Correspondence Chess Opportunities

A lot has changed since the last time I did a post on correspondence chess. Now my level of play generates a constant stream of invitations to very prestigious events. I have accepted most of these invitations in order to further challenge myself and continue to grow in chess. Below is a list of my current correspondence chess events minus a couple of friendly matches.

 

The 2016 USCF Absolute Correspondence Chess Championship

 

The 2016 Germany Masters

 

The North Atlantic Team Tournament VII

 

13th North American Invitational Correspondence Chess Championship

 

“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.” – Ann Landers

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Latvia vs USA Chess Match 2015

  

 Team USA will be winning the Latvia – USA Correspondence Chess Match of 2015 and I helped lead the way as our highest board with a perfect result. My advice is simple, “Keep Calm and Take Your Time.”

LAT-USA 2015

		TD Kracht, Jörg (IA)
	Latvia	White	Black	White	Black	USA
Board 1	SIM Roze, Andris  2513	½	½	½	½	SIM Holroyd, Kenneth  2510
Board 2	SIM Avotinš, Maigonis  2458	½	½	½	½	IM Morrow, Wolff  2454
Board 3	Klimakovs, Sergejs  2435	1	.	.	0	SIM Knudsen, John C.  2435
Board 4	Klimakovs, Sergejs  2435	½	½	½	½	SIM Biedermann, Thomas  2433
Board 5	IM Auzinš, Maris  2402	1	½	½	0	O’Connell, C.  2400
Board 6	IM Auzinš, Maris  2402	½	0	1	½	Ingersol, Harry  2398
Board 7	IM Graudinš, Ilmars  2369	0E	0	1	1E	Torres, Chris  2352
Board 8	SIM Kažoks, Aivars  2345	½	0	1	½	Brooks, Michael  2346
Board 9	SIM Kažoks, Aivars  2345	½	0	1	½	Gleyzer, Leonid  2321
Board 10	Mihailovs, Arturs  2292	½	½	½	½	IM Schakel, Corky  2305
Board 11	Mihailovs, Arturs  2292	.	.	.	.	Horwitz, Daniel M.  2297
Board 12	Bondars, Rolands  2280	½	0	1	½	Landes, Eric  2283
Board 13	Bondars, Rolands  2280	½	½	½	½	Biedermann, Kyle  2271
Board 14	GM Gaujens, Artis  2225	½	.	.	½	White, David V.  2260
Board 15	GM Gaujens, Artis  2225	½	½	½	½	Fortune, Dr. Jonathan Ray  2233
Board 16	Korzans, Vilmars  2214	½	0E	1E	½	Palmateer, Carl  2227
Board 17	Korzans, Vilmars  2214	0E	0E	1E	1E	Cousins, Robert  2207
Board 18	Gerhards, Guntis  2212	½	½	½	½	Ledford, Steven O.  2185
Board 19	Gerhards, Guntis  2212	½	½	½	½	Jenkins, Richard  2180
Board 20	Kurpnieks, Vairis  2143	½	½	½	½	Leisner, Jon S.  2161
Board 21	Kurpnieks, Vairis  2143	.	½	½	.	Beres, Juraj  2159
Board 22	Plume, Gunars  2091	½	½	½	½	Chipkin, Leonard B.  2117
Board 23	Plume, Gunars  2091	0	0	1	1	Relyea, Alexander  2108
Board 24	Mačs, Osvalds  2073	½	½	½	½	Weiss, Lester P.  2101
Board 25	Mačs, Osvalds  2073	1	½	½	0	Cofer, David  2096
Board 26	Koops, Maris  2061	0	½	½	1	Deskin, Gary  2067
Board 27	Koops, Maris  2061	½	0	1	½	Ellis, James R.  2055
Board 28	Dzenis, Janis (Tukmus)  2048	½	½	½	½	Forney, Robert  2034
Board 29	Dzenis, Janis (Tukmus)  2048	1	½	½	0	Underwood, Wesley K.  2031
Board 30	Boreisis, Vitauts  1991	0	½	½	1	Tedesco, Matthew  2003
Board 31	Boreisis, Vitauts  1991	1	1	0	0	Haag, Russell A.  1982
Board 32	Beltins, Gunars  1953	0	0	1	1	Cross, Gregory W.  1976
Board 33	Beltins, Gunars  1953	0	½	½	1	Sylvander, D.  1955
Board 34	Gulbis, Harijs  1897	1	½	½	0	DiJoseph, John  1928
Board 35	Gulbis, Harijs  1897	0	0	1	1	Stroup, Jim  1907
Board 36	Gulbis, Harijs  1897 Bitmanis, Valdemars  1887	½	1	0	½	Cakars, John  1906
Board 37	Bitmanis, Valdemars  1887 Gulbis, Harijs  1897	0	0	1	1	Carter, Maurice H.  1901
Board 38	Ulmanis, Ainis  1799	0	0	1	1	Neale, Mark  1820
Board 39	Plums, Uldis  1682	0	0	1	1	Howard, James  1682
Board 40	Plums, Uldis  1682	½	1	0	½	McLaughlin, Ed  1681
Total:		29.5		45.5

 

 

[Event “LAT-USA 2015”]

[Site “ICCF”]

[Date “2015.02.13”]

[Round “?.7”]

[White “Torres, Chris”]

[Black “Graudins, Ilmars”]

[Result “1-0”]

[WhiteElo “2352”]

[BlackElo “2369”]

[PlyCount “61”]

[EventDate “2015.??.??”]

[WhiteTeam “USA”]

[BlackTeam “Latvia”]

[WhiteTeamCountry “USA”]

[BlackTeamCountry “LAT”]

 

1. a3 g6 2. f4 Bg7 3. e4 d5 4. e5 f6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. d4 Nh6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. h3 Nf5
2. hxg4 Ne3 10. Qe2 Nxc2+ 11. Kd1 Nxa1 12. g3 Qe8 13. b3 Qc6 14. Qd3 Nd7 15.

Qb1 Nxb3 16. Qxb3 a6 17. Bd3 fxe5 18. fxe5 Rfc8 19. Be4 Nb6 20. Ng5 h6 21. Ngf3

g5 22. Nxg5 hxg5 23. Bh7+ Kf8 24. Qe3 Nd7 25. Qxg5 Nf6 26. Rf1 Qa4+ 27. Bc2

Qxd4 28. Qh5 Qe3 29. exf6 exf6 30. g5 Qe5 31. Rf5 1-0

 

 

[Event “LAT-USA 2015”]

[Site “ICCF”]

[Date “2015.02.13”]

[Round “?.7”]

[White “Graudins, Ilmars”]

[Black “Torres, Chris”]

[Result “0-1”]

[WhiteElo “2369”]

[BlackElo “2352”]

[PlyCount “68”]

[EventDate “2015.??.??”]

[WhiteTeam “Latvia”]

[BlackTeam “USA”]

[WhiteTeamCountry “LAT”]

[BlackTeamCountry “USA”]

 

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4

c6 9. Qc2 Na6 10. a3 Bg4 11. Ne5 Bxe5 12. dxe5 Nac5 13. f3 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Nc5

15. Qd4 Nb3 16. Qxg4 Nxa1 17. Bh6 g6 18. Nc3 Qb6+ 19. Kh1 Qxb2 20. Qf4 f5 21.

Na4 Qe2 22. Rxa1 Rfe8 23. cxd5 cxd5 24. Qb4 Qxe5 25. Rg1 b6 26. Bf4 Qe7 27. Qd2

d4 28. Qxd4 Rac8 29. h3 b5 30. Nc3 Qc5 31. Qd5+ Kh8 32. Qxc5 Rxc5 33. Na2 a5

34. Rd1 Rc4 {time forfeit} 0-1

 

Free #Chess Win?! It Must Be Christmas!

Just found out that my Latvian correspondence chess opponent accidentally stepped over his allotted time in a drawn position. Free win on Christmas!? I’ll take it!

  

 

 

Commendations

 

24 December 2015 

Hi, Chris !

 

            Congratulations on attaining the rating of Master in USCF Correspondence Chess. This is an excellent accomplishment and the attached certificate honors your success.         

.          

                        Pax, Alex Dunne

                                 USCF CC Director

Invitation of the Month

Dear Chris,

On behalf of ICCF-US you are invited to play on board 5 of this event please let me know by 11/15/15 your decision
Tom Biedermann
On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 7:07 AM, Valen <valentincosta@ajedrezaeac.com> wrote:

Dear Chessfriend,

The Spanish Association of Correspondence Chess (AEAC) is proud to Organise the “North Atlantic Team Tournament 7 (NATT 7)”.

Items:

Tournament will be played on the ICCF webserver;

Number of teams 13

Start date: May 1, 2016

Number of players per team: 8

Reflection time: 10 moves / 50 days.

License: 45 days / year. Special licenses not allowed.

Playoffs: Rule Bachmann, Sonnen, teams result

Category boards (orientation purposes):

Board 1: cat. 10 or more

Board 2: cat. 8/9

Board 3: cat. 7/8

Board 4: cat. 6/7

Board 5: cat. 5/6

Board 6: cat. 4. 5

Board 7: cat. 3. 4

Board 8: cat. 2. 3

If possible, confirm to me the participation from your federation before 15 November to be able to structure the tournament.

I ask you, Please, to confirm Me That You Will Participate.

Best wishes
Valen.

 

PS: Interests your federation to present 2 teams?

 

Valentín Costa Trillo

Vicepresidente Y Delegado ICCF

Asociación Española de Ajedrez por Correspondencia

valentincosta@ajedrezaeac.com · http://www.ajedrezaeac.com

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The Czech is in the Mail: CZE vs USA Correspondence Chess

  
CZE-USA 2013, Czech Republic – USA Friendly Match TD De Blois Figueredo, Adrián (IA) Czech Republic White Black White Black USA Board 1 GM Židů, Jan ½ ½ ½ ½ GM Ham, Stephen E….

Read the full article via http://ift.tt/1RfiHc0

And so it begins…

  

California’s Top Correspondence Chess Players

California has a long and rich history of correspondence chess extending all the way back to the days of the Gold Rush. Below is the list of the top 10 correspondence chess players in the State of California according to the current United States Chess Federation rating list. Panning through the databases for each of these player’s best games will undoubtably provide chess treasure hunters with many undiscovered golden nuggets from California Chess.  
1 Torres, Chris F 2378

2 Kell, Spencer R 2363

3 Bonsack, Laurence T 2362

4 Langland, Thomas P 2304

5 Funston, David A 2297

6 Boles, Robert L 2237

7 Alazawi, Samir 2162

8 Stephenson, Mark A 2156

9 Fees, Dennis 2106

10 Bellnap, Mark S 2089

The Tenth Rank

The Top Ten Chess (CC) Players in the United States for May 2014.

Source: United States Chess Federation

1	Menke, John R	IL	USA	2489
2	Buss, Michael	IN	USA	2430
3	Brandhorst, Wesley	FL	USA	2416
4	Ingersol, Harry Walter	IA	USA	2415
5	Tracz, James G	OH	USA	2405
6	Tseng, Wilbur	IL	USA	2403
7	Kain, Anthony James	SC	USA	2398
8	Mcgregor, Stephen Dean	TX	USA	2391
9	Sogin, David Warren	KY	USA	2386
10	Torres, Chris	CA	USA	2375

 

Of course it was never about rank or rating but rather the happiness and enjoyment that I derive from playing chess at a high level. Still, it is nice to be ranked in the top 10… Although, I still have work to do as there is no tenth rank in chess.

 

 

2014 USCF Absolute Championship

Since 1976, the USCF Absolute Championship has provided only the strongest correspondence chess players in the United States with a chance to compete in a closed USCF correspondence chess championship. It is my honor and privilege to be participating in this event for the second time. Below is the official table with the participants names and ratings for the 2014 USCF Absolute Championship. I also took the liberty of linking all the participants names to articles describing their chess accomplishments.

 

 

1. Harry Ingersol	2417
2. Daniel Woodard	2395
3. David Sogin	2386
4. Anthony Kain	2381
5. Chris Torres	2375
6. Keith Rodriguez	2363
7. Robert Fass	2351
8. Danny Horwitz	2322
9. Kristo Miettinen	2309
10. Gordon Magat	2305
11.Dana Daves	2289
12  Charles Jacobs	2259
13. James Rhodes	2250