Check is in the Mail, April 2025: Robert Jacobs

This issue is dedicated to the memory of Robert Jacobs. Mr. Jacobs, winner of the first Absolute Chess tournament in 1976, passed away on January 30th, 2025. You can find his obituary here.

You can also find his US Chess Absolute Player Bio here.

All games and puzzles presented in this issue are from Absolute Chess tournaments spanning from 1976 to 2006 and played by Mr. Jacobs.

Games

Game 1

Jacobs played White in this game against Ignas Zalys using the B11: Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation. From the 1976 Absolute Chess tournament, Jacobs forces a resignation from Zalys in 45 moves.

Game 2

Jacobs played Black in this game against Steven Tennant using the D16: Slav Defence: 5. a4: Lines with 5. ... Bg4 and 5. ... Na6. From the 1977 Absolute Chess tournament, Jacobs forces a resignation from Tennant in 38 moves.

Game 3

Jacobs played White in this game against Ray Sproule using the C01: French: Exchange Variation. From the 1983 Absolute Chess tournament, Sproule forces a resignation from Jacobs in 46 moves.

Game 4

Jacobs played White in this game against Gary Shure using the B21: Sicilian: 2. f4 and Morra Gambit. From the 2002 Absolute Chess tournament, Jacobs forces a resignation from Shure in 41 moves.

Game 5

Jacobs played White in this game against Michael Calogridis using the B11: Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation. From the 2004 Absolute Chess tournament, Jacobs forces a resignation from Calogridis in 62 moves.

Game 6

Jacobs played Black in this game against Joseph Shipman using the C42: Petroff Defence: 3. Nxe5 and unusual White 3rd moves. From the 2006 Absolute Chess tournament, Jacobs forces a resignation from Shipman in 35 moves.

Puzzles

Here are some puzzles from the provided games. Answers can be found by scrolling to the very end of the issue.

Puzzle 1	Puzzle 2	Puzzle 3
Image	Image	Image
Jacobs-Zalys	Tennant-Jacobs	Jacobs-Calogridis
Latest Move: 28. ... Bf6	Latest Move: 21. Kxf3	Latest Move: 59. ... Ke7
White to Move	Black to Move	White to Move

I hope you enjoyed the games and puzzles!
Look for the next issue to be available around June 1st, 2025.
My email address is: Click here to show email address.
Feel free to send me US Chess Federation correspondence games for potential inclusion in future issues of Check is in the Mail.
-Jeff

From the Front Office

Michael D. Buss, US Chess Correspondence Coordinator

2021 Electronic Knights Championship
Our congratulations to Jeffrey Reger of Silver Spring, Maryland, for winning the championship! This is Reger's first Electronic Knights championship. One hundred and forty players entered the competition consisting of 20 preliminary sections, followed by four semi-final sections, culminating in one final section.

Name	Score	Overall	Weighted Score	Place	Prize
Jeffrey Reger	4/6	(W2; L0; D4)	35.1	1	$560
Dean Arne Barclay	3.5/6	(W1; L0; D5)	33.35	2	$350
Tim Corkum	4/6	(W2; L0; D4)	32.9	3	$210
Michael D. Buss	3/6	(W1; L1; D4)	30.6	4	$70
Egbert Schroeer	3/6	(W1; L1; D4)	30	5	$70
Gerald Weiner	2/6	(W1; L3; D2)	23.3	6	$70
Matthew Nohr	1.5/6	(W0; L3; D3)	20.05	7	$70
Michael D. Buss			16	8	$70
Dana Sylvander			13.7	9-10	$70
Edward F. Krickel			13.7	9-10	$70

In Passing
Steven O. Patterson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa passed away on February 3, 2025.
George Mullen of Charleston, South Carolina passed away on January 4, 2025.

Absolute Correspondence Chess Championship
The 50th edition of the annual Absolute Correspondence Chess Championship started on March 3rd. Previous Absolute Champions competing include:

3-time champion: Harry Ingersol (2019; '17; and '10)
2-time champion: Daniel Horwitz (2021 and '16)

Champions:
John Millett (2023)
John Walton (2022)
Tim Corkum (2022)
Kristo Miettinen (2015)
David Sogin (2009)
Keith Rodriguez (2005)

The winner will receive a $100 prize graciously provided by an anonymous donor.

Competing are:

Name		Rating
Frederick S Rhine		2401
Gordon B Magat		2389
John Millett		2388
John Walton		2385
Timothy Harris		2378
Harry Ingersol		2376
Danny Horwitz		2375
Tim Corkum		2370
Keith Rodriguez		2366
Kristo Miettinen		2358
David Sogin		2358
Ferdinand Burmeister		2350
Dean Barclay		2287

The crosstable can be found here. The tournament is both ICCF and US Chess rated and uses ICCF rules, which allow the use of computer assistance.

2023 Electronic Knights Semi-Final
Three semi-final sections also started on March 3rd playing on the ICCF server but are USCF rated only. There were 14 preliminary sections.

23ENs01

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
Robert Irons	1	2146	23EN09	6
Aaden Jenks	2	2187	23EN14	5.5
Patrick Walsh	3	1980	23EN07	5
John Chirillo	4	2150	23EN06	4.5
Eric Moskow	5	1821	23EN11	4.5
John Wynecoop	6	1946	23EN13	4
Robert Angres	7	1821	23EN12	4

23ENs02

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
Michael Buss	1	2409	23EN03	5.5
Robert Skipper	2	1950	23EN02	5.5
Timothy Julkowski	3	2070	23EN01	5
Clarence Anderson	4	1788	23EN08	5
Egbert Schroeer	5	2117	23EN11	4.5
Stuart Collins	6	1851	23EN09	4.5
Michael Miller	7	1775	23EN14	4

23ENs03

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
Michael Buss	1	2409	23EN14	5.5
Nicholas Chrysanthou	2	1905	23EN08	5.5
Peter Link	3	2265	23EN06	5
Jason Bar	4	1964	23EN05	5
William Young III	5	2058	23EN07	4.5
Patrick Gordon-Davis	6	2033	23EN01	4
Michael Hall	7	1809	23EN13	4.5

The crosstables can be found here.

2022 Golden Knights
The six semi-final sections started on February 21st. There were 21 preliminary sections.

22Ns01

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
Rick Johnson	1	2347	22N13	6
Joseph Kuspa	2	2146	22N16	6
Randolph Oliver	3	1798	22N21	5.5
Michael Gross	4	2072	22N05	5
Richard Hayes	5	1741	22N07	5
Randall Smolensky	6	2088	22N17	4.5
Greg Whitlock	7	1921	22N14	4.5

22Ns02

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
David Porter	1	2272	22N03	6
Lev Lamech	2	2136	22N07	6
Steven O'Connor	3	2266	22N06	5
Craig Faber	4	2040	22N09	5
Thomas Babcock	5	2150	22N16	4.5
Larry Cox	6	2100	22N13	4.5
Ned Lauver	7	1910	22N12	4.5

22Ns03

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
David Porter	1	2272	22N19	6
Steven O'Connor	2	2266	22N08	5.5
Christopher Reeves	3	2190	22N12	5
William Bragg	4	1994	22N14	4.5
Edwin Carrero	5	1907	22N10	4.5
Randall Smolensky	6	2088	22N18	4.5
Jeff Daven	7	1909	22N09	4.5

22Ns04

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
Steven O'Connor	1	2266	22N15	6
Joseph Kuspa	2	2146	22N08	5.5
Charlie Leach	3	2110	22N17	5
Larry Cutter	4	1960	22N11	5
Brian Flowers	5	2004	22N10	4.5
Michael Stanley	6	2065	22N19	4.5
John Chirillo	7	2146	22N18	4.5

22Ns05

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
Paul Ott	1	2180	22N11	6
Claude Corbett III	2	2144	22N14	5.5
Allen Woollen	3	2111	22N15	5
Mark Garner	4	1906	22N10	5
Joseph Kuspa	5	2146	22N18	4.5
Michael Walters	6	2054	22N12	4.5
Harvey Watson	7	1878	22N02	4.5

22Ns06

Name	Player #	Rating	Prelim	Score
Bruce Weiner	1	2161	22N20	6
Jamies Chessing	2	2038	22N04	5.5
Steven Smith	3	2129	22N03	5
Bert Hart	4	1839	22N01	5
Allen Woollen	5	2111	22N17	4.5
Joseph Kuspa	6	2146	22N13	4.5
Donald Field	7	1771	22N09	4.5

The crosstables can be found here.

Recent Event Winners

John Collins Memorial
24C03 - Brian Anderson - 6–0

Walter Muir E-Quads
24W06 - Akshay Kotamraju - 5½–½
24W20 - Mark McMahon - 6–0
24W21 - Edward Daley - 5½–½
24W27 - Kireeti Devarakonda - 6–0

Victor Palciauskas
24VP06 - Jonina Hou - 5–1
24VP15 - Mark McMahon - 4½–1½