ICCM Jeffrey Tilghman

Jeffrey Tilghman of Danville, VA, is the latest American to be awarded the International Correspondence Chess Master title.

Now 49 years old and a Realtor, Jeffrey learned to play chess in the Fischer years when he was a third-year student at the University of Virginia. He began correspondence chess in 1974 with an initial rating of 1100. How did he become so strong?

Over the last 10 years he has followed the advice of his mentor, the late IM Walter Muir. To become an international master in chess, Muir said, you must do the following three things - 1. Study and follow the games of the world champions (over the board and correspondence) 2. Be mindful of your placement in tournaments. This is more important than your rating. 3. Win 70 per cent of your international games.

GAME OF THE MONTH

Jeffrey has followed Muir's advice admirably. The following game shows Jeff's sharp play: a pawn sacrifice in the opening, an attacking combination with a quiet move, and the helplessness of the Black king.

CARO-KANN DEFENSE [B18]

W: Jeff Tilghman (2442)

B: Michael Spooner (2141)

3rd NAPZ Championship 1998

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Bc4 e6 7. N1e2 Nf6 8. 0-0 Bd6 9. f4 Qc7 10. f5 Bxf5 11. Nxf5 exf5 12. Rxf5 Bxh2+ 13. Kh1 Bd6 14. Bh6

This move was given as best in the tournament bulletin for Keres-Golombek (Moscow 1956). It has been seldom played until recently, when the variation has enjoyed a renascence.

14. ... Rg8

Muller-Hernandez Penna (Elista 1998) saw 14. ... Bf8 15. Nc3 Nbd7 16. Qe2+ Kd8 17. Bg5, leading to an unbalanced position with even chances. Black's inability to castle tells on him in this game.

15. Bg5 Nbd7 16. Nf4 Nb6 17. Qe1+ 17. ... Be7?

Black has to try 17. ... Qe7. After 17. ... Kf8 18. Rxf6 gxf6 19. Bh6+ Rg7 20. Qg3 Nxc4 21. Qxg7+ Ke7 22. Re1+ Ne5 23. Nh5, White wins.

18. Bxf7+! Kxf7 19. Qe6+ Kf8 20. Re1!

A false brilliancy is 20. Qxf6+ gxf6 21. Ne6+ Kf7 22. Nxc7 Rac8 and Black wins, but the text seals Black's fate.

20. ... Rh8

There is no defense by 20. ... Qd7 21. Bxf6! Qxe6 (21. ... Bxf6 22. Rxf6+ gxf6 23. Qxf6+ Qf7 24. Ne6+ Ke8 25. Ng5+ is the end) 22. Nxe6+ Kf7 23. Bxe7+ Kxe7 24. Nc7+.

21. Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Rxf6+ gxf6 23. Qxf6+, Black resigns.

The conclusion would be 23. ... Kg8 24. Re3! Qg7 25. Qe6+ and the Black king will be hunted out.

Jan Verleur (Potomac, MD) asks why there is no separate publication by the USCF to give the results of postal tournaments. Actually, there was such a publication, the Postal Chess Bulletin, but due to financial considerations, the magazine folded in 1986.

Unless there would be a ground swell of correspondence players writing the USCF for the re-establishment of such a magazine, it seems unlikely the USCF would try such an experiment again.

The 9th North American Invitational Correspondence Chess Championship is underway. With an average rating of 2425, GM norms are available.

Top rated is Mexico's Jorge Aldrete (2515). He is followed by U.S IM Daniel Fleetwood (2498), Canadian IM Andre DeVriendt (2486), Craig Jones (2482) IM Robert Reynolds (2474), Paul Fields (2463), IM N. Eric Pedersen (2445), and Kristo Miettinen (2435), all of the U.S. Gordon Greig (2425) of Canada, U.S. IMs Robert Jacobs (2423) and Allan Savage (2420), Canada's Robert Bowerman (2384), Mexico's IM Clemente Guizar (2370), Canada's Mario Adriano (2355), and U.S.'s Van Koppersmith (2200) round out a strong field.

Joe DeMauro shows why GM's are different than you and me. The only logical explanation for the attack in this game is that Joe infuses his pieces with magic.

FRENCH DEFENSE [C17]

W: Joe DeMauro (2513)

B: Jon Halldorsson (2477)

XIII Olympiad, 2000

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. Bd2 Ne7 6. f4 cxd4 7. Nb5 Bc5 8. b4 a6 9. bxc5 axb5 10. Nf3 Nec6 11. Bd3 Qe7 12. Ng5 h6 13. Qh5 g6 14. Bxg6 fxg6 15. Qxg6+ Kd7 16. Nxe6 Ra6 17. f5 Ra3 18. 0-0 Nxe5 19. Qh5 Nbc6 20. Rae1 Qf6 21. Bf4 d3 22. cxd3 Rxa2 23. Bg3 Nxd3 24. Bh4 Rg8 25. g4 Ra4 26. h3 Rg5 27. Nxg5 hxg5 28. Re6 Qd4+ 29. Bf2 Qg7 30. f6, Black resigns.

John Mousessian is currently competing in the Henricksen Memorial, seeking the IM title. In this game he defeats White's attacking plans by exchanging off all the pieces except his better bishop, which turns out to be just enough for a winning endgame.

EVANS GAMBIT [C52]

W: J. Bohak (2395)

B: John Mousessian (2475)

Henricksen Memorial, 2000

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. 0-0 Nge7 8. Ng5 d5 9. exd5 Ne5 10. Bb3 dxc3 11. Qe2 f6 12. Ne4 a6 13. Ba3 Bg4 14. f3 Bf5 15. f4 Bg4 16. Qc2 Nf7 17. Nbxc3 Bf5 18. Rae1 0-0 19. Qe2 Nd6 20. Nxd6 cxd6 21. Qxe7 Bxc3 22. Bxd6 Bxe1 23. Qxf8+ Qxf8 24. Bxf8 Kxf8 25. Rxe1 Re8 26. Rxe8+ Kxe8 27. Kf2 Be4 28. g4 Kd7 29. Ke3 Bh1 30. a4 Kd6 31. Kd4 a5 32. h4 h6 33. g5 fxg5, White resigns.

Black's game drifts away a square at a time. His helplessness at the end is truly shocking as Black can do nothing but writhe for the last 30 moves of this peculiar game.

BENKO OPENING [A00]

W: William Evans (2185)

B: William Naff (2189)

1992 Golden Knights

1. g3 h5 2. Bg2 h4 3. g4 e5 4. h3 Bc5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. d3 Nge7 7. e4 Bb4 8. Bd2 d6 9. Nge2 Be6 10. f4 f6 11. Nd5 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 Qd7 13. d4 Bf7 14. c3 0-0-0 15. 0-0 Rdf8 16. Rad1 Kb8 17. Rf2 Ng6 18. b3 Qd8 19. Ne3 Rh7 20. f5 Nh8 21. d5 Ne7 22. c4 Be8 23. b4 Nf7 24. Nc3 Ng5 25. c5 Nc8 26. Qb2 Rhh8 27. Nc4 Rf7 28. Na5 Ne7 29. c6 b6 30. Qb3 Qc8 31. Qc4 Ka8 32. Rb1 Rff8 33. Bf1 Nf7 34. Nb3 Ng5 35. b5 Qb8 36. a4 Rf7 37. Bg2 Rhf8 38. Na2 Ng8 39. Nb4 Re7 40. Na6 Qd8 41. a5 Rff7 42. Qb4 Nh6 43. Nd2 Rf8 44. Nc4 Nhf7 45. Ra1 Rh8 46. Rfa2 Nxh3+ 47. Bxh3 Ng5 48. axb6 cxb6 49. Qxd6 Bf7 50. Qxd8+, Black resigns.