"I find it somewhat amusing how people who don't play correspondence chess don't want to because they're afraid their opponent will be using a computer, even though it is against the rules

"I find it somewhat amusing how people who don't play correspondence chess don't want to because they're afraid their opponent will be using a computer, even though it is against the rules. Those of us who play aren't particularly concerned about this. We like to play chess, and using a computer would be cheating ourselves of this opportunity."

-Will Siegfried (Potsdam, NY)

THE HAMES BEAUTY PRIZE

The year 2000 marks the 15th anniversary of the Hames Beauty Prize. This is an award established in 1985 to recognize beauty in correspondence chess. Over the last 15 years I have had the pleasure of playing over thousands of games, choosing around 700 of these games for inclusion in the column, and selecting 30 winners to be recipients of the Hames Beauty Prize, each year one for the master level prize and one for the non-master prize. These winners represent the best of the best.

The Hames Prize has become world known. I have received entries by postal players from Italy, Latvia, Russia, Nigeria, Australia, and many more countries. The Hames Prize represents the growing appreciation that some of the finest chess in the world today is being played by mail and e-mail.

On the 15th anniversary of the Hames Prize, I would like to thank the man behind the prize, Dr. Ronald Hames, a dentist residing with his wife Sharon in Sayville, New York. His award has served as an inspiration to the rich variety of American correspondence players. This year, the games are as wonderful and varied as ever. The nominations for winners in the non-master category are the positional gem Shaw-Johnson, February, and the slashing, scholarly Escalante- Jewell, May. The winner is Escalante- Jewell. Congratulations!

SICILIAN DEFENSE [B88]

W: Robert Escalante (1887)

B: Ted Jewell (1881)

USCF postal, 1998

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 Be7 8. Be3 0-0 9. f4 a6 10. Qf3 Qc7 11. g4 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. g5 Nd7 14. g6 hxg6 15. h4 Nf6 16. h5 Nxh5 17. Rxh5 gxh5 18. Qxh5 f6 19. 0-0-0 b4 20. Nd5 Qb7 21. Qg6 Bd8 22. Rh1 a5 23. f5 a4 24. fxe6, Black resigns.

In the master category the nominees are the scientific dissection of Gerzadowicz-Edwards, September, or the stunningly combinative Mousessian-Lifson, October. The winner: Mousessian-Lifson. Great chess, guys!

SICILIAN DEFENSE [B22]

W: John Mousessian (2355)

B: Ron Lifson (2467)

Absolute U.S. Championship, 1997

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nf3 e6 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb3 Nc6 9. 0-0 dxe5 10. dxe5 Qxd1 11. Rxd1 Nd7 12. Nc3 a6 13. Bf4 h6 14. Ne4 g5 15. Bg3 g4 16. Nd4 Ncxe5 17. Rac1 Bg7 18. Nd6+ Ke7 19. Rc7 Rd8 20. N6f5+ exf5 21. Nxf5+ Kf6 22. Nxg7 Rf8 23. Nh5+ Kg5 24. Nf4 h5 25. h4+ gxh3 e.p. 26. Rd6 hxg2 27. Nh3+ Kg4 28. Rc4+ Nxc4 29. Bd1+, Black resigns.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Gary Kubach (Macon, GA) moves his pieces closer and closer to the White king and then his opponent resigns, helpless, before a blow is struck. Awesome!

SICILIAN DEFENSE [B93]

W: Juan Betancurt

B: Gary Kubach (2517)

XIII Olympiad 1999

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 e5 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. a4 Be7 9. Bd3 0-0 10. 0-0 exf4 11. a5

This is new. Ciocaltea-Danner (Timisoara, 1983) went 11. Bxf4 Qb6+ 12. Kh1 Qxb2 13. Qe1 Nc5 14. Rb1 Nxd3 15. cxd3 Qc2 16. d4 with unclear chances and an extra pawn for Black.

11. ... b6 12. Nd4 Bb7 13. Bxf4 Re8 14. Be3 Ne5 15. Nb3 b5

White has played rather passively while Black's minor pieces stand well. This expansion on the queenside contains the threat of ... b5-b4, weakening White's control of e4. White believes he can solve this problem, but he is quickly disillusioned.

16. Bb6 Qd7 17. Qe2 b4! 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. exd5 Bxd5 20. Bxa6

So far so good, but now Kubach demonstrates that Black has the better game by deflecting the White queen.

20. ... Rxa6! 21. Qxa6 Qg4 22. Rf2 Bh4 23. Qf1 Bxf2+ 24. Bxf2 Nf3+ 25. Kh1 Re5

A final move of great beauty, illustrating the truth of Nimzovich's doctrine of centralization. There is no good answer to the threat of 26. ... Rh5 27. Bg1 Qg3 (or 27. ... Qh3! 28. gxh3 Ne1+) 28. h3 Rxh3+ 29. gxh3 Nd2+ with mate to follow.

26. Qb5 h6, White resigns.

Michael Ware (Shirley, MN) identifies another classification of postal chessplayer: the one who resides in the farthest reaches of postaldom (judged by transmission time), but once he has gained an advantage, you would swear he has moved across the street by the frequency of his transmissions.

Black tries a risky variation of the Dutch and manages to come out with a good game. Some judicious simplification and Black seizes the initiative and brings home the point.

DUTCH DEFENSE [A80]

W: Michael Freeman (2345)

B: Alex Dunne (2340)

Spinath Memorial 1999

1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bg5 g6 4. h4 Bg7 5. e3 c5 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. exd4 Nc6 8. Qd2 Nf6 9. Bh6 0-0 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Ne4 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Qf4 h6 15. Be2 Be6 16. Rh3 Qd4 17. c3 Qd5 18. Rg3 Kh7 19. c4 Qa5+ 20. Kf1 Rad8 21. Rc3 Rd4 22. a3 Rfd8 23. b4 Qc7 24. Rac1 e3 25. Qxe3 f4 26. Qf3 h5, White resigns.

Jim Skeels (Bradenton, FL) notes that this game follows Callaway-Fleetwood, APTB2, from the March 1998 column. White follows the improvement noted at that time, 21. Qxh4, but Black maintains the initiative throughout the game.

BIRD'S OPENING [A03]

W: R. G. Arnold (2181)

B: Jim Skeels (2304)

ICCF 1999

1. f4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d3 c5 7. Qe1 Nc6 8. Nc3 d4 9. Nd1 dxe3 10. Nxe3 Nd5 11. Nc4 Qc7 12. Qh4 b5 13. Nce5 Nd4 14. Bd1 Nf5 15. Qf2 f6 16. Ng4 Nd6 17. Nh4 g5 18. Bf3 Nb6 19. Bxa8 Nxa8 20. Ne3 gxh4 21. Qxh4 Nb6 22. Bd2 f5 23. Rab1 Bb7 24. Rfe1 e6 25. Ba5 c4 26. b3 cxd3 27. cxd3 Bd4 28. Kf1 Qg7 29. Rbc1 e5 30. Rc2 exf4 31. Qxf4 Be5 32. Qh4 f4 33. Ng4 Nf5 34. Qh3 Ne3+ 35. Nxe3 fxe3+ 36. Kg1 Nd5 37. Rf1 Nf4 38. Rxf4 Rxf4 39. Qe6+ Kh8 40. Qe8+ Rf8 41. Qxe5 Qxe5 42. Bc3 Qxc3 43. Rxc3 b4 44. Rc1 Ba6, White resigns.

Black plays a clever ambush, luring White into a kingside attack and then slamming the gates shut, leaving White no avenues of attack while on the queenside the streets are wide open.

KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE [E86]

W: Thomas Walsh, Jr. (1625)

B: David Hulse (1590)

1998 Golden Knights

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Be3 e5 7. Nge2 c6 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. 0-0-0 a6 10. d5 c5 11. g4 b5 12. Ng3 Nb6 13. h4 Ne8 14. h5 Nxc4 15. Bxc4 bxc4 16. Bh6 Bxh6 17. Qxh6 g5 18. f4 exf4 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. gxf5 f6 21. Ne2 Qa5 22. Kb1 Rb8 23. Nxf4 Qa3 24. Rh2 c3, White resigns.