correspondence play

All Things Chess
1

I’m entering my first correspondence tournament. can anyone offer any advice on play and etiquette? thanks.

2

Think lots. Use all your time. Don’t make conditional moves. Enjoy!

3

what’s a conditional move?

4

A conditional move is something along the lines of “1.e4. If 1…e5, 2.f4.” If you’re playing in a Walter Muir e-quad, it’s not an issue.

Alex Relyea

5

That reminds me of a question I have been meaning to ask.

The Walter Muir e-quads are listed as being web server chess. Which web server is used?

6

A friend of mine open 1. e4 and the opponent responded 1…b6, 2 if any, Bb7. The game then started

  1. e4 b6
  2. Ba6! Bb7
  3. Bxb7
7

Reminds me of a game I heard of a few decades ago:

Pleased to meet you via postal chess. My first four legal moves are 1. N-KB3 2. P-KN3 3. B-N2 4. O-O.

Pleased to meet you via postal chess. My first four legal moves are 1. P-K4 2. P-K5 3. PxN 4. PxB.

8

The ICCF web server. I understand that the USCF is working on getting its own.

Alex Relyea

9

It’s been over 30 years since I’ve played a correspondence game so take this with a grain of salt, but I think conditional moves are fine if they’re used sensibly. They can save time in the case of automatic moves or book openings. For example, White plays 1.e4. Black plays 1…Nf6 and says “If 2.e5 Nd5”. If White plays 2.e5 he also needs to reply to Black’s 2…Nd5. White could instead play another move, like 2.Nc3. Black could also provide for multiple choices for White, e.g. after 1.e4 Black might say:

1...Nf6

If 2.e5 Nd5
   If 3.d4 d6
   If 3.c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6
If 2.Nc3 d5

In this example, White can accept part or all of any of the conditional moves that Black offers. For example, he could reply “1…Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5”. But if I recall the rules correctly he can’t just ignore a conditional move, such as by replying “1…Nf6 2.e5”. Even if it’s legal it wouldn’t be polite IMO.

Besides the opening, another use for conditonal moves is for forced or near-forced replies, e.g. “24.Qxd4. If 24…Nxd4 25. Rcd1”.

I would never use “If any” in a conditional move. It’s too risky.

10

Well spoken. I’ve also used conditional moves to speed the game (when I’m winning) in forcing situations where there’s only one way to respond to a check/capture or the alternatives are simply too ludicrous to consider. There is a great satisfaction in sending conditional moves that fulfill a forced mate.

Let me re-emphasize that it’s useful when you’re winning or want to speed up the game. If you’re involved in a delicate defense I would send one move at a time and use the extra days to analyze beyond the forcing moves.

11

thank you all for the helpful responses.