Max Zavanelli has earned the latest U.S. International Correspondence Chess Master title. Along with his administration titles (Max has run ICCF/ US since 1988 and has been awarded International Arbiter and Zonal Director titles) he has now earned the ICCM title. Max gained the laurels in the Reg Gillman Memorial. Using the little-analyzed Nimzovich Defense against 1. e4 and the Dutch against 1. d4, Max the Axe chopped up the opposition. He scored a dominating six wins and his one draw with the Black pieces, and four wins and a draw with White, gaining first place. Here is the Axe at his sharpest.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Max noted that throughout this game they had a very enjoyable exchange of commentary. This is very much in the spirit of international postal play where the motto is amici sumus, "we are friends."

DUTCH DEFENSE [A81]
W: IM Ragnar Wikman
B: Max Zavenelli (2300)
Reg Gillman Memorial, 2000

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. b3 Bg7 5. Bb2 0-0 6. Nf3 d6 7. 0-0 Qe8 8. Nbd2 h6 Ideally suited to Max's aggressive style, this variation of the Dutch promises an immediate attack on White's kingside. 9. Re1 g5 10. e4 fxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Rxe4 Nc6 13. Re3 Max notes that Vogel-van Haastert (Netherlands, 1996) continued 13. Qe2 and Panchenko-Malaniuk (1990) continued 13. c4 Qh5 14. Re3. 13. ... Qh5 14. Qd2 Bh3 15. c4 White should not let this bishop be exchanged. 15. ... Bxg2 16. Kxg2 g4 17. Ng1 If 17. Nh4 then 17. ... d5! gives Black chances. 17. ... Rf7 18. f3 Raf8 19. Rf1 Qg6!

Preparing pressure along the h-file and pressure through the center. White's next seeks exchanges but only leads to Black's pieces finding ideal squares. 20. d5 Ne5 21. f4 c6 22. Rd1 h5 23. Bd4 h4 24. Bxa7 The bishop rushes far from his king as if he could not stand to witness the coming events.

24. ... Bh6 25. Re2 Qh5, White resigns. White's resignation comes as a surprise, but a reasonable defense seems impossible, even by correspondence. The end could come by 26. Qe3 (to prevent ... Nf3) 26. ... hxg3 27. hxg3 Rxf4! 28. gxf4 Bxf4 and Black breaks through.

  • Steven Barbre has won APCT's 2000 Warren Cup and moved back into first place in the APCT ratings, ahead of Robert Houser.

  • Once a year, Ronald Hames sponsors awards for the best correspondence chess game, one for the non-master level and one for the master level. This year's nominees in the non-master level are Pagunsan-Kappel, August, and Betts- Chambers, November. The winner is Chris Chambers. In the master level, the nominees are Soreghy-Timm, January, and Edwards-Borwell, July. The winner is John Timm.

    SICILIAN DEFENSE [B33]
    W: Michael Betts
    B: Chris Chambers
    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.

    DUTCH DEFENSE [A87]
    W: Janos Soreghy
    B: John Timm
    3rd North American Invitational, 1999

    1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 Qe8 8. Qb3 c6 9. c5+ d5 10. Bf4 Nbd7 11. Rfd1 Ne4 12. Nxe4 fxe4 13. Ne5 Bxe5 14. Bxe5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Bf5 16. Rac1 Qd7 17. f3 exf3 18. exf3 Bh3 19. Rd4 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 b5 21. Qe3 Qe6 22. h3 Rf5 23. f4 g5 24. Rf1 gxf4 25. gxf4 Kf7 26. Rf3 Rg8+ 27. Kh2 Qg6 28. Qf2 a5 29. b4 a4 30. a3 Ke6 31. Qf1 Rf7 32. Qf2 Qf5 33. Rfd3 Rfg7 34. Rd2 Qg6 35. Qe3 Qg3+ 36. Qxg3 Rxg3 37. R4d3 Rxd3 38. Rxd3 Kf5 39. Rg3 Rxg3 40. Kxg3 e6 41. Kf3 d4, White resigns.

  • Edward Duliba tied for first with Charles van Buskirk in the 1992 Golden Knights. In the following game Duliba demonstrates that chess is a struggle and victory goes to the toughest fighter. The critical moment is Move 32.

    MODERN BENONI [A61]
    W: John Skratulia (2306)
    B: Edward Duliba (2067)
    1992 Golden Knights

    1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. Nd2 Bg7 8. Nc4 0-0 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Na6 11. e3 Nc7 12. a4 b6 13. Be2 Ba6 14. 0-0 Qd7 15. f3 Nh5 16. g4 Bf6 17. Bf2 Ng7 18. e4 Qe7 19. Qd2 Bxc4 20. Bxc4 h5 21. h3 a6 22. Rfe1 Rab8 23. f4 b5 24. axb5 axb5 25. Bb3 Bh4 26. e5 c4 27. Bc2 hxg4 28. hxg4 dxe5 29. Rxe5 Qd7 30. f5 Bxf2+ 31. Qxf2 b4 32. Qh4 g5 33. Ne4 f6 34. Nxf6+ Rxf6 35. Qxg5 Qd6 36. Rae1 Rbf8 37. Qe3 Nxd5 38. Qd4 Nb6 39. Qxd6 Rxd6 40. g5 Rd2 41. Be4 Nh5 42. Rb5 Na4 43. Bd5+ Rxd5 44. Rxd5 Nxb2 45. Rb5 Rc8 46. Rxb4 Nd3 47. Re8+ Rxe8 48. Rxc4 Rf8 49. f6 Kf7, White resigns.

  • After some wild complications, Black is left with a hobbled knight that must stay near his king. White works up enough pins to make Black give up.

    SICILIAN DEFENSE [B78]
    W: Fred Aversa (2094)
    B: Sanford Greene (2262)
    67th CCLA Grand National, 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. 0-0-0 Rc8 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. h4 h5 13. Bh6 Bxh6 14. Qxh6 Rxc3 15. bxc3 Qa5 16. Kb1 Rc8 17. g4 Qxc3 18. gxh5 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Qxc4 20. hxg6 e5 21. g7 Nh7 22. Qxd6 exd4 23. Qxd4 Qxc2+ 24. Ka1 Rc7 25. h5 Qg2 26. Qe5 Rc8 27. Rhg1 Qf2 28. Qb2 Qc5 29. h6 Bc6 30. Qd4 Qa5 31. f4 Be8 32. Qb2 Rc6 33. Rh1 Rf6 34. Qe5 Qxe5+ 35. fxe5 Re6 36. Rd5 b6 37. a3 f6 38. exf6 Nxf6 39. e5 Nh7 40. Rh2 b5 41. Kb2 a5 42. Kc3 Ng5 43. Rg2 Rc6+ 44. Kd2 Nh7 45. Rd8 Re6 46. Rg6 Rxe5 47. Rb6 b4 48. a4 Re7 49. Kd3 Re5 50. Ra8 b3 51. Rxb3 Re6 52. Kd4 Nf6 53. Rf3 Nh7 54. Rg3 Nf6 55. Rg6, Black resigns.

  • In the following e-mail round-robin game, Chris Chambers of the U.S. shows his Peruvian opponent that the "e" of e-mail might stand for exciting, excellent, and energetic.

    SICILIAN DEFENSE [B33]
    W: Julio Cartagena (1685)
    B: Chris Chambers (1777)
    IECG 2001

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Nb8 9. c4 Be7 10. Be2 a6 11. Nc3 0-0 12. 0-0 f5 13. f4 Bf6 14. Qc2 Nd7 15. g3 exf4 16. gxf4 Bd4+ 17. Kh1 Nc5 18. Bf3 Bd7 19. Rb1 b5 20. b4 Ne4 21. Nxe4 fxe4 22. Bxe4 Qh4 23. c5 Rae8 24. c6 Bh3 25. Rd1 Qh5 26. Bb2 Rxe4 27. Qxe4 Rxf4, White resigns.