The Eighth North American Invitational Correspondence Chess Championship, the strongest postal tournament held on this continent, has ended in a clear win for Jon Edwards, who adds this title to his victory in the 10th U.S. Championship.

Paul Thompson, who has been dominant in CCLA championships, finishing third twice, second once, and first in the 1996 championship, finished a strong second. Third place was taken by Kevin Embrey (editor of Win, Lose, or Draw which has now become an e-magazine -- [email protected])

U.S. and Canadian players comprise the North American Invitational and the top three finishers qualify for the third round of the World Championship. I certainly will follow these postal warriors as they continue to pursue their international correspondence career.

Wayne Conover, who finished tied for fourth, is a very tough man to beat. In the following game Jon Edwards shows how patient maneuvering from his favorite hedgehog can bring down even the mightiest. This is a model game for students of the hedgehog.

NIMZO-INDIAN DEFENSE [E38]
W: IM Wayne Conover
B: IM Jon Edwards
8th NAICC

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5 Qc7 6. Nf3 Bxc5 7. Bg5 a6 8. e3 Be7 9. Bd3 d6 10. 0-0 Nbd7 11. Rac1 b6 12. Qe2 Bb7 13. e4 0-0 14. b3 Rac8

Both sides are happy -- White has greater space; Black has his favorite hedgehog formation, highly flexible with many possible pawn levers -- ... b6-b5, ... d6-d5 and ... f7-f5 among others.

15. Bb1 Qb8 16. Nd2 Rfe8 17. Bf4 Ne5 18. Bg3 g5!? 19. h4

This appears to be the point where the game begins to shift in Black's favor. After 19. Nf3 Nxf3+ 20. Qxf3 Qc7 21. Rfd1 White keeps a small edge.

19. ... g4 20. f4 Ng6 21. f5 Ne5 22. fxe6 fxe6 23. Kh2 Nfd7

What follows is a doctoral dissertation: prove that White's isolated e-pawn is weaker than Black's hanging pawns on d6 and e6.

24. Qe3 Qc7 25. Qh6 Bf8 26. Qg5+ Bg7 27. Ne2 h6 28. Qe3 Qd8 29. Nf4 Kh7 30. Nh5 Bh8 31. Rf2 Qe7 32. Rcf1 Rf8 33. Rxf8 Rxf8 34. Rxf8 Qxf8 35. Nf4 Qf7 36. Nd3 Qe7 37. Nf4 Bf6 38. Qf2 Kg8 39. Nh5 Bh8 40. Bc2 Qf7 41. Qxf7+ Kxf7 42. Bf2 Nc6 43. Kg3 Bc3 44. Be3 Nce5 45. Kf2 Nc5 46. Ng3 Kg6 47. h5+ Kg7 48. Ngf1 b5

Finally, the pawn lever opens up White's queenside to the better-placed Black pieces.

49. cxb5 axb5 50. a4

White casts the a-pawn away to seek greater piece activity as ... b5-b4 would nail down two White queenside pawns.

50. ... bxa4 51. bxa4 Bc6 52. Kg3 Nxa4 53. Bb3 Bd7 54. Bd1 Bb5 55. Bb3 Nc5 56. Bc2 Ba6 57. Bb1 Be2 58. Bf4 Nf7 59. Kh4 Bf6+ 60. Kg3 Be5 61. Ne3 Bxf4+ 62. Kxf4 Ne5 63. Bc2 Kf6 64. Bb1 Ke7 65. Bc2 Ncd7 66. Nef1 Nf6 67. Ng3 Bb5 68. Bd1 Be8 69. Ndf1 Bxh5 70. Nh2 Kf8 71. Be2 Kf7 72. Bd1 Nc4 73. Bxg4 Bg6

Always vigilant! Black could still slip with 73. ... Nxg4 74. Nxg4 e5+ 75. Kf3 Bxg4+ 76. Kxg4 and Black still has a very difficult game to win.

74. Nhf1 d5 75. Be2

Avoiding 75. exd5 e5+ 76. Kf3 e4+ 77. Kf4 Nxd5 mate.

75. ... Nxe4, White resigns.

The ICCF Congress in Daytona, Florida, was a spectacular affair (Max knows how to throw a party!) with its own postmark! (See last month's Chess Life for more details.) Fourteen titles were awarded to U.S. players -- International Arbiters: Alan Jones and Allen Wright; a new title, Senior International Master, to Richard Callaghan, R. Anthony Cayford, Kevin Embrey, Gary Kubach, Jerry Meyers, and Anatole Parnas.; International Master titles were awarded to Wayne Ballantyne, Jon Edwards, Eugene Martinovsky (posthumously) Paul Thompson, and Walter Wood.

This is a game with heart -- a classic struggle between position and material, a game that decided second and third places in the 8th NAICC -- a game with 55 great moves!

SICILIAN DEFENSE [B66]
W: SIM Kevin Embrey
B: IM Paul Thompson
8th NAICC

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. 0-0-0 h6 9. Be3 Be7 10. f4 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 12. Qe3 Qc7 13. e5 dxe5 14. Bxe5 Ng4 15. Qf3 Nxe5 16. Qxa8 Nd7 17. Qe4 Bb7 18. Qd4 Nf6 19. a3 0-0 20. Qe5 Qxe5 21. fxe5 Ng4 22. Rd7 Bg5+ 23. Kb1 Bc8 24. Rc7 Nf2 25. Rg1 Bf4 26. Be2 Bxe5 27. Rc5 Bd4 28. Rc6 Bb7 29. Rc7 Ba8 30. Rd7 Bc5 31. Bf3 Ng4 32. Re1 Bxf3 33. gxf3 Nxh2 34. Rd3 Bb6 35. Red1 g5 36. Rh1 Bc7 37. a4 b4 38. Ne4 a5 39. Nd2 Kg7 40. Rd4 Kg6 41. f4 Bxf4 42. Rxf4 gxf4 43. Rxh2 Rd8 44. Kc1 e5 45. Nc4 Rd5 46. Rg2+ Kf5 47. Rh2 Kg5 48. Rd2 Rc5 49. Nd6 f5 50. Rg2+ Kf6 51. Nb7 Rd5 52. Rd2 Rxd2 53. Kxd2 h5 54. Nc5 e4 55. Nd7+ Kg5, White resigns.

IM John Timm demonstrates that chess is an easy game. All you have to do is exchange off all the pieces and win the king and pawn endgame.

DUTCH DEFENSE [A87]
W: Janos Soreghy (2295)
B: IM John Timm
13th Olympiad, 2000

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.

Positional play is not for everyone. In the following game Black attacks with his pieces -- and sticks and rocks.

RUY LOPEZ [C63]
W: Michael Bates (2254)
B: Tim Rogalski (2211)
USCF Correspondence, 1999

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. Nc3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 d5 6. Ng3 Bg4 7. 0-0 Qf6 8. Be2 e4 9. Ne1 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 h5 11. d3 h4 12. Nh5 Qf5 13. Nf4 0-0-0 14. c3 g5 15. Nh3 g4 16. Ng5 Re8 17. dxe4 dxe4 18. f3 Bc5+ 19. Kh1 Nf6 20. fxg4 Qxg4 21. Qc4 Nd7 22. h3 Qd1 23. b4 Nce5 24. Qxe4 Rhf8 25. Rxf8 Rxf8 26. Nf3 Nxf3 27. gxf3 Bf2 28. Bb2 Qd2 29. Rb1 Rg8 30. Ng2 Nf6 31. Qf5+ Kb8 32. Qxf6 Bd4, White resigns.