Check is in the Mail
by FIDE Master Alex Dunne
The Absolute Project

Part of the attraction of chess is its history. We have a record of almost all the important chess games ever played since the mid 1800s with only small gaps in the records. All of the great tournaments have tournament books to commemorate them. Perhaps that last sentence should be amended. All of the great OTB tournaments have tournament books to commemorate them. In the field of correspondence chess there is one great tournament, actually a series of tournaments, that has been sorely neglected. At the U.S. Open August 2002 meeting at Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the "Absolute Project" was launched. This project has as its primary objective the collecting and preserving of the games and history of the USCF Absolute Correspondence Championship. A letter has been sent to all 130-plus past Absolute participants asking for game scores. To date only about 300 games have been retrieved from the almost 2,000 games that have been played under the Absolute umbrella. Once these games have been collected the plan is to enter them into a ChessBase file where they will be available on the USCF website. Also the USCF plans adding crosstables, annotating some of the games, and possibly publishing a book on the history of the USCF Absolute. I would like to further appeal to all Absolute participants even if the USCF deadline has passed. Dig up those old games. Send in those scores! The USCF Absolute is one of the great correspondence tournaments. Let us not allow those games to be lost in the dead letter office of time.

GAME OF THE MONTH
Second and third place finishers in the 1996 Absolute discuss a drawish opening - but an unbalanced position suggests there will be no quick draw.

QUEEN'S INDIAN DEFENSE [E12]
W: Ricardo D'Arruda (2395)
B: Jeffrey Tilghman (2502)
USCF Absolute Correspondence Champ., 1996

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. e3 Be7 8. Bb5+ c6 9. Bd3 0-0 10. Qc2 h6 11. e4 Nxc3 12. bxc3 c5 13. 0-0 Qc8 14. Qe2 Ba6 15. Bf4 This seems to be new but harmless. Bruin-van Antwerpen (Netherlands 1992) saw 15. c4. 15. ... Bxd3 16. Qxd3 Rd8 17. d5 c4 18. Qd2 exd5 19. exd5 Na6 20. Rfe1 Bf8 21. Qd4 White falls into trouble after this as the endgame favors Black. 21. ... Qc5 22. Red1 Qxd4 23. Rxd4 Nc5 24. Rad1 Na4 25. d6 Nxc3 26. Re1 Nb5 27. Rxc4 Nxd6 28. Bxd6 Bxd6 29. a4 a5 30. g3 Rac8 31. Rxc8 Rxc8 32. Rd1 Bb4 33. Ne5 f6 34. Nd3 Rc4 35. Nxb4 Now the win is just a technical exercise. 35. ... Rxb4 36. Ra1 Kf7 37. Kf1 Ke6 38. Ke2 Kd5 39. Kd3 Rb2 40. Ke3 Kc6 41. h4 b5 42. axb5+ Kxb5 43. Rc1 a4 44. Rc7 a3 45. Rxg7 Rb4 46. Ra7 Ra4, White resigns.

* Dr. Ronald Hames (Sayville, New York) has helped preserve the very best of correspondence chess. His yearly award in the master and non-master category is given to raise correspondence chess to greater heights. This year the nominees in the non-master category are Jirousek-Daniel (May issue) and Byrnes-Dean (June issue). And the winner is Jim Jirousek. In the master category the nominees are Sarink-Zavanelli (May issue), and Calogridis-Bogdan (November issue). And the winner is Mike Calogridis. Congratulations, gentlemen!

* The first Absolute winner was Robert Jacobs, who here defeats the strong Canadian master Ignas Zalys (best finish: second in 1985)

CARO-KANN DEFENSE [B11]
W: Robert Jacobs (2274)
B: Ignas Zalys (2292)
USCF Absolute Correspondence Champ., 1976

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Be2 e6 5. 0-0 Nf6 6. d3 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nxe4 8. dxe4 Bd6 9. Be3 0-0 10. Qd4 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Qc7 12. g3 Be5 13. Qb4 a5 14. Qb6 Qc8 15. Rad1 Nd7 16. Qb3 Qc7 17. a4 c5 18. Bg2 Bf6 19. f4 Rab8 20. e5 Be7 21. f5 c4 22. Qb5 Rfd8 23. fxe6 fxe6 24. Bh3 Qxe5 25. Qxe5 Nxe5 26. Bxe6+ Kh8 27. Bf4 Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Bf6 29. Rd5 Re8 30. Bxe5 Rxe6 31. Rxa5 Kg8 32. Bxf6 Rxf6 33. Rc5 Rb6 34. Rb5 Rxb5 35. axb5 Kf7 36. Kf2 Ke6 37. Ke3 Ke5 38. b6 g5 39. h4 gxh4 40. gxh4 h5 41. c3 Kf5 42. Kd4 Kg4 43. Kxc4 Kxh4 44. Kd4 Kg4 45. c4, Black resigns.

* The most enduring of our Absolute winners is Kiven Plesset. He tied for first with David Eisen in the 1981 Absolute and won first fifteen years later in the 1996 Absolute. Here he defeats two-time Absolute champion-to-be Robert Hux.

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bxc3 6. Qxc3 Qe7 7. a3 d5 8. d4 exd4 9. Nxd4 Ne5 10. b4 0-0 11. Bb2 Re8 12. cxd5 Ne4 13. Qc2 Ng4 14. Bb5 Bd7 15. h3 Nexf2 16. 0-0 Bxb5 17. Nxb5 Nxh3+ 18. gxh3 Qxe3+ 19. Kg2 Qg5 20. hxg4 Qxg4+ 21. Kf2 Re4 22. Qxe4 Qxe4 23. Rae1 Qf4+ 24. Kg1 Qg5+ 25. Kf2 Qxd5 26. Re5 Qd2+ 27. Re2 Qd7 28. Nd4 Re8 29. Rd2 h5 30. Nf3 Qf5 31. Rfd1 Qf4 32. Rd8 Rxd8 33. Rxd8+ Kh7 34. Rd5 g6 35. Rd8 f6 36. Rf8 Kg7 37. Rxf6 Qxf6 38. Bd4 Kf7 39. Bxf6 Kxf6 40. Nd4 Ke5 41. Nb5 Kd5 42. Nxc7+ Kc4, White resigns.

* The most dominant of our Absolute champions was James O'Brien, who won clear first in the 1985, 1987, and 1988 Absolute championship.

FIANCHETTO OPENING [A49]
W: James O'Brien (2415)
B: Stephan Gerzadowicz (2394)
USCF Absolute Correspondence Champ., 1988

1. b3 g6 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nf3 d6 6. d4 e5 7. dxe5 Nfd7 8. Qd2 dxe5 9. Nc3 c6 10. 0-0-0 Qa5 11. h4 Nf6 12. Ng5 Nbd7 13. Kb1 Re8 14. f4 Nc5 15. fxe5 Rxe5 16. Na4 Qxd2 17. Rxd2 Nfd7 18. Bxe5 Bxe5 19. Nxc5 Nxc5 20. Rd8+ Kg7 21. Re8 Bxg3 22. Rf1 f6 23. Re7+ Kf8 24. Rxh7 Be5 25. Rd1 Ne6 26. Rh8+, Black resigns.

* Here are the Hames prize winners: Note that in the Jirousek-Daniel game it is Daniel. It was published as Danile in the May issue.

FRENCH DEFENSE [C05]
W: Jim Jirousek (1767)
B: Bob Daniel (1677)
CCLA, 2001
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nxd4 9. cxd4 Be7 10. Bd3 b6 11. 0-0 f5 12. exf6 e.p. Nxf6 13. Nf3 Ne4 14. Bb5+ Kf8 15. Ne5 g6 16. Bc6 Rb8 17. f5 exf5 18. Bh6+ Kg8 19. Qb3 Be6 20. Nd7 Nf6 21. Rae1 Kf7 22. Rxe6 Kxe6 23. Re1+ Kf7 24. Bxd5+, Black resigns.

BENKO GAMBIT [A57]
W: Mike Calogridis (2289)
B: George Bogdan (2106)
Golden Knights, 1997

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Nf3 g6 5. Qc2 d6 6. e4 Bg7 7. cxb5 0-0 8. Nc3 Nbd7 9. Be2 a6 10. 0-0 Nb6 11. a4 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ba6 13. Bf4 Qd7 14. h3 Rfb8 15. Bg3 Nxa4 16. Qxa4 Bxb5 17. Qxa8 Rxa8 18. Rxa8+ Bf8 19. Bxb5 Qxb5 20. e5 dxe5 21. Bxe5 Nxd5 22. Rb8 Qa6 23. Rd1 Qc4 24. b3 Qe4 25. Rd8 Nf6 26. Bxf6 exf6 27. Re1, Black resigns.

ABSOLUTE WINNERS
1976 Robert Jacobs
1977 Steve Tennant
1978 Frank Camaratta
1979 Chris van Dyck
1980 David Eisen
1981 David Eisen, Kiven Plesset
1982 Robert Hux, Manfred Zitzman
1983 Robert Hux
1984 Errol Liebowitz
1985 James O'Brien
1986 Errol Liebowitz
1987 James O'Brien
1988 James O'Brien
1989 James Bovay
1990 Frank Kargol
1991 Ron Lifson
1992 Louis Owen, Vernon Vix
1993 Dan Fleetwood
1994 Stephen Barbre
1995 David Burris
1996 Kiven Plesset
1997 Stephen Barbre, Paul L. Thompson
1998 William Maillard, Edward Duliba

1994 Finals
Golden Knights finalists
& money winners

R. B. Ilderton 46.20 1st, $1500 & plaque
Aart J. Rackwitz 45.10 2nd, $800
R. Title 41.75 3rd, $400
E. P. Duliba 40.60 4th, $250
William Lapham 39.50 5th-6th, $125/ea
James Fisher Jr. 39.50 5th-6th, $125/ea
Robert M. Domanski 38.95 7th, $100
James Fisher Jr. 38.50 8th, *$
John V. Boland 37.90 9th, $100
Theodore Danecki 37.35 10th, $100
Lloyd Rawley 37.25 11th, $100
Eric Fischvogt 36.75 12th, $100
G. F. Graciaa 36.70 13th, $100
William Alloway 36.25 14th, $100
Matthew Cirino 36.25 15th, $100
John F. Blood 36.10 16th, $100
Thomas Ozimec 35.10 17th
John F. Blood 35.10 18th
John W. Findley III 34.05 19th
Floyd Halwick Jr. 34.00 20th
Blake Lewis 33.85 21st
A. Biederman 32.90 22nd
Richard Kaiser 32.85 23rd
Bob Martinec 32.75 24th
M. E. Chapla 32.75 25th
John F. Blood 32.20 26th
Daniel Salazar 31.70 27th
Boris Orlov 30.60 28th
W. E. Lanam 30.00 29th
A. J. Zeppa 29.50 30th
W. V. Gales 29.35 31st
H. Hamilton 28.85 32nd
Joe Hriczo 28.85 33rd
Howard Trimpi 28.25 34th
P.V. Denham 28.20 35th
J. L. Murray 27.75 36th
Robert G. Foxx 27.75 37th
Peter Lee Swan 27.25 38th
Martin Van Lith 25.50 39th
John F. Blood 25.00 40th
F. G. Lach 25.00 41st
James Fisher Jr. 24.85 42nd
Claude Corbett III 23.90 43rd
Bruce Johnson 23.85 44th
Alan LeCours 22.75 45th
Jack F. Shaw 22.75 46th
Verner Hornquist 21.60 47th
David Rowles 21.60 48th
B. A. Prebble 16.00 49th
* player can't win more than once

JOHN W. COLLINS MEMORIAL CLASS TOURNAMENT WINNERS
Name Section # Score
John Hagerty 01CA00 41/2-1/2
Bert Hart 01CAB22 6-0
Alex Herrera 01CM23 51/2-1/2
Donald Goggin 01CC18 51/2-1/2
Henry J. Radtke Sr. 01CB12 4-2
Garry J. Tressler 01CB12 4-2
Chuck Cullum 01CM001 6-0
D.L. Robertson 01CC20 41/2-11/2
Peter M. Link 00CM24 5-1
Dr. B. Ebenstein 00CA78 41/2-11/2
Rick Shepard 00CA78 41/2-11/2
Ralph J. Bos 01CB21 6-0
Larry L. Peterson 00CC96 5-1

SWIFT QUAD FIRST-PLACE WINNERS
William Stockamp 01SQ29 51/2-1/2
Edward Daley 02SQ8 51/2-1/2
Dan Bell 02SQ007 51/2-1/2
Gregory Wilder 02SQ09 51/2-1/2
Juraj Beres 02SQ16 51/2-1/2
Juraj Beres 01SQ24 6-0
Neal Garner 02SQ12 51/2-1/2
Timothy Thomas 02SQ02 5-1
William Nadolny 02SQ17 5-1
Timothy Thomas 02SQ17 5-1
Matthew Tedesco 02SQ15 5-1

EXPRESS TOURNAMENTS FIRST AND
SECOND-PLACE WINNERS
Daniel Bell 01ETAO 1st, 61/2-1/2
Phil Dybvig 01ETAO 2nd, 51/2-11/2
Peter Prigodich 02ET4 1st, 51/2-1/2
Merrill Lyew 02ET4 2nd, 5-1
David A. Palmer 01ET4 1st, 5-1
Carleton J. Lindgren 02ET8 1st, 51/2-1/2
Russel L. Traughber 02ET003 1st, 51/2-1/2
Ramesh Mantri 02ET003 2nd, 5-1
Charles Ventimiglia 02ET2 1st, 5-1

HANS BERLINER PENTAD
FIRST-PLACE WINNERS
Richard Fleming 00D4 51/2-21/2
Jeff Baffo 01D10 8-0

TROPHY QUAD FIRST-PLACE WINNERS
Peter Lee Swan 01QM14 6-0
Louis J. Fattorusso 99QA19 41/2-11/2
Michael J. Marshall 01QC9 6-0
Michael J. Hehir 01QAB18 51/2-1/2
Marshall Whitecotton 02QCD8 6-0

ICC Winner
rik 21 2000USCF0ICC.A2 5-1

RATING TOURNAMENTS FIRST AND SECOND-PLACE WINNERS
Larry Coplin 00RT10 1st, 6-0
William Evans II 00RT10 2nd, 5-1

VICTOR PALCIAUSKAS PRIZE
TOURNAMENTS FIRST-PLACE WINNER
Frank Zuckerman 01UAB9 6-0

MASTERS CERTIFICATE WINNERS
Name Rating Category
Chris O'Connell 2400 Senior Master
Peter Evans 2387 Master
Thomas Hoffman 2287 Master
Jeffrey Endler 2202 Master
Michael J. Marshall 2000 Candidate Master
Elliot Lilien 2069 Candidate Master
John McLaren 2070 Candidate Master
Elliot Lilien 2066 Candidate Master
Alberto Vazquez 2022 Candidate Master
Bart F. Dettelis 2005 Candidate Master