Check is in the Mail, October 2025: Follow Along!

In this issue, I have decided to just 'follow along' with what was provided from the Front Office's Recent Event Winners report and the tournaments the players participated in. All games and puzzles provided in this issue were played in the Walter Muir E-Quads tournament (specifically Section 25W07) or the Victor Palciauskas tournament (specifically Section 25VP04). In addition, for each game, at least one of the players was a winner of their respective tournament's section.

Victor Palciauskas

The Victor Palciauskas tournament started on March 12 of this year. There were seven participants in Section 25VP04. Below are the current results of the section. Even though there are two games from the section that are still ongoing, the results of the remaining games being played will have no bearing on the final winners of the section. CCM Richard Ralls and Nicholas Sloan shared the top spot, each with a score of 5½/6. Below is the cross table with the results available at the time that this issue of Check is in the Mail was being edited.

X^D = result by default
X^E = exceeded time limit

The latest results, from August 26, are displayed in red.

The first four games, provided below, are from the 25VP04 Section of the Victor Palciauskas tournament.

Game 1

This game was played by Richard Ralls and Dmitriy Voznyuk using the E32: Nimzo-Indian: Classical (4. Qc2): 4. ... 0-0. From Section 25VP04 of the Victor Palciauskas tournament, Ralls forced a resignation from Voznyuk in 34 moves.

Game 2

This game was played by Larry Cox and Nicholas Sloan using the B15: Caro-Kann: 3. Nc3: 3. ... g6 and 3. ... dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6. From Section 25VP04 of the Victor Palciauskas tournament, Sloan forced a resignation from Cox in 36 moves.

Game 3

This game determined the section winner, or in this case winners. If either player had won this game, he would have been undefeated and would have been the sole winner of the section. Because of the draw, the players shared first place. The game was played by Richard Ralls and Nicholas Sloan using the D36: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation: Main line (5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2). From Section 25VP04 of the Victor Palciauskas tournament, the players agreed to a draw after Ralls' 50th move.

Game 4

This game was played by Nicholas Sloan and Markle W. Butcher using the A36: Symmetrical English vs ... g6: 4. Bg2 Bg7. From Section 25VP04 of the Victor Palciauskas tournament, this game was generally decided after Sloan's 33rd move, and Butcher resigned after Sloan's 35th move.

Walter Muir E-Quads

The Walter Muir E-Quads tournament started on May 1 of this year. There were four participants in Section 25W07. Below are the current results of the section. Even though there is one game from the section that is still ongoing, the results of the remaining game being played will have no bearing on the final winners. Patrick Walsh (Konchog Jungney) was undefeated with a score of 6/6. Below is the cross table with the results available at the time that this issue of Check is in the Mail was being edited.

The latest results, from September 7, are displayed in red.

The final two games, provided below, are from the 25W07 Section of the Walter Muir E-Quads tournament.

Game 5

This game was played by Patrick Walsh and Paul D. Shannon using the C41: Philidor Defence. From Section 25W07 of the Walter Muir E-Quads tournament, Walsh forced a resignation from Shannon in 34 moves.

Game 6

This game was played by Brian Higgins and Patrick Walsh using the C12: French: Classical System: McCutcheon Variation. From Section 25W07 of the Walter Muir E-Quads tournament, Walsh won by checkmate on his 26th move.

Puzzles

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

Similar to the break down of the games in this issue, two puzzles are from the Victor Palciauskas tournament and one puzzle is from the Walter Muir E-Quads tournament.

Reminder: Puzzles can be solved online. Click/tap on a puzzle diagram below to access the interactive version of the puzzle. Once a puzzle is displayed, the last move will be shown and then the puzzle will wait for a move to be entered. It is not necessary to return to this page in order to access the other puzzles and games for this issue. However, clicking/tapping on a diagram below will take you directly to the puzzle selected. Note: Interactive puzzles are provided beginning with the June 2025 issue.

Puzzle 1	Puzzle 2	Puzzle 3
Victor Palciauskas	Victor Palciauskas	Walter Muir E-Quads
Image	Image	Image
Ralls-Voznyuk	Sloan-Butcher	Higgins-Walsh
Latest Move: 28. ... Qe5	Latest Move: 32. ... h6	Latest Move: 19. Nh4
White to Move	White to Move	Black to Move

I hope you enjoyed the games and puzzles!

Look for the next issue to be available around November 1st, 2025.

Feel free to send me US Chess Federation correspondence games for potential inclusion in future issues of Check is in the Mail. My email address is: Click here to show email address.

-Jeff

From the Front Office

Michael D. Buss, US Chess Correspondence Coordinator

Reminder

Know and follow the US Chess Correspondence Chess rules of play.

"The King plays a most important part in the endgame, and gains in power and activity as the number of pieces on the board diminishes. Acting in eight different directions, he becomes, instead of the weakest piece, one of the most formidable units."
– Eugene Znosko-Borowski

US Chess Membership

Remember to keep your US Chess membership current or risk forfeiture!

Recent Event Winners

Walter Muir E-Quads
25W07 - Patrick Walsh (Konchog Jungney) - 6–0

Victor Palciauskas
25VP04 - Richard Ralls & Nicholas Sloan - 5½–½

CCLA 2025 Gustafson Memorial Tournament

Semi-class event with sections of four players with two games per opponent. All games are played on the ICCF server, with no chess engines allowed. The tournament is open to all residents of the United States and its territories, with no CCLA membership requirement and no entry fee. The prize for winning a section will be a $20 credit that can be used only for CCLA membership dues or for CCLA members, as entry fees to CCLA events. For more information or to enter go to https://serverchess/tournaments.

"Agreeing to draws in the middlegame, equal or otherwise, deprives you of the opportunity to practice playing endgames, and the endgame is probably where you need the most practice."
– Pal Benko