Check is in the Mail, March 2024: 1. e4, Best by Test!

Chess friends, it is time for me to bid you adieu; this will be my last column for The Check is in the Mail. My plate is quite full these days, and some of that work will be of interest to you. Later this year, Russell Enterprises will be publishing my most recent book, an in-depth analysis of the 1911 San Sebastian International Chess Tournament. All 105 games from the tournament are analyzed using Stockfish 15.1, and many interesting findings are revealed. For example, in Capablanca’s only loss of the tournament, against Rubinstein, he missed a drawing continuation. That didn’t stop him from winning his first ever International tournament! I also include analysis from other authors on these historic games, including Emanuel Lasker, Siegbert Tarrasch, and Capablanca himself. I had a great time studying these games, and I believe you will too.

To whomever follows in my footsteps, all the best in your efforts to bring the excitement of correspondence play to others. It is a noble calling, promoting our wonderful game, and well worth our efforts. In addition to my other writing projects, I am revamping my opening repertoire completely, fine-tuning my middlegame decision-making process, and most importantly, studying lots of endgames. I have much more grinding to do!

Robert Irons

Farewell from the Front Office

Michael D. Buss, US Chess Correspondence Coordinator

We are sorry to see Robert go. We hope you have enjoyed Robert’s outstanding work over the past year and one half. We have truly appreciated his all-inclusive efforts, incorporating games from all rating levels into his monthly columns. We are going to miss Robert!

We are in the need for an editor to continue the work started by the late Alex Dunne, carried on by Larry Cox and furthered by Robert Irons. If you are interested in this volunteer position, please send an email to Click here to show email address.

Best by Test

Hello chess friends! This month’s theme is reflected in the above quote from Bobby Fischer. I have recently begun a complete overhaul of my opening repertoire, swapping out 1. d4 for 1. e4, and it led me to focus this month’s column on wins by White that start with 1. e4. They’re not all from the Sicilian Defense; all right, most of them are, but they are different variations and some interesting approaches. Even one gambit! Let’s take a look.

Our first game, Strobehn – Green, starts off as a kind of Closed Sicilian, but the center becomes fixed, and both sides focus on strategic maneuvering. The first capture doesn’t occur until move 17! Alex Strobehn’s steady pressure forces a final mistake on move 28.

The game Knudsen – Moujan tests the Moscow Attack variation of the Sicilian, and the position remains level until Black’s 24th move. “Distrust a pawn move; weigh carefully its balance sheet,” advised Emanuel Lasker. It is a square weakened by that very pawn move upon which John Knudsen’s knight forks Pablo Moujan’s king and queen!

Game number three is yes, another Sicilian Defense, but this time we see the Alapin variation. Nicholas Sloan and Steve Bernhardt slug it out for 35 moves, with the advantage changing sides, until Black makes the last mistake on his 36th move. It only takes seven more moves to force capitulation.

In our next game Steve Bernhardt comes out on top. Brian Higgins plays the Hyper-Accelerated Fianchetto variation of the Sicilian, and his attempts to sharpen the play right out of the opening cause him grief – especially once he weakens the pawns around his king. After some middlegame missteps, Bernhardt refocuses his pieces to attack Black’s king. Higgins can only hold out until move 40.

While our fifth game is yet another Sicilian Defense, this time it is a gambit – the Smith-Morra Gambit to be precise. The play is fairly well-balanced until Black overlooks a classic knight sacrifice on d5. The remainder of the game must have been real fun for Matthew Brodhead!

Game six is another Alapin Sicilian, with Paul Shannon getting the better of Pablo Moujan. Shannon makes a dubious exchange on move 16, and Moujan neglects to recapture, choosing to move his queen instead. Shannon’s follow-up takes only another eight moves to force resignation.

Our seventh game is our final Sicilian Defense, and it is a nonstandard one at that. Benjamin Hoback follows a different path than the standard Open Sicilian, and he makes it work. The middlegame is short and the endgame is reached by the 25th move. Hoback then proceeds to grind out Farrar for another 62 moves (more about grinding later), first winning one piece, then forcing the win of a second, and then culminating in a classic two-bishop checkmate. Delightful!

Next is TeVrucht – Shannon, showing the Steinitz variation of the French Defense. Play focuses on the dark squares d4 and c5 for much of the middlegame, then it switches to the light squares around White’s queenside. Shannon misses an opportunity to add another piece to his counterattack, and TeVrucht doesn’t give him a second chance.

Our ninth and final game is a recent win of mine in the preliminaries of the 2024 Rest of the World Championship (a modest title) on the ICCF server. Like Ben Hoback, I too am a grinder; I like to grind out endgame wins, particularly in relatively calm and unexciting positions. The opening of the game Irons – Scott is the Scotch Four Knights variation (ho-hum), but Scott makes a small positional error on move 17 that encourages me to go for the rook-and-pawn endgame. A couple of small missteps with his king – to the e8 square both times! – allows me the time I need to get my rook into an active position and build a space advantage on the kingside. That is where the fun begins! Scott resigned on move 54, but I analyzed a rather nice breakthrough possibility that might have occurred if he had played on a few moves further.

Good skill in your games!

Robert Irons