For most chess players, there is nothing more enjoyable than initially running across an absorbing, even incredible game, and this book includes 64 great games that will astound most over-the-board players for the first time. Tim Harding provides extensive commentary on the games and sometimes the issues surrounding it, and the result is an excellent collection of games, analysis, and information about a form of chess that has had its share of outstanding champions.

Author Tim Harding is an experienced postal chess player and author. He is the publisher of the outstanding postal chess magazine Chess Mail, and he has also published more than 20 books and CDs. I have greatly enjoyed several of these works, including The Classical French, Nimzowitsch Defense, and Startling Correspondence Chess Miniatures.

Most of the games involve world-class players, and the games reflect that quality. The depth of ideas that can evolve in a correspondence chess game is truly wondrous, and many of these examples can be found here. On the other extreme, some of the games contested with days between moves can devolve into mind-boggling complications where the average player can get lost in the thicket of the variations. There are some of both represented here, but even games with dense notes (and there are a lot) can generally be enjoyed by the average player with the patience to follow them through.

Often what makes a game interesting is the circumstances that surround it, and Harding does a great job of putting these contests into context. Some of the games were critical for determining correspondence world championships, some had their own types of controversy, including claims of time forfeits, collusion, and thrown games. For the uninitiated to postal chess (including this reviewer), this was fascinating stuff, and it definitely kept me turning the pages.

Ultimately, though, the value of a game collection depends on the quality of the games and the analysis. The book scores on both points. As mentioned earlier, the games are contested among many of the correspondence chess elite, including world champions Timmerman, Ragozin, Purdy, Estrin, Berliner, Zagorovsky, Sanakoev, and Oim. There are a number of strong over-the-board players who have also dabbled in the longer think form of play, and this book includes games involving Keres, Barcza, Vidmar, Ulf Andersson, Hector, and Curt Hansen. Among its Internet games, it includes the now oft-cited game between Kasparov and “the world” and another involving IM Yin Hao and assorted players.

The analysis is also first rate. It is notable that the author credits several strong players for assistance with notes, mostly for their own games. These include Alexander Baburin, Hans Berliner, and Gert Timmerman, as well as many others. The author has also obviously spent countless hours with the games, and it shows in a depth of analysis often not found in over the board games. At the same time, the author does not lose sight of the need to explain what is going on in key positions with words as well as moves. In this respect, it keeps even the average player grounded during tactical melees, which are encountered on a frequent basis.

As can be expected, there aren’t a lot of things lacking in this book. It includes an interesting introduction, which discusses the evolution of correspondence play as well as the rise of the use of computers in chess analysis. The close includes a bibliography and an index of openings by name and ECO codes.

One thing that may catch some players by surprise is the high concentration of “unusual” opening variations. Correspondence play has always allowed for experimentation outside the normal, and you’ll find a lot of that here. There are also a lot of games where, try as one might, the play and analysis will escape the average, above average, and even very advanced player. In the end, though, the fantastic positions and conceptions that arise are worth the occasional (or even frequent) moment of lack of clarity.

In conclusion, this is a book about a part of chess that is often overlooked. While the games sometimes have an esoteric feel, the author does a great job of exposing us to the highs and lows of correspondence chess. There are many great games and grand conceptions to be found here, and all players will benefit from their study or at least enjoy the profound moves that they will run across in just about every game.

To see Watson’s review of this same book, click HERE.