Correspondence chess can be a lonely affair. Hours and hours are spent poring over a difficult game against an opponent you never get to see. At the end there may be the satisfaction of a game well played, win, lose, or draw, and that is enough for most correspondence players. But there is an alternative.

Imagine once a year (in cities as varied as Chicago, Syracuse, Orlando, Toronto, Arlington, and Corning) a convention of ... postal chessplayers! These players convene to renew old friendships, meet new faces, and play chess, chess, chess.

This year, as every year, NOST held its annual convention. During the week members played a G/60 tournament, a chess variant tournament, a speed chess event, a simultaneous against a local master, and other events. But most of all they got to associate with other correspondence players. Now that NOST has led the way, perhaps some of the other correspondence organizations will follow. Such conventions can only deepen postal players' love of the game.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Yes, a convention might be a great idea for postal players, but can these NOST players play the game? Here is an indication that they can!

QUEEN'S INDIAN DEFENSE [E15]

W: Chuck Musgrove (2252)

B: Tony Gardner (2249)

NOST 1998

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 d5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxd7 Qxd7 8. Nc3 0-0-0

Black is ambitious, seeking hand-to-hand combat, but his king may be easier to attack than White's king.

9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. 0-0 Nxc3 11. Bxb7+ Kxb7 12. bxc3 Qc6 13. Qb3 h5! 14. a4!

The game heats up as both sides play to open up a file against the enemy king.

14. ... h4 15. a5 Bd6 16. axb6 cxb6 17. Qa4?

The critical moment. After 17. c4 the game is complex with chances for both sides. Instead, White seeks solace in an endgame - which Black demolishes without mercy.

17. ... Qxa4 18. Rxa4 b5!

Nailing down the c3-pawn as a permanent target since the attacks on both sides dissipate. The endgame is a win for Black.

19. Ra2 Rc8 20. Bd2 a6

The first of six steps toward the queening square on a1. White has no compensating passer.

21. Rfa1 Rc6 22. e4 hxg3 23. hxg3 Ra8 24. Kf1 Rc4 25. Ke2 Kb6 26. e5 Be7 27. Kd3 a5 28. Rh1 a4 29. Rh7 Rg8 30. f4 Ka5 31. g4 a3 32. f5 Ka4 33. f6 Bf8

Black does not give an inch on the kingside while the queenside is already dominated by the Black a-pawn.

34. fxg7 Be7! 35. Ra1 Rcc8 36. Rah1 a2! 37. Kc2 Ba3 38. Rh8 b4 39. Rxg8 b3+ 40. Kd3 Rxg8 41. Rh8 b2 42. Rxg8 b1=Q+ 43. Ke2 Qe4+ 44. Kf2 a1=Q, White resigns.

The U.S. team of five IMs, Kevin Embrey, Tony Albano, N. Eric Pedersen, Fred Tears, and Joseph Callaway, and the very strong Keith Holzmueller, have won the first set of gold medals for any U.S. team in the history of ICCF. Their victory in the VI Pan-American Team Championship is a historic victory. Special congratulations go to the team and also to U.S. Team Captain Alan Jones.

John Mousessian has been invited to play in the Arne Henricksen Memorial Invitational Tournament. This will give John a well-deserved shot at an IM title. Good skill, John!

Mark Morss is keeping an online diary of his games in the 13th USCCC Final at www.correspondencechess. com/campbell/diarymm.htm. He updates the diagrams and moves of his day to day progress. There are a fascinating variety of openings and gambits being played. Be sure to surf by!

Another interesting site is www.chessmail.com/players.html which shows pictures of famous cc players and some annotated games from each.

The USCF is soliciting suggestions for correspondence chess rule changes. If you have views on how to improve the rules, drop me a line with your ideas.

Robert Ilderton has completed the 1994 Golden Knights with a perfect score, but he may have a long wait until he finds out if he is our sole 1994 champion. In the following game he certainly plays like a champion.

OWEN'S DEFENSE [B00]

W: Michael Chapla (2469)

B: Robert Ilderton (2550)

1994 Golden Knights

1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. Qe2 e6 5. Nf3 c5 6. c3 Be7 7. 0-0 d5 8. e5 Nfd7 9. Be3 a5 10. Nbd2 Ba6 11. a4 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Nc6 13. Rfe1 cxd4 14. Bxd4 Rc8 15. Nb3 0-0 16. Nfd2 Nc5 17. Qh3 Qd7 18. Qg4 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 f6 20. Re3 fxe5 21. Qxe5 Rf5 22. Qd4 Rcf8 23. Re2 Qe8 24. g3 Qh5 25. Qe3 Rf3 26. Nxf3 Rxf3 27. Qe5 Qxe5 28. Rxe5 Nxb3 29. Rae1 Nc5 30. Kg2 Rd3 31. R5e2 Kf7 32. f3 d4 33. cxd4 Rxd4 34. b3 Rb4 35. Re3 Bf6 36. Rb1 Nxa4 37. Re4 Rxe4 38. fxe4 Nc3 39. Re1 Bd4 40. Rf1+ Ke7 41. Rf4 Bf6 42. h4 b5, White resigns.

Keith Rodriguez shows the power of the Mighty Two when his bishops plus Pawn are more than the equal of White's rook plus knight.

SICILIAN DEFENSE [B78]

W: Kristo Miettinen (2323)

B: Keith Rodriguez (2269)

4th U.S. Team Championship, 1999

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. h4 Rc8 11. Bb3 h5 12. 0-0-0 Ne5 13. Bg5 Rc5 14. Kb1 a5 15. a4 Qb6 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nd5 Rxd5 18. exd5 Rc8 19. Rhe1 Bxh4 20. Re4 Bf6 21. Rde1 Nc4 22. Qd3 Qb4 23. Bxc4 Rxc4 24. Nb3 Rxe4 25. Rxe4 Qb6 26. Qe3 Qxe3 27. Rxe3 b6 28. Nd2 Bxa4 29. Nc4 Bb5 30. Nxb6 Bf1 31. g3 Bd4 32. Re1 Ba6 33. Nd7 Bf2 34. Rxe7 Bxg3 35. Nf6+ Kg7 36. Ne4 h4 37. Ra7 Be2 38. Ng5 Kh6 39. Nxf7+ Kh5 40. Nxd6 Bxd6 41. Rd7 Bg3 42. d6 Bxf3 43. Rh7+ Kg4 44. d7 Bc7 45. Rh8 h3 46. Ka2 Bc6, White resigns.

Mike Blechar shows his endgame virtuosity in defeating the always resilient Herb Hickman.

DUTCH DEFENSE [A87]

W: Mike Blechar (2218)

B: Herb Hickman (2242)

1999 CCLA North American Championship

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. b4 d6 7. Bb2 Qe8 8. c4 Nc6 9. b5 Nd8 10. Nc3 Nf7 11. a4 e5 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 dxe5 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. Qxd5+ Rf7 16. Rfd1 Rb8 17. Qd8 Be6 18. Qxe8+ Rxe8 19. Bxb7 Bxc4 20. Rac1 Be6 21. Bc6 Rc8 22. e4 f4 23. Rc5 fxg3 24. hxg3 Rcf8 25. Rd2 h5 26. Bxe5 Bxe5 27. Rxe5 Bb3 28. f4 h4 29. Rd3 Bc4 30. Rc3 Ba2 31. Be8 Rg7 32. Kg2 hxg3 33. Kxg3 Rf6 34. Rc6 Rxc6 35. Bxc6, Black resigns.