nc3 46. Rxb4 Rxh3 47. Rd4 Ne4+ 48. Ke2 h5 49. Rb4 Kf4 50. Kf1 Rg3 51. Rb8 h4 52. Ne7 h3 53. Rf8+ Kg4, White resigns.

Some advice from M. Yudovich (former USSR correspondence chess champion): "Do not play fashionable variations unless they appeal to you. I am appalled at the number of King's Indians and Sicilians that turn up at every level of play. There are other openings!"

Walter Lewis (Soledad, CA) notes that among the great correspondence chessplayers of all time the name of Eduard Dyckhoff should not be forgotten. He won the 1929, 1930, and 1931 European Correspondence Championship (equivalent to the World Championship at the time) and finished second in 1932 and 1937, all without loss of a game. Walter offers us the following game of Dyckhoff's.

RUY LOPEZ [C83]
W: Paul Keres
B: Eduard Dyckhoff
Correspondence Olympiad, 1935-6

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7 10. Be3 0-0 11. Nbd2 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 Qd7 13. Qd3 Na5 14. Bc2 g6 15. Bh6 Bf5 16. Qe2 Rfe8 17. Nd4 Bxc2 18. Nxc2 Bd6 19. f4 f6 20. Qd3 fxe5 21. f5 Bc5+ 22. Kh1 e4 23. Qg3 Bd6 24. Qg5 Re5 25. Ne3 Qf7 26. Qh4 Nc4 27. fxg6 Qxg6 28. Rf6 Rh5 29. Rxg6+ hxg6 30. Qf6 Rxh2+ 31. Kg1 Rxh6 32. Qg5 Kh7 33. Ng4 Bc5+ 34. Kf1 Rh1+ 35. Ke2 Rxa1 36. Qh6+ Kg8 37. Qxg6+ Kh8 38. Qf6+ Kh7 39. Qh6+ Kg8 40. Qg5+ Kh8 41. Qxd5 Rf8 42. Qh5+ Kg7 43. Qxc5 Rff1 44. Qxc7+ Kg6 45. Qg3 Rae1+ 46. Qxe1 Rxe1+ 47. Kxe1 Nxb2 48. Kd2 Kf5 49. Ne3+ Kf4 50. Nd5+ Ke5 51. Nc7 Nc4+ 52. Ke2 Na3 53. Nxa6 Nb1 54. Nb4 Nxc3+ 55. Kd2 Nb1+, draw.

Queens have been beating rooks in endgames for over 500 years. Every once in a while, though ...

CARO-KANN DEFENSE [B11]
W: David Naiser (1962)
B: Aart Rackwitz (2054)
1981 Golden Knights

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. g4 Bg6 8. Ne5 Rc8 9. d4 e6 10. Qe2 Bb4 11. h4 Nge7 12. h5 Be4 13. f3 0-0 14. Bxc6 Nxc6 15. Nxc6 Rxc6 16. 0-0 Bxc3 17. bxc3 Rxc3 18. Bd2 Rxc2 19. fxe4 dxe4 20. Rfc1 Rb2 21. Rcb1 Qxd4+ 22. Be3 Rxe2 23. Bxd4 b6 24. Re1 Rxe1+ 25. Rxe1 f5 26. g5 Rc8 27. Re2 Kf7 28. Kg2 g6 29. h6 Ke8 30. Kg3 Rc6 31. Be5 Rc5 32. Bb8 a6 33. Ba7 Rc6 34. Rd2 Ke7 35. Bb8 Rc3+ 36. Kf4 Rf3+ 37. Ke5 e3 38. Bd6+ Kd8 39. Rd4 e2 40. Bb4+ Ke8 41. Kf6 Rf1 42. Kg7 Rd1 43. Rc4 a5 44. Bc3 Rc1 45. Kxh7 Rxc3 46. Rxc3 e1=Q 47. Rc8+ Kd7 48. Rf8 Ke7 49. Kg8 Qe5 50. Rf7+ Ke8 51. Rf6 Qd5 52. h7 e5+ 53. Kg7 Qb7+ 54. Kxg6 Qh1 55. Rxb6, Black resigns.

White is so busy capturing Black's rooks he forgets to move his own. The result is a brilliancy.

SICILIAN DEFENSE [B33]
W: Michael Betts (1667)
B: Chris Chambers (1767)
IECG, 2001

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. exf5 Bxf5 12. Qf3 Nd4 13. Nc7+ Qxc7 14. Qxa8+ Ke7 15. c3 b4 16. cxb4 Bh6 17. Qxh8 Qb7 18. Bb5 Qe4+ 19. Kf1 axb5 20. h3 Qd3+ 21. Kg1 Ne2+ 22. Kf1 Nc1+ 23. Kg1 Qd1+ 24. Kh2 Bf4+ 25. g3 Qf3, White resigns.