romanian correspondence chess

About this booklet

It is funny how such modest events like the turn of the millennium inspire us. A sparkling idea, enthusiasm as much as possible, virtual contacts between continents, plenty of what brought us here and the secret ingredient called love form one of the most successful receipts for chess.

What you will see here is a labour of love in a fashion Latin way. We hope you will enjoy it! Here allow us to thank Romanian Chess Federation and all who contributed with materials, advises, critiques and support. Without you nothing would have been possible.

Special thanks to Mrs.Maria Serban-Cantili, wife of Romanian chessplayer Florin Serban, for her

cover design contribution to this brochure.

The cartoons accompanying this brochure are signed by Ana Maria Benchea, or “Any” according to her artistic name.

Marius Ceteras & Valer Eugen Demian, Editors

Before you decide what road to ride ahead, you need to know where you came from first. For this journey we prepared the Romanian CC Highlights - pages 2 to 10 - connecting together 1898 and 2003. It has been quite a ride so far and the torch has been passed onto this generation. Let's go!

Correspondence chess has changed with the time. Now the Internet leads the new wave, getting deeper and deeper into every corner of this planet. Romania has not been left out and despite high prices and technology issues, the email activity has grown with further potential for the near future. Marius Ceteras -National Email Coordinator - presents his email report on pages 11 to 15. Reading it you cannot miss the dynamism and great potential; so much has been done and still there is more to come.

Postal chess is not forgotten. Somehow it acts like a barometer always reminding everyone of the great past. Also it keeps the oldiest but goldiest generation in touch with each other in tournaments where the silicon has no place at all. Eugen Hang - National Postal Coordinator - has a short and comprehensive report on page 16.

National title norms have been reworked and aligned to prepare Romanian domestic players for the challenges of international chess. Miron Sferle - National Rating and Title Commissioner - has put everything neatly in a table on page17.

Internet play and webpages go together like bread and butter. Romania is finally ready to challenge the best of the web as explained on page 18. Still at this virtual chapter we see Romania's finest participation in publishing.

The Correspondence Chess News, by its Editor-In-Chief John Knudsen, displays with pride their Latin wing on pages 19 to 22, invitation for all to drop by and enjoy reading.

Last but not least the biggest Romanian correspondence chess festival "Paul Diaconescu Memorial" and the largest international event in ICCF for 2003 - pages 23 to 27 - is a bold statement of what we can do. When you believe in yourself, it is easy to make others believe as well. In the end it will make ICCF better and stronger.

Romanian Correspondence Chess - 2003 Report

1

Romanian CC Highlights

1898 The first CC game played in Romania between Jules Sachetti, a postal officer from Odobesti, and Ing.Victor Costin, an outstanding professor of the Iassy Univeristy.

1898 The first CC match played in Romania. Hercule Gudju, a pioneer of the Romanian chess, defeats 8-4 Jules Sachetti.

1899 The re-match Hercule Gudju Jules Sachetti 3-1

1912 Prof.Victor Costin with the support of “The Engineers Circle/Ring from Iassy” organizes the first national CC tournament with 20 players at start. Jules Sachetti was the winner with G.Nestianu as runner up.

1918-1919 Theophil Demetriescu, a Romanian native living in Berlin, takes part in the tournament organised by “Deutschen Wochenschach”. In the 1920s and 1930s Theophil Demetriescu took part in more IFSB tournaments representing Germany. Later we find him as member of the Romanian OTB team, participant in the “unofficial Olympiad” from Munich 1936.

1924 Romania, represented in Paris by Ion Gudju, becomes founder member of FIDE.

1925 The establishment of the Romanian Chess Federation.

1927-1928 Dr.Janos Balogh, Hungarian native living in Romania after the World War I, takes part in the international tournament organized by “Wiener Schachzeitung”. His win against Fahrni is awarded with the beauty prize.

thDr.Janos Balogh was an active promoter of the chess in Romania, winning the 4 Romanian OTB Championship in 1930 and representing our national team in three OTB Olympiads: Haga 1928, Hamburg 1930 and Praha 1931. In 1934 he established in Hungary and continued there his outstanding OTB and CC career.

nd1930-1931 Dr.Janos Balogh is runner up in 2 IFSB Bundesmeisterschaft, event won by Eduard Dyckoff.

J.Sachetti V.Costin, Romania, corr. 18981.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Qd2 0-0 8.Nd1 c5 9.c3 f6 10.f4 fxe5 11.fxe5 cxd4 12.cxd4 Nc6 13.Ne2 Nb6 14.Ne3 Bd7 15.0-0-0 Na4 16.g3 b5 17.Nf4 a6 18.h4 g6 19.Ng4 Be8 20.Bh3 Nd8 21.Rdf1 Ra7 22.Nf6+ Kh8 23.h5 g5 24.Ng6+ hxg6 25.hxg6 Kg7 26.Bf5 Bxg6 27.Bxg6 1-0

Jules Sachetti Hercule Gudju, corr. 18981.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 a6 6.c3 d6 7.d3 Nf6 8.Be3 Bxe3 9.fxe3 0-0 10.0-0 Bg4 11.Nbd2 d5 12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Qxd5 14.Qc2 Bxf3 15.Rxf3 Rad8 16.e4 Qd7 17.Raf1 Ne7 18.Nc4 Ng6 19.a5 f6 20.g3 Rf7 21.Kg2 Qg4 22.Ne3 Nh4+ 23.Kh1 Qxf3+ 24.Rxf3 Nxf3 25.Qe2 Ng5 26.Nd5 Rfd7 27.h4 Nf7 28.d4 exd4 29.Qg4 Kh8 30.cxd4 c6 31.Nf4 Rxd4 32.Ne6 Rd1+ 0-1

Dr.J.Balogh H.Fahrni, corr.1927-1928 1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.Nc3 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.exd5 exd5 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0-0 Be6 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Qd2 h5 10.Rad1 c4 11.Bxc4 Be7 12.Bb3 f6 13.Rfe1 Qd7 14.Bf4 Bf7 15.Ba4 Kf8 16.Qd3 g5 17.Bc1 h4 18.Re2 Kg7 19.Rde1 Bd6 20.h3 Nh6 21.Ne5 fxe5 22.dxe5 Bc7 23.Bg5 Qe6 24.Bf6 Kg8 25.Bb3 Qf5 26.Qxf5 Nxf5 27.e6 Bh5 28.Nxd5 Ba5 29.e7 Bxe1 30.Rxe1 Ng7 31.Nf4 Bf7 32.e8Q+ Nxe8 33.Bxf7+ Kxf7 34.Bxh8 Nf6 35.Bxf6 Kxf6 36.Nd5+ 1-0


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th th1932-33 Dr.Janos Balogh finishes 4 place in 4 IFSB Bundesmeisterschaft

th th1934-1935 Theophil Demetriescu finishes 10 place in 6 IFSB Bundesmeisterschaft


1935-1937 The Romanian team (J.Michels, Ph.Nieszl, J.Damsescu, P.Krauser, G.Boskovify, P.Ludwig) takes part in the preliminaries of the CC Olympiad of European countries organized by IFSB.



st1947-1949 Sergiu Samarian takes part in the Semi-finals of the 1 World CC Championship and finishes runner-up in group 1. He was an outstanding OTB and CC player (he represented Romanian in 6 Semi-finals of the WCCC). Later on he emigrated to Germany and became the coach of the Ladies German

rdOTB team. In 1994 he won with Germany the 3 European CC Team Championship.

1959 The official forming of the CC Commission part of Romanian Chess Federation at the initiative of Ing. Constantin Stefaniu.

th th1959-1962 Sergiu Samarian finishes 4 place in the semifinals of the 4 World CC Championship.

1961 Romania became an official member of the ICCF family.

1961-1965 First presence of Romania in a CC Olympiad. Our team (Reicher, Braunstein, Rusenescu, rd

Rotariu, Diaconescu, Stefaniu) finishes 3 place after FRG and USA in the preliminary group 1.

1961-1965 The first international CC friendly match. Romania defeats Czechoslovakia by 25.5-24.5. The decisive game V.Koprica-V.Firica is adjudicated as draw by the grandmasters Ludek Pachman and Laszlo Szabo.

1961-1963 The first national CC tournament ever organized in Romania is won by Vladimir Salceanu, but Romanian CC Commission refuses to consider this tournament a “National Championship”.

1962-1963 The first Romanian CC Championship is won by Aurel Anton

rd th1962-1965 Sergiu Samarian finishes 3 place in the semifinals of the 5 World CC Championship.

1965 Ing.Constantin Stefaniu is the first Romanian delegate in an ICCF Congress.

1965-1968 The Romanian team (Samarian, Costea, Rusenescu, Rotariu, Diaconescu, Braunstein) thqualifies to the final of the 6 Olympiad.

1968-1972 The Romanian team (Samarian, Costea, Rusenescu, Rotariu, Diaconescu, Stefaniu) th th

finishes 4 place in the Final of the 6 CC Olympiad.

1968-1972 The Romanian team (Mititelu, Suta, Gunsberger, Breazu, Vasilescu, Berbecaru) qualifies to th

the final of the 7 CC Olympiad.


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rd1967-1971 Aurel Anton finishes 3 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/5)

st1968-1972 Mrs.Gertrude Baumstark participates in the 1 Ladies Word CC Championship Final

thfinishing in 9 place.

th1968-1972 Francisc Tocanita finishes 12 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/6)

1969 Paul Diaconescu becomes ICCF International Arbiter.

1971 Eugen Costea becomes the first Romanian awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

st1971-1974 Romania wins the 1 Coppa Latina ahead of Spain and France. The line up of the Romanian team: M.Breazu, M.Suta, Gh.Rotariu, P.Diaconescu (cpt.), E.Rusenescu, V.V.Demian, V.Salceanu, E.Mende, F.Tocanita, Gh.Telbis

th1971-1976 Aurel Anton wins the 9 European Championship (EU-FSM/9). The result guarantees th

him the presence in the final of the 9 World CC Championship.

1972 Paul Diaconescu is elected ICCF Vice-President.

1972-1976 The Romanian team (Gh.Mititelu, M.Suta, M.Breazu, R.Vasilescu, P.Diaconescu, th thV.Salceanu) finishes 10 place in the Final of the 7 CC Olympiad.

th nd1972-1977 Mrs.Elisabeta Polihroniade finishes 4 place in the 2 Ladies World CC Championship Final.

1973 Sergiu Samarian is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1973-1974 Vasile Georgescu wins his third national title, being the only Romanian player who managed this performance.

1974 Paul Diaconescu is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1974 Mihai Breazu is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

Eugen Costea Gunnar Nielsen1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 g6 5.f3 exf3 6.Nxf3 d5 7.Ne5 Bg7 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Bf5 10.h4 Nbd7 11.h5 c5 12.hxg6 cxd4 13.Qxd4 Nxe5 14.Qxe5 Ne4 15.Qxd5+ Qxd5 16.Nxd5 Nxg5 17.Nxe7+ Kh8 18.Rd5 Be6 19.Rxg5 h6 20.Bd3 Rad8 21.Rxh6+ 1-0

thAllan Kiviaho Aurel Anton, 9 European Championship, 1971-19741.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Be6 10.d4 Bxb3 11.axb3 exd4 12.cxd4 d5 13.e5 Nd7 14.Nc3 Nb6 15.Bf4 Qd7 16.Qe2 Qe6 17.Rad1 h6 18.Bg3 Rfc8 19.Nh2 Na5 20.Qd3 Bb4 21.Rf1 c5 22.Na2 c4 23.Qe2 Bf8 24.bxc4 Rxc4 25.Ng4 Nc6 26.Qe3 Ne7 27.Qf4 Rc2 28.Rb1 Nc4 0-1

Sergiu Samarian - Benjamin Koppin, WCCC Semi-finals 1965 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bc4 Ngf6 6.Ng5 e6 7.Ne2 Nb6 8.Bb3 c5 9.c3 Be7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Re1 Bd7 12.Nf4 Nbd5 13.Qe2 Nxf4 14.Bxf4 cxd4 15.Rad1 Qb6 16.Be5 dxc3 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Ne4 Bd4 19.bxc3 Bb5 20.Qh5 g6 21.Qh4 Bg7 22.Ng5 Rfd8 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 24.Qxh7+ Kf8 25.Nxe6+ fxe6 26.Bxe6 Qd2 27.Qg8+ Ke7 28.Qxg7+ Kd8 29.Qe5 Ba4 30.Bg4 1-0


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1974-1979 The Romanian team (Margareta Muresan, Maria Albulet, Margareta Perevoznic, Victoria st thSimu) takes part in the 1 Ladies CC Olympiad finishing 6 place. The top board of the Romanian team,

Mrs.Margareta Juncu (former Muresan) is nowadays the Executive Secretary of the Romanian Chess Federation.

1975 Gheorghe Rotariu is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1975 Valer Vasile Demian is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1975 Mihai Suta is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

nd1975-1978 Romania wins the 2 Coppa Latina ahead of France and Italy. The line up of the Romanian team: M.Breazu, Gh.Rotariu, P.Diaconescu (cpt.), V.V.Demian, V.Salceanu, E.Mende, Gh.Telbis, E.Szabo, A.Vidican, Gh.Negoescu

1975-1979 Eugen Costea wins a semifinal group of the World CC Championship and qualifies to the ¾ Final.

1976 The ICCF Presidium Board is hosted in Bucharest (Romania).

th1976-1979 The first international CC tournament ever organized by Romania, celebrating the 50

thanniversary of the Romanian Chess Federation. The tournament is clearly won by the 12 World CC Champion Grigory Sanakoev (USSR) 10.5/12 followed by Sture Nyman (SWE) 8, Gheorghe Telbis (ROM) 8, Gheorghe Rotariu (ROM) 7.5, Klaus Engel (FRG) 7, Volf Bergraser (FRA) 7, Emil Mende (ROM) 6.5, Radu Vasilescu (ROM) 5, Dr.Janos Balogh (HUN) 5, Fazil Atabek (TUR) 4.5, Ivan Kondali (YUG) 4, Josef Richter (CZE) 3.5, Reino Miettinen (FIN) 1.5

th1976-1980 Valer Vasile Demian finishes 10 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/15).

th th1976-1982 Vladimir Salceanu finishes 5 place and Mihai Suta 10 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/16)

1977 Mrs.Veturia Simu is awarded the title of ICCF-LIM.

1977-1982 The Romanian team (Costea, V.V.Demian, Pavlov, Nacht, Mende, Prohaska) qualifies to the th

final of the 9 Olympiad.

th th1977-1983 Aurel Anton finishes 4 place in the 9 World CC Championship Final.

1978 Vladimir Salceanu is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

rd Esteban Barrababe Valer Vasile Demian, 3 Coppa Latina, 1979-19831.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Nc3 exd5 9.cxd5 c4 10.Qd4 Nc6 11.Qe4 Nb4 12.Be3 g6 13.e6 f5 14.Qe5 Nc2+ 15.Kf2 Rg8 16.Nb5 Nxe3 17.Nc7+ Ke7 18.Kxe3 Rb8 19.Qf4 Nxd5+ 20.Nxd5+ Qxd5 21.Bxc4 Qc5+ 22.Kf3 Bg7 23.Re1 Qd6 24.Qxd6+ Kxd6 25.Re2 b5 26.Bb3 a5 27.Rd2+ Ke7 28.Nh3 a4 29.Bd5 Rd8 30.Kf2 Bh6 31.Rdd1 Rb6 32.Rhe1 Rbd6 33.Bf3 Rxd1 34.Rxd1 Rxd1 0-1

Mihai Suta Mikhail P. Zagorovsky, Belgrad Jubilee 30, 19791.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.Bd3 e6 8.0-0 Qc7 9.c4 Ngf6 10.b3 Bd6 11.Bb2 0-0 12.Bxg6 hxg6 13.Qe2 Rad8 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Be7 16.Rfd1 Bf6 17.Rd2 Qa5 18.g4 Rfe8 19.a3 Qb6 20.g5 Be7 21.Qe3 Qc7 22.h4 c5 23.Rad1 b6 24.Qe4 cxd4 25.Qxd4 Bf8 26.Qg4 Nc5 27.b4 Na4 28.Be5 Rxd2 29.Rxd2 Qc6 30.h5 a5 31.h6 Qb7 32.Qf4 1-0


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1978 Emil Mende is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1979 Gheorghe Telbis is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1979-1983 Romania organizes and wins the third time in a row Coppa Latina, the greatest achievement of our national federation in team events. The ten wonderful players, who definitively brought the trophy of the event in our country, were M.Breazu, V.V.Demian (cpt.), E.Mende, V.Urseanu, Gh.Telbis, Gh.Varabiescu, I.Copal, M.Florea, M.Chiricuta and I.Grigorescu.

rd th1979-1983 Eugen Costea finishes 3 place in ¾ Final and qualifies to the Final of the 12 World CC Championship.

1980 Aurel Anton is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1980 Edgar Nacht is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

th1980-1986 Valer Vasile Demian finishes 4 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/21)

1981 Gheorghe Rotariu becomes the first Romanian awarded the title of ICCF-GM.

th th1981-1986 Gheorghe Rotariu finishes 6 place and Francisc Tocanita 10 place in European Championship (EU/FSM-23)

th1981-1987 Mihai Suta finishes 9 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/24)

Henri Pinson- Emil Mende 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nc3 d6 6.0-0 e5 7.d3 Nc6 8.Rb1 a5 9.a3 Re8 10.Nd2 Bg4 11.b4 axb4 12.axb4 Qd7 13.Re1 Nd8 14.Qb3 Bh3 15.Bh1 h5 16.Nde4 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Ne6 18.Nc3 Nd4 19.Qd1 c6 20.e3 Ne6 21.Bd2 h4 22.b5 hxg3 23.hxg3 Nc5 24.Qc2 f5 25.bxc6 bxc6 26.Rb6 Rac8 27.Ne2 e4 28.Nf4 Bg4 29.d4 g5 30.dxc5 gxf4 31.cxd6 fxg3 32.c5 gxf2+ 33.Kxf2 Qd8 34.Qb3+ Kh8 35.Rg1 Qh4+ 36.Kf1 f4 37.exf4 e3 38.Bxe3 Ra8 39.Bxc6 Ra1+ 40.Kg2 Qh3+ 41.Kf2 Ra2+ 42.Qxa2 Qxe3+ 43.Kg2 Qh3+ 44.Kf2 Bd4# 0-1

Gheorghe Telbis Volf Bergraser, Romania Jubilee 50, 1976-19791.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bc4 Bg4 5.f3 Bf5 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.Qe2 Nb6 8.Bb3 Qd7 9.d6 cxd6 10.a4 a5 11.d3 Be6 12.Bxe6 Qxe6 13.Qxe6 fxe6 14.Nb5 Nbd5 15.Bd2 Kd7 16.c4 Nb6 17.f4 g6 18.Nf3 Bg7 19.0-0 Ne8 20.Be3 Ra6 21.Ra2 Nc7 22.b3 Kc8 23.Ng5 1-0

ndEdgar Nacht Reino Kotka, 2 European Team Championship1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.d4 Bg4 10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 c6 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 cxd5 14.exd5 Nc4 15.Nd2 Nb6 16.Nf1 Rc8 17.Rd1 Ne8 18.a4 bxa4 19.Ne3 Bg5 20.Bxa4 Rc5 21.Bc6 Nc7 22.Qe2 f5 23.b4 Rxc3 24.Qb2 Rxc6 25.dxc6 d5 26.Qb3 Bxe3 27.Bxe3 Nc4 28.Qxc4 dxc4 29.Rxd8 Rxd8 30.Bb6 Rc8 31.Bxc7 Rxc7 32.Rxa6 Kf7 33.b5 Ke6 34.b6 Rxc6 35.b7 Rxa6 36.b8Q Rc6 37.Qb7 Kd6 38.Qb4+ Kd5 39.Qd2+ Ke6 40.Qc3 g6 41.Kf1 h5 42.Ke2 e4 43.Kd2 Kd5 44.Kc2 Kc5 45.Qa5+ Kd6 46.Kc3 Ke6 47.Kd4 Rd6+ 48.Kxc4 Rd1 49.Qa6+ Kf7 50.Qb7+ Kf6 51.h4 Rd6 52.Qb8 Rd1 53.Qf8+ 1-0

Gheorghe Rotariu - Joseph Vandorffy, match Bucharest-Budapest, 19611.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qc7 8.Qf3 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Be7 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nd5 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.Ne4 0-0 15.Qc3 a5 16.Bd3 a4 17.Rhf1 Ng6 18.Rde1 Ba6 19.Bxa6 Rxa6 20.h4 Nxh4 21.Qh3 Ng6 22.Nf6+ gxf6 23.exf6 Kh8 24.Re4 Qa5 25.Qh6 Rg8 26.Rg4 a3 27.Qxh7+ 1-0


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1982 Paul Diaconescu is awarded the title of ICCF-GM.

1982 Mrs.Rodica Reicher is awarded the title of ICCF-LIM.

1982-1987 The Romanian team (A.Anton, M.Breazu, E.Costea, C.Prohaska, Gh.Varabiescu, M.Suta) th thfinishes 8 place in the Final of the 9 CC Olympiad.

th1982-1988 Mihail Florea finishes 13 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/25)

1983-1989 Aurel Anton plays his second World CC Championship Final.

1984 Mrs. Ecaterina Radovici is awarded the title of ICCF-LIM.

1984 Dr.C.Dragusanu becomes ICCF International Arbiter.

th th1984-1991 Eugen Costea finishes 13 place in the 12 World CC Championship Final.

1985 Mihai Breazu is awarded the title of ICCF-GM.

1985 Paul Diaconescu is awarded ICCF Honorary Member

st1985-1986 Giurgiu county wins the 1 Romanian Team Championship. The first two editions of the Romanian Team Championship were played under the name “The Counties Cup”

Joseph Vandorffy - Paul Diaconescu, corr.1960-19621.c4 e5 2.g3 g6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e3 d6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.0-0 h5 8.h3 h4 9.g4 f5 10.f3 Be6 11.d3 d5 12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.d4 exd4 15.gxf5 gxf5 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.exd4 Qf6 18.Re1+ Kd7 19.Be3 f4 20.Bf2 c6 21.Qa4 Qg5 22.Qb4 b6 23.Kh2 Rhg8 24.Bh1 Bf8 25.Qd2 Bd6 26.a3 Qf5 27.Rf1 Be6 0-1

ndMrs.Rodica Reicher Mrs.Anne Sunnucks, 2 Ladies CC Olympiad1.Nf3 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 Nd7 5.d4 e5 6.Be2 c6 7.0-0 Nh6 8.b3 0-0 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bb2 Nxf3+ 11.Bxf3 f5 12.Rb1 Be5 13.g3 Nf7 14.Bg2 f4 15.gxf4 Bxf4 16.Ne2 Bg5 17.f3 Be3+ 18.Kh1 Bd7 19.Qd3 Bh6 20.Rbd1 Qh4 21.c5 Rae8 22.cxd6 Re6 23.Qc3 g5 24.Ng3 Re5 25.Qb4 Rb5 26.Qd4 b6 27.Rf2 Re5 28.Bf1 Bg7 29.Bc4 Qh6 30.Qd2 Rd8 31.Bxe5 Bxe5 32.Rg1 Bxd6 33.Nf5 Bxf5 34.Rxg5+ Bg6 35.Rxg6+ Qxg6 36.Rg2 Kg7 37.f4 Bc5 38.Rxg6+ hxg6 39.Qc3+ Kf8 40.Qf6 1-0

ndMrs.Margaret Clarke Mrs.Ecaterina Radovici, 2 Ladies Olympiad1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.b3 Nbd7 10.Bb2 Re8 11.f4 Bf8 12.g4 e5 13.Nf5 exf4 14.Rxf4 Nc5 15.Qc2 Bxf5 16.gxf5 Rc8 17.Kh1 Ncd7 18.Rg1 Ne5 19.Qd2 Kh8 20.Rg3 Qa5 21.Rh4 h6 22.Qg5 Qd8 23.Kg2 Nh7 24.Qf4 Be7 25.Rh5 Bg5 26.Qf1 g6 27.Rhh3 Kg7 28.Kh1 Nf6 29.Qg1 Rh8 30.fxg6 fxg6 31.Rg2 Qe8 32.Rhg3 Bf4 33.Nd5 Bxg3 34.Rxg3 Rf8 35.Qg2 Kh7 36.h4 h5 37.b4 Nxd5 38.exd5 Rf4 0-1

Mihai Breazu Grigory Sanakoev, Yugoslavia Jubilee 30, 1982-19851.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 0-0 8.0-0 Qe7 9.Na4 d5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Bf4 Bg4 12.h3 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Bxe2 14.Rfe1 Rfe8 15.Rxe2 Qxe2 16.Qxb4 Ne4 17.Be3 b6 18.Nc3 Nxc3 19.Qxc3 Rad8 20.Rc1 Qa6 21.Qb3 d4 22.Rc7 Rf8 23.Bg5 Rb8 24.Be7 Rfc8 25.Bb7 Qxb7 26.Rxb7 Rxb7 27.Bg5 Rd7 28.Qb5 Rd6 29.Qa6 Re8 30.Qxa7 h6 31.Bd2 Ree6 32.f4 f5 33.g4 Kh7 34.gxf5 Rf6 35.Qc7 Rd5 36.Kf2 Rb5 37.b4 Rbxf5 38.a4 Rd5 39.Kf3 Re6 40.b5 d3 41.Qf7 Red6 42.f5 Rc5 43.Ke4 Rc8 44.Ke5 Rf6 45.Qd7 Rc4 46.Qxd3 Rxa4 47.Qd7 Rc4 48.Be3 Rh4 49.Bd4 Rxh3 50.Kf4 Rd3 51.Qd8 Rxd4+ 52.Qxd4 Kg8 53.Qd8+ Kf7 54.Qd7+ Kf8 55.Kg4 h5+ 56.Kxh5 Rh6+ 57.Kg5 Rf6 58.Qd8+ Kf7 59.Qxf6+ 1-0


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nd1985-1993 Gheorghe Rotariu finishes 2 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/32)

th1986-1992 The Romanian team (I.Chiricuta, V.Calinescu, R.Vizdei, D.Berbecaru) finishes 5 place in the

rdFinal of the 3 Ladies CC Olympiad

1987 Paul Diaconescu is elected ICCF General Secretary.

1988-1993 The Romanian team (Breazu, Suta, Mititelu, Ivanciu, Stroe, Hang) qualifies to the final of the th11 CC Olympiad.

th1988-1994 Gheorghe Martin finishes 6 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/39)

rd1990-1997 Vladimir Salceanu finishes 3 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/43)

1992-1999 The Romanian team (M.Breazu, Gh.Rotariu, M.Suta/I.Follert, Gh.Mititelu, C.Miron-Uratu, th th

D.Ivanciu/E.Hang) finishes 13 place in the Final of the 11 CC Olympiad.

1995 Gheorghe Martin is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

1995-1999 Mircea Dabija finishes 11th place in European Championship (EU-FSM/55)

th1995-1999 Gheorghe Rotariu finishes 8 place in European Championship (EU-FSM/56)

th1997-2003 The Romanian team (A.Fratila, G.Hang, R.Moisoiu, E.Mihai) finishes 5 place in the Final of th

the 5 Ladies CC Olympiad.

2000-2002 The Romanian team (V.Salceanu, R.Breahna, D.Grosu, O.Moise, D.Hagelstein, M.Nacu) stqualifies to the final of the 1 Email Olympiad.

th th2000-2002 Vasile Constantin becomes the 35 national champion at his 12 presence in a National Championship Final (a national record). He already improved his record by other 3 presences in the Finals till now.

2001 Mircea Dabija is awarded the title of ICCF-IM.

Gheorghe Martin Joaquim Noria Silvestre, EU/FSM39 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 Nbd7 4.e4 e5 5.Nf3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 c6 9.Bf1 a5 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Na4 Re8 12.h3 Bf8 13.Bg5 Bb4 14.Re3 Qe7 15.Qc2 Kg7 16.Rd1 Bc5 17.Red3 b6 18.Bh4 Ra7 19.Nxc5 Qxc5 20.R3d2 h6 21.Be2 Nh5 22.Ne1 Nf4 23.Bg4 Nf6 24.Bxc8 Rxc8 25.Nd3 Nxd3 26.Bxf6+ Kxf6 27.Qxd3 h5 28.Qf3+ Ke7 29.Rd6 Qxd6 30.Rxd6 Kxd6 31.Qf6+ Kc5 32.Qxe5+ Kxc4 33.Qc3+ Kb5 34.Qd3+ Kc5 35.a4 Rb7 36.Qc3+ Kd6 37.Qf6+ Kc7 38.Qxf7+ Kb8 39.Qxg6 b5 40.e5 bxa4 41.e6 c5 42.Qg3+ Ka7 43.Qc3 1-0

Mircea Dabija Guenter Scholz1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 c5 9.Nf3 Qc7 10.Ba2 cxd4 11.cxd4 b6 12.0-0 Bb7 13.Bb2 Nc6 14.Rc1 Qd7 15.Qe2 Rac8 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.e4 Qe7 18.h3 h6 19.Qe3 Na5 20.Nd2 Nh5 21.g4 Nf6 22.f4 Qd6 23.Bb1 Kf8 24.Qg3 Ne8 25.g5 hxg5 26.Qxg5 Ba6 27.Qh4 Nc4 28.e5 Qc6 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Bc3 Rd7 31.f5 Kd8 32.Be4 Qa4 33.fxe6 fxe6 34.Bg6 Rdc7 35.Qh4+ Re7 36.Bb4 Qd7 37.Ne4 Rc7 38.Bxe8 Qxe8 39.d5 exd5 40.Rxd5+ Rcd7 41.Bxe7+ Qxe7 42.Rxd7+ Kxd7 43.Rd1+ Ke8 44.Qh5+ Kf8 45.Rf1+ Kg8 46.Nf6+ 1-0


8

2001-2003 The club Chimia Ramnicu Valcea wins for the third time in a row the Romanian Team Championship.2002 Vladimir Salceanu becomes the European CC Champion after winning EU/FSM 59 (1996-2002) with 11/14.

th2002 March 30 The start in the first international friendly match by email between a Romanian team called “All Romanians” (organized by Marius Ceteras and Valer Eugen Demian) and a selected team of the IECC. This propaganda match born the CC web site , which several months later evolved in the popular web site .

2002 Vladimir Salceanu is awarded the title of ICCF-SIM.

th2003 January 15 Romanian CC Commission organizes “Paul Diaconescu Memorial”, the largest international invitational event organized in ICCF in the year 2003. The memorial consist of 5 groups, 3 international played by email, one national played by email and one national played by post. Participants from 18 countries took part in this event.

st2003 June 1 The start in the first email friendly match organized by Romanian CC Commission in partnership with CNXC Portugal. The match Romania-Portugal is played at 20 boards with many ICCF debutantes of the both sides.

th2003 June 30 The first Romanian Email Championship starts with 37 entries in the Semi-finals groups.

2003 Mrs. Mariana Plass-Caravan achieves the ICCF-LGM title-norm in ICCF Champions League, playing first board for the team Chimia Ramnicu Valcea.

Vladimir Salceanu Anicetas Uogele, EU/FSM 591.c4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.e4 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 e5 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 d6 12.a4 f5 13.f3 Be6 14.Nb5 fxe4 15.fxe4 Nc6 16.Be2 Rxf1+ 17.Bxf1 Bf8 18.b3 a6 19.Nc3 Qe7 20.Nd5 Qf7 21.Ra2 Bxd5 22.Rf2 Qxf2+ 23.Bxf2 Bxe4 24.Bd3 Bxd3 25.Qxd3 Be7 26.Qd5+ Kg7 27.b4 Kf6 28.h3 g5 29.b5 axb5 30.cxb5 Rxa4 31.bxc6 bxc6 32.Qxc6 Ra3 33.h4 h6 34.Qe8 Ke6 35.h5 Ra1+ 36.Kh2 Rf1 37.Qc8+ Kd5 38.Qg8+ 1-0

Mrs. Mariana Plass-Caravan Mekki Samraoui, Champions League 20021.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Qb6 9.h4 Bb4+ 10.Kf2 f6 11.Be3 Be7 12.Qd2 0-0 13.Rd1 a5 14.Ne2 a4 15.g3 fxe5 16.fxe5 Bb4 17.Qc1 Rf7 18.Nf4 Nf8 19.Ng5 Rc7 20.Qb1 h6 21.Bd3 hxg5 22.hxg5 a3 23.b3 Ne7 24.g6 Rc6 25.Rh5 Nf5 26.Rdh1 Nh6 27.Rxh6 gxh6 28.Rxh6 Qc7 29.Qh1 Rc2+ 30.Kf3 Qg7 31.Nh5 1-0

www.geocities.com/all_romanianswww.romanianchess.org


9

The Romanian National Champions

st1 Aurel Anton

nd2 Sorin Firu

rd3 Gheorghe Rotariu

th4 Mihai Suta

th5 Volodea Vaisman

th6 Valer Vasile Demian

th7 Volodea Vaisman

th8 Mihai Breazu

th9 Vasile Georgescu

th10 Mihai Breazu



th13 Carol Prohaska

th14 Nicolae Ene

th15 Nicolae Ene

th16 Elemer Hoszu

th17 Pamfil Nichitelea

th18 Calin Constantinescu

th19 Adrian Olteanuth20 Zamfir Lecast21 Pamfil Ionescund22 Eugen Popescurd23 Dan Ivanciuth24 Corneliu Miron-Uratuth

25 Corneliu Miron-Uratuth

26 Constantin Cusmirth

27 Severian Berbeceth

28 Florea Hritucth

29 Iuliu Follertth

30 Dan Grosust

31 Octavian Moisend

32 Aurelian Curinrd

33 C-tin Dumitrascuth

34 Cristian Mayerth

35 Constantin Vasileth

36 Virgil Florescu

The winners of the Romanian Team Championship

st1 Giurgiu County leaded by C.Miron-Uratu

nd2 Olt County (P.Atanasiu, C.Stefanescu, M.Atanasiu, A.Vasile, I.Popa, E.Stefanescu)

rd3 Chimia Ramnicu Valcea (C.Radulescu, V.Tacu, A.Vidican, I.Dragu, L.Velcu, S.Berbece)

th4 Chimia Ramnicu Valcea (S.Berbece, M.Caravan, A.Vidican, F.Dutu, V.Florescu, C.Miulescu)

th5 Chimia Ramnicu Valcea (S.Berbece, O.Fratila/F.Dutu, A.Vidican, I.Dragu, V.Florescu, C.Miulescu)


10

Romanian CC CommissionActivity Report - Email tournaments

By Marius Ceteras, National Email Coordinator

The email activity of Romanian CC Commission is growing steadily since 1999. In 1999 we had 2 players only playing by email, who started 20 email games. So far in 2003 our players have already started 906 ICCF rated games by email and by the end of the year the level of 1000 games will be easily surpassed.

How did we manage such a progress? I assure you that no wizard helped us; we only made some adequate steps in the right direction. Here are the main actions, which contributed to this progress:

1.The launching of our site It offered useful information about ICCF events to all Romanian CC fans and OTB players who joined us.

2. A permanent communication with our members and Romanian CC players from other CC organizations.

3. Organizing of “Paul Diaconescu Memorial”, an excellent propaganda for CC among the Romanian chess players.

4. The implementation of the new national title norms requirements, encouraging our players to join ICCF events.

5. Organizing the first National Email Championship.

The Romanian players in ICCF email events

th14 CC Olympiad Final: GM Gheorghe Rotariu, Radu Breahna (cpt.), Marius Ceteras, SIM

Vladimir Salceanu, Octavian Moise, Miron Nacu

th15 CC Olympiad Preliminaries: Vasile Constantin (cpt.), Cristian Mayer, Iulian Necula, Florin

Dutu, Florin Serban, Zsolt Karacsony

Coppa Latina VI : Marius Ceteras, Silviu Nenciulescu, Miron Sferle (cpt.), Gavril Berecz, Nicolae Doroftei, Viorel Calugaru, Stefan Lakatos, Alexandru Ilinca, Viorel Craciuneanu, Istvan Antal

Paul Diaconescu MemorialSection A: Radu Breahna, Vasile Constantin, Cristian Mayer, Daniel Hagelstein, Octavian Moise

Section B: Viorel Calugaru, Miron Sferle, Doru Talos, Petre Grigore

Section C: Florin Dutu, Alexandru Ilinca, Stefan Lakatos, Iulian Necula, Silviu Nenciulescu

Section D: Alin Toma, Cristian Veneteanu, Daniel Cinca, Gheorghe Dobrei, Octavian Cartas, Gheorghe Oancea, Istvan Bartha, Jozsef Schulle, Sorin Ciucurel, Cristian Campian, Alexandru Parseghian, Istvan Antal, Florin Sebe, Nicolae Pripoae, Almos Szabo

Section E: Iuliu Follert, Tiberiu Aninis, Carol Szilagyi, Nicolae Achim, Iuliu Topan, Constantin Mihailescu, Vasile Tudor, Stefan Ticleanu, Anton Stemate, Constantin Blanaru, Victor Tacu, Marius Horvath, Adrian Parau, Ion Popescu-Rusavat, Alexandru Vidican

www.romanianchess.org


11

th26 World CC Championship Semi-finals: GM Gheorghe Rotariu, Doru Talos, Cristian Mayer, Dan Grosu

th27 World CC Championship Semi-finals: Virgil Florescu, Gheorghe Dobrei

th65 European CC Championship Semi-finals: Florin Dutu, Iulian Necula

ICCF Champions League: Chimia Ramnicu Valcea (Mariana Plass-Caravan, Florin Dutu, Alexandru Manea, Oana Fratila), CSM Cluj Napoca (Doru Talos, Miron Sferle, Stefan Lakatos, Gheorghe Dobrei), CSU Craiova (Silviu Nenciulescu, Iulian Necula, Sorin Ciucurel, Daniel Cinca), Crisul Oradea (Zsolt Karacsony, Antal Istvan, Ioan Chiru, Elemer Karacsony), Potaissa Turda (Sergey Simonenko-TKM, Valer E.Demian-CAN, Marius Ceteras, Cristian Campian)

Dan Grosu is playing in ICCF for a Polish team.

ICCF Jubilee 50 Quarterfinals: Radu Breahna, Miron Nacu, Florin Dutu, Stefan Lakatos, Zsolt Karacsony, Sorin Ciucurel

Gileno Araujo Memorial (BRA): Radu Breahna

Dik ter Haar Memorial (ENG): Doru Talos

André Giraudet Memorial (FRA): Ion Popescu-Rusavat

Friendly match Romania-Portugalia: Constantin Vasile, Cristian Mayer, Gheorghe Dobrei, Nicolae Pripoae, Silviu Nenciulescu, Cristian Campian, Istvan Antal, Sorin Ciucurel, Doru Voin, Vasile Tudor, Laszlo Csilcser, Boris Gusan, Daniel Cinca, Ion Secrieru, Cristian Epure, Elemer Karacsony (cpt.), Jozsef Schulle, Mircea Ciortan, Gheorghe Manole ºi Emanuel Haragus

World Email Master Class: Florin Dutu, Dan Stoicescu, Zsolt Karacsony, Sorin Ciucurel, Gheorghe Craciun, Daniel Cinca, Iulian Julean

World Email High Class: Boris Gusan

European Email Master Class: Daniel Cinca (2), Sorin Ciucurel, Nicolae Pripoae

European Email High Class: Cristian Epure, Vasile Tudor, Florin Serban, Borin Gusan

th13 World Cup Prelininaries: Sorin Ciucurel, Daniel Cinca, Ioan Chiru, Antal Istvan, Stefan Lakatos, Zsolt Karacsony

By the end of 2003 we will start another two friendly matches (against England and Switzerland) and thwill nominate our players for the 8 Ladies World CC Championship Semi-finals. Also it is very likely other

Romanian players will enter Class events.We already built our team for European Team Championship and we are waiting for the start of this

event.


12

Romanian entries in ICCF events

Individual event \ Date of start 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003*

World Champioship Semi-finals 2 3 4 2

European Championship Semi-finals 2

World Cup Preliminaries 0 6

Paul Diaconescu Memorial 29

Gileno Araujo Memorial (BRA) 1

Dik ter Haar Memorial (ENG) 1

Andre Giraudet Memorial (FRA) 1

ICCF Jubilee Preliminaries 17

ICCF Jubilee Quarterfinals 6

World Master Class tourneys 0 1 0 1 6

World High Class tourneys 0 0 0 1 1

World Open Class tourneys 0 0 0 0 0

Eurpean Master Class tourneys 0 4

European High Class tourneys 0 4

European Open Class tourneys 1 0

Italy vs Rest of the World 1

Total entries 2 1 21 14 56

Team event \ Date of start 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003*

Olympiad Preliminaries 1 1

Olympiad Final 1

Coppa Latina 1

ICCF Champions League 5

Friendly matches 0 0 0 0 1

Total entries (teams) 0 1 0 6 3

Total entries (players) 0 6 0 25 36


13

ICCF rated games started by Romanian players

Total rated games

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

*

Total rated games

* till October 2003

Event\Date of start 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003*

World Champioship Semi-finals 20 30 48 24

European Championship Semi-finals 24

World Cup Preliminaries 0 60

Paul Diaconescu Memorial 406

Gileno Araujo Memorial (BRA) 14

Dik ter Haar Memorial (ENG) 12

Andre Giraudet Memorial (FRA) 14

ICCF Jubilee Preliminaries 170

ICCF Jubilee Quarterfinals 72

World Master Class tourneys 0 10 0 10 60

World High Class tourneys 0 0 0 6 6

World Open Class tourneys 0 0 0 0 0

Eurpean Master Class tourneys 0 40

European High Class tourneys 0 24

European Open Class tourneys 6 0

Italy vs Rest of the World 2

Olympiad Preliminaries 66 66

Olympiad Final 66

Coppa Latina 140

ICCF Champions League 190

Friendly matches 0 0 0 0 40

Total rated games 20 76 202 400 928


14

National events by email

th stOn June 30 2003 we started our 1 National Email Championship with 37 entries in the semi-final groups (each player was allowed to enter in maximum 2 groups if desired).

Group 1: Vasile Constantin, Almos Szabo, Gheorghe Dobrei, Sorin Ciucurel, Raul Schmidt, Boris Gusan, Ioan Secrieru, Alexandru Buteica, Mircea Ciortan, Cornel Matei

Group 2: Gavril Berecz, Stefan Lakatos, Gheorghe Dobrei, Vasile Tudor, Eleonora Mihai, Daniel Cinca, Csaba Balazs, Nicolae Tipeiu, Gheorghe Manole

Group 3: Constantin Vasile, Viorel Calugaru, Istvan Antal, Raul Schmidt, Cristian Campian, Daniel Cinca, Partenie Mihai, Alexandru Buteica, Gheorghe Manole

Group 4: Nicolae Pripoae, Viorel Craciuneanu, Istvan Antal, Vasile Tudor, Boris Gusan, Istvan Bartha, Partenie Mihai, Gheorghe Craciun, Alin Chirea

Top 3 places qualify to the final. The GMs, SIMs and IM rated 2450+ get a direct ticket for the final.

In 2004 we plan to organize the following events by email:st

- 1 National Team Championship by emailnd- 2 National Email Championship Semifinalsst

- 1 National Email Championship Final- National tournaments of promotion to ICCF class events- 5-6 friendly matches with other national federations

In parallel we will enter all events organized by ICCF and will honor all invitations for international tournaments organized by other national federations. Naturally we have high hopes the number of Romanian entries in ICCF class events and ICCF Champions League will continue to grow.


15

Romanian CC CommissionActivity Report - Postal tournaments

By Eugen Hang, National Postal Coordinator

Despite the high postage costs, our postal activity continued especially in domestic tournaments. Here are the results of the most important postal tournaments finished in 2003.

Ladies CC Olympiad V Final: 1.Rusia 25 2.Germany 22 3.Czech Republic 18 4.England 17 5.Romania 16,5 (Adela Fratila 3,5, Gabriela Hang 4, Raluca Ungureanu 3,5, Eleonora Mihai 5,5) 6.Poland 14 7.France 12,5 8.USA 10,5 9.Sweden 8,5.

Ladies CC Olympiad VI Prelims: Romanian team (Ildiko Minescu 3.5/7, Gabriela Hang 4, Raluca Moisoiu 1, Eleonora Mihai 3) finished 6th place

36th National CC Championship Final: 1.Virgil Florescu 12 2.Miron Sferle 10,5 3.Constantin Vasile 9,5 4.Octavian Moise 9 5.Gavril Berecz 8,5 6.Liviu Neagu 8,5 7.Valentin Radu 8 8.Radu Marginean 7,5 9.Stefan Ticleanu 7,5 10.Iulian Necula 7,5 11.Marius Horvath 6 12.Gheorghe Dobrei 5 13.Carol Szilagyi 4,5 14.Iulian Julean 1 15.Doru Voin 0 (withdrawn).

16th Ladies National CC Championship Final: won by Gabriela Hang, with Eleonora Mihai and Adela Fratila as runners-up

17th Romania Cup Final won by Gheorghe Dobrei with Zsolt Karacsony and Vasile Tudor as runners-up.

Romanian players in ICCF running events:

64th European Championship Semi-finals: Octavian Moise

27th World CC Championshp Semi-finals: IM Mircea Dabija

ICCF Jubilee 50 (postal sections): Adrian Parau, Silviu Nenciulescu, Joo Eniko, Tiberiu Aninis, Gavril Berecz, Vasile Tudor

The following national postal tournaments are currently running:37th & 38th National CC Championship Final39th National CC Championship Semi-finals6th National Team Championship 18th Romania Cup Final & 19th Romania Cup Semi-finals21st „Paul Farago” Cup Final1st „Ion Boros” Cup Final & 2nd „Ion Boros” Cup Semi-finals

All these postal events will continue in 2004 when the following stages/ editions are scheduled to start as planned.


16

Romanian CC CommissionActivity Report - National title norms

By Miron Sferle, National Rating & Titles Commissioner

Due to the development of the email activity in our country, more and more players entered international events by email. Therefore we found useful to correlate the national requirements for national title norms with the international events organised by ICCF. The new requirements give our players the possibility to achieve national title norms in ICCF events, in raport to the ICCF average rating of those events.

Here is the table we use to calculate the percentages needed to achieve national norms in ICCF

Average rating M CM I LM LCM LI

1776-1800 80 80 60

1801-1825 76 76 56

1826-1850 73 73 53

1851-1875 70 70 50

1876-1900 67 67 47

1901-1925 64 64 44

1926-1950 80 60 80 60 40

1951-1975 76 56 76 56 36

1976-2000 73 53 73 53 33

2001-2025 70 50 70 50 30

2026-2050 67 47 67 47

2051-2075 64 44 64 44

2076-2100 80 60 40 60 40

2101-2125 76 56 36 56 36

2126-2150 73 53 33 53 33

2151-2175 70 50 30 50 30

2176-2200 67 47 47

2201-2225 64 44 44

2226-2250 60 40 40

2251-2275 56 36 36

2276-2300 53 33 33

2301-2325 50 30 30

2326-2350 47

2351-2375 44

2376-2400 40

2401-2425 36

2426-2450 33

2451-2475 30


17

Www.romanianchess.orgRomanian CC web pages

By IM Valer E. Demian

Romania has had web pages dedicated to correspondence chess for a few months back in 1998-99. I don't know the reasons why they disappeared, but I was really sad to see them gone.

Marius and I created a first site hosted by Geocities by the end of March 2002. Originally it was dedicated to the "All Romanians" group and our match vs IECC, but in the long run we intended to become the national virtual presence. The addition of our ICCF-CL club Potaissa Turda pages on July 27, 2002, proved very popular and blocked the site for hours, so buying our own domain name and host our pages with a serious Internet provider was a logical step ahead. It became reality in August 2002 with the help of Chris Datcu and his company QSoft Technologies Inc. from Vancouver, BC, Canada

The webmasters are Marius Ceteras, Cristian Campian and myself, with a lot of support from Romanian CC players and enthusiasts. Most of the information is offered both in Romanian and English. Sometimes we have to supply certain information in Romanian only (chess articles and general information), but the rest consists of tables or statistics, easily understood by non-Romanian speakers.

The main sections of our web pages are:

- Romanian CC Commission (Introduction, General Infos, Rules of play, The requirements for stnational classifications, National Rating List, 1 Email National Championship and News)

- Paul Diaconescu Memorial with daily updates of the results

- Romanian Chess Magazine (Surveys, CC games)

The web pages of the clubs Potaissa Turda and Chimia Rm. Valcea

- The web pages of FIDE GM Dorian Rogozenko

- The introduction of ICCF, details about all type of tournaments organized in ICCF, ICCF Rating List (Romanian players)

- Links towards the scoretables of all ICCF events with Romanian representation

- Friendly CC matches

- Short introductions of the other CC organizations: IECC, Gameknot, CFC, ChessWorld, IECG, UECC

- The match All Romanians vs IECC

- Links towards other CC pages

- Chess announcements (OTB or CC national/international events)

Give us a try! Pay a visit to our web pages and send us your feedback. We need it in order to improve our work.

-


18

CORRESPONDENCE CHESS NEWS (CCN)The Internet Chess Magazine

26 Issues Per Year

The Romanian CCN LegionBy SIM John Knudsen, CCN Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the Romanian "Legion" of Correspondence Chess News (CCN). This group consists of Valer-Eugen Demian (from Canada, and a transplanted Romanian), Marius Ceteras, Olimpiu Urcan and Ana Maria Benchea (aka Any).

The Romanian Legion has seriously impacted upon our magazine, as well as upon the correspondence chess world at large. Staff and columnists at CCN have begun giving themselves Roman names, and behaving like Romans (as opposed to the barbarians that we really are) because of their influence.I'm still not sure whether this is good or bad, but I am willing to keep an open mind about it.

In addition to some excellent cartoons (thanks, Any!), the Romanian Legion are famous for their catchy, trendy article titles and biting wit. As Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of CCN, I never have to change a Romanian Legion title for a story. In addition, I have at times confused Marius for Eugen, Eugen for Marius, and also believed initially that Olimpiu was in fact Marius. I know that this sounds confusing, but, believe me, once these guys get under your skin there is no hope for you at all...

BEWARE - all who take care to heed my words - the Romanian Legion will soon dominate all matters related to chess, and correspondence chess, in the world.

For The Glory Of Rome!

http://ccn.correspondencechess.com


19

The McDonaldization of Chess By Prof.Olimpiu Urcan

Published in "Correspondence Chess News"

Recently, I rediscovered an old picture from my childhood in some kindergarten from Communist Romania. It shows myself holding a MacDonald puppet in my arms and, fact that makes me smile now, I remember quite well that from the very moment I found that unusual puppet among the other regular toys, I had never let it go until I quit that kindergarten. Had my pictures taken with it, had lunch with it, played soccer with it and so on... Somehow I knew it was special for me in some way. Don't presume you could have found an American toy in a Communist country so easy... These days I was watching Discovery Channel with a documentary about the Cold War's psychological fears and saw touching images of some kindergarten kids having their play interrupted by alarm training exercises in the extreme event of a nuclear attack. They were all running for cover, dropping their Mickey Mouse toys on the floor. When they used to train us for fire-crisis situations, I never forgot to save my McDonald friend too...

For chess lovers today a computer with a great database substitutes my McDonald toy. I believe that new things attract us so much that we are dependent of the idea of new in everything we perform. We are looking for the newest mobile service, for the newest fashion idea coming from Italy, for the ultimate news about clones, for the latest computers and, to use only a last example from many others, for chess innovations. We are burned by the desire to see what is new in some very popular lines and we are reading magazines from Canada to Indonesia looking out for innovations, new ideas and new top players. Our informational society prescribes us recipes for progressing quickly, forcing us to take a trip into the future while putting our past behind us for good. It eliminates the need for a rear-view mirror. We need not look back during this kind of trip.

On the basis of a sociological research and my experience as a historian, the following thesis will be set forth and pleaded - that our Worldwide chess society is living the danger of locking up the contemporary chess in some Weberian inspired "iron cage" that threatens our whole society. In developing my line of argumentation I will use the sociologic theoretical scheme developed by George Ritzer back at the beginning of the 90s. He developed the concept of the "McDonaldization of the society" claiming that we are witnessing a new rationalized model reincarnated in the fast food society.


20

It can become a system to control us using efficiency, calculability, predictability, and substitution of non-Human for Human technology, trapping us down into a cold cage that spreads its model Worldwide.

Paraphrasing Ritzer who rhetorically asked where is the good old fashion in cooking into an era dominated by Big Mac, in a similar manner, I must ask where is the good old chess into an era where everybody has a laptop for playing chess at high level? I claim that taking our trip into the future without repairing our broken rear-view mirror spells disaster. It represents our past, our identity and the classical formula "Gens Una Sumus" has no meaning otherwise. Why you might ask? Because this motto does not imply just a horizontal fraternity of chess loving people from all over the World, but also a vertical (and temporal) solidarity in the sense of a fraternization with the chess historical legacy and with a chess assumed mission. Taking a look at the present chess society I would love to see a wonderful World, as Louis Armstrong wanted it to be. Still I cannot watch with a happy heart kids growing in the front of the computer screens no matter how "deep" they are.

Anand said it right! "If you are not a grandmaster at 14 you can forget about it!". However I think that more important before becoming a grandmaster is to understand what a grandmaster used to represent in an age when human skills were at work and not some very sophisticated machine that makes the rational process instead of us. The return to the classics must be imperative news today, but not only by collecting their games in our databases. We have to rediscover their stories and historical context in such a manner to have them serve as models for our chess loving pupils. Well, you must excuse me if I see in a 13 years old that can play as good as Kasparov only by using a chess electronic device rather a non-human type than the human spirit at its heights.

The chess computer has become a popular tool as ATMs, credit cards, mobile devices and other electronic popular gadgets. Automatic cash machines, supermarket scanners and new automated airplanes do the job previously preformed by a human. Indeed, bureaucracy is no longer the model for rationalization studied by Weber and others. The big or small screens do everything instead of us, or they guide us with some military type formulas such as "Insert now" "Type that" "Check again" and so on. If back in the 19th or 20th century we could see some very fine gentlemen playing a chess game while the spectators were witnessing their game firsthand, trying to understand their subtle maneuvers while drinking a fine glass of whisky, today we can see a high level tournament with big electronic tables narrating the hidden story of the game for us while we are serving popcorns like at the theatre. We are watching a predictable movie by participating to a big chess tournament.

No mystery around this game any more... Using such machines in making our job easier it is affecting our creativity. Today, more than ever, you can hear grandmasters saying with sadness in their voice "Well, my recollection of the variation proved to be insufficient..." concluding a defeat. We all love the show, tasting every second of it when Deep Thought obliged Kasparov to resign. We cannot stop from using our computers to analyze where we went wrong in our games, forgetting about old magazines, old chess players and old chess battles, in short about the lessons of old chess.

Telemarketing, voice mails, zip codes, screen everywhere, high-speed chess computers... Well, it sounds like Orwell`s 1984 to me! Electronic chess devices are recommended for their speed in calculation, for their efficiency and for making us believe in an accurate opinion about what can happen on the board. Like a fast food electronic preparation system, they could tell us what a good job they can do in just 30 seconds! Why do we need that? Well, because in a rational society people want to know what to expect under any conditions and at all times. They want the sandwich they just ordered to be exactly like the one from yesterday and if they won with a King's Indian line last round, they intend to use it again due to their belief that things cannot be much different if previously proven efficient... The routine use of sequels is present all over, from Hollywood to World chess title matches. From the studios or organizing institutions point of view the same characters, actors (remember Karpov-Kasparov matches?) and basic plots lines can be used all over again.


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Profit levels are more predictable this way. People do not go camping for the sake of the nature any more.They want all the unpredictability to be taken out. "We've got everything right here... It does not matter how hard it rains or how hard the wind blows" would say a camper relaxing in his air-conditioned thirty-foot Trailer. In the same manner in which a kid confessed he likes to be in the mall all the time because no matter what weather is outside, it is always the same in here. Similarly, using a chess computer to make our chess agenda. We do it because we want to eliminate any undesired events that could obliterate our objective. We become shaky when we are not using it, wishing its permanent position as companion in our thinking process.

I humbly ask the reader not to consider this essay a piece of anti-progress propaganda. This is far from being my intention. Great gains have resulted following technological innovations. There is a danger in rationalization nevertheless. There is the irrationality of the rationality, no doubt about it. The rational systems inevitably spawn a series of irrationalities that limit and defeat their rationality. We have long lines in McDonald's restaurants, ATMs as tools of the rational society utilizing us as unpaid workers and they still give us hard times every now and then! How many chess grandmasters lost some of their games by blindly following their chess program's recommendations?

Pushing a button, the kitchen may end up as a sort of filling station. Family members will pull in, push a few buttons, fill up and leave. To clean up, all we need is to throw away plastic plates. Is this a normal family dinner nowadays? But of course! I am only 25 years old, but I love the old fashion way. I am not very much impressed with a long and very beautiful chess game played by e-mail by two engineers using extensively their computers from work! I would rather prefer an old game, where subtle moves are mixed with weak manoeuvres, played in some European chess saloon from the beginning of the 20th century, as well as I love to prepare a special dinner for my fiancé and not order pizza-delivery, or a microwave dish! And I would rather prefer Havana's hot temperature if this means I can avoid an opponent that refuses to create and replies to my moves with his chess engine loaded on a laptop...

We are living the danger of creating the chess bureaucrat by neglecting the human side of the chess phenomenon and by putting our historical legacy behind us. TV commercials for chess electronic sets and worldwide chains of chess shops are the signs of a new chess industry seeking great profit. However as any other industry it has a worker inside of it, a chess worker. What about a chess revolution by returning to our legacy that, first of all, is human? I am no man of action believe me. I call the plumber when my sink doesn't work. So, I call the chess historians to repair the rear-view mirror I mentioned above. Because it is the only mirror worth keeping as chess lovers!

*********

I dedicate this writing to my sweet Juli Angsani whose inspiring presence deserves all my gratitude!Let`s never stop praying!


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Paul Diaconescu Memorial

thStarted in January 15 2003, Paul Diaconescu Memorial is organized by Romanian CC Commission in the memory of Ing. Paul Diaconescu (1929-1997). A lot of people from Romania and ICCF still remember Paul and his dedicated work. A list of his accomplishments would be quite long, so here a few most important facts about him:

1954 National Master at artistic chess, introducing the 2 moves mate “Diaconescu theme”. Has composed about 50 chess problems and obtained 12 awards.

st1965 Attends his 1 ICCF Congress as delegate for Romania1969 Obtains the ICCF International Arbiter title 1972 Elected as Vice-President of ICCF1974 Obtains the ICCF-IM title1975 National CC Master1982 Obtains the ICCF-GM title1985 Awarded the distinction as Honorary member of ICCF1987 Elected as ICCF General Secretary, position held for 8 years

Naming all the friends and supporters would form a long list, so we will present just a few selected comments about Paul's legacy.

Alan P. Borwell (SCO), ICCF President

"I first met Paul Diaconescu over 20 years ago at the ICCF Congress in London and we soon became very close friends.

Paul was a kind and generous person, with a great love of children and enjoyed meeting delegates and their families at Congresses. Despite the hard times in his country, he would often bring gifts and I have several nice recordings of traditional Romanian music, which he presented to me - we shared a common interest in music and frequently talked about it at Congress social occasions and banquets.

He was a pioneer of Ladies CC events in ICCF and he took a great interest in "propagandistic" (he liked that word!) tournaments, especially in the less developed CC countries. He was very active in the promotion and development of CC in the African Continent. Paul was a fine CC player and I was delighted when he accepted an invitation to play in the Scottish Centenary Tournament, which began in 1984.

When he became the ICCF General Secretary, in Bloemendaal in 1987 succeeding Henk Mostert who became ICCF President, Paul brought great dedication and dignity to the position, in which he served ICCF well for 8 years. In latter years, Paul suffered deteriorating health, but he never complained and was always cheerful, with great caring for other people.

I remember him with much affection, as do Moira and my two children - he was one of our dearest friends in ICCF family.


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Roald Berthelsen (NOR), Honorary Member of ICCF

Long before I personally met Paul Diaconescu, I "knew" him by name. I played over a number of his CC games, which I found in the German CC Magazine FERNSCHACH and “Revista Romana de Sah” or elsewhere. Both magazines were on my subscription list.

When Sweden hosted the 1977 ICCF Congress in Landskrona, I met Paul live for the very first time. It was like meeting an "old friend" again. When I arrived at the Congress Hotel, Paul was the first Delegate who wished me welcome and introduced me to the President, Hans-Werner von Massow. Paul and I shortly became good friends and we attended a number of congresses the next 20 years. Our close friendship created changes of different presents, chess literatures including close and confidential talks about everything.

Under a number of years Paul was a highly respected Vice President and Tournament Director for ICCFs Ladies Olympiad. I was captain for the Norwegian lady team. In the Men's Olympiad it was opposite. I was the Tournament Director and Paul team captain. During all this years, we changed a great number of letters and in praxis, we used to find amici sumus solutions wherever possible, and this was long before the motto was adopted by ICCF as its own.

thWhen the Norwegian CC Federation was to organize its 40 anniversary, I was inviting a strong

starting field. Of course Paul was invited, but as most usual for volunteers in ICCF, their commitments did not always offer the extra room for participation in tournaments. It was in his job as Tournament Director Paul become worldwide known by a great number of CC players.

Paul Diaconescu was involved in ICCF as an official, counted from the late 1960ies. In 1965 he attended his first congress and was immediately elected as an member of the committee who should

stwork out the rules and details for the 1 World Cup tournament. Two years later Paul was elected as Vice President, but he declined the election because his national federation did not confirm it. But no one could take away the congress decision to elect Paul as a member of the important Rule commission and a few years later he also became a member of the prestigious Qualification committee. We both worked together for decades in these two committees.

1969 was Paul elected as International Arbiter and after he later achieved Grandmaster, he became a distinguish member of the unofficial VIP club of members who held both the IA title and the GM title at the same time. They were only a handful members altogether.

Paul continued his success as ICCF Official as General Secretary, elected 1988. Together with the new elected President Henk Mostert, they both created an excellent team of lovers to correspondence chess. When Paul died in 1997 (the darkest year in ICCF ever), he left behind an empty room in the international correspondence chess. A great number of friends worldwide, remember Paul with gratitude.

Alan Rawlings (ENG), ICCF General Secretary

Paul Diaconescu was one of my predecessors as ICCF General Secretary. I first met him at the 1994 Congress in Scotland, and as a new boy felt a warn welcome from him despite our difficulty in communicating - Paul's spoken English was only slightly better than my spoken French. He was too ill to come to Norway in 1995, but we met again as friends in Germany the following year, after his term of office as GS had finished. He did not seem in the best of health then, and it was indeed the last time he came to Congress.

I think that Paul has two unique distinctions in the world of chess. First of all, he must be almost the only ICCF Arbiter to have been chief arbiter at a FIDE Interzonal (Sousse 1967). Second, and closer to home, you know those golden lapel badges that some of us wear? Traditionally they are awarded to GMs, IAs and Presidium members, and I am completely sure that Paul is the only person thus far to qualify on all three counts.


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thFritz Baumbach (GER), 11 CC World Champion

My first contact with Paul was in 1988, when I visited the ICCF Congress in Aarhus/Denmark as “newly baked” (frischgebacken) world champion. It was an exciting trip for me, because it was extremely difficult to get an allowance of the GDR officials and because of the many, many CC friends I met at the Congress. One of the Congress participants was Paul, the acting (also “newly baked”) ICCF General Secretary.

A short time later (1990) we started in the same CC tournament (in the Italian SILLI memorial). It was a friendly correspondence, and Paul was so kind to hand over me the point after a thrilling game.

From now on we met year for year at the ICCF congresses. Paul as General Secretary was st st

always the 1 speaker in the 1 meeting of the Congress, as long as I became his successor in 1995. Paul has had no files to be handed over to me he was not an “office type”, he liked much more to watch a football game on TV than to participate in (sometimes) boring meetings.

He was a fun person with a lot of humour, and it was always a pleasure to meet him.

Max Zavanelli (USA), Official ICCF DelegateRuth-Ann Fay (USA), NAPZ Deputy

We first met Paul Diaconescu at the Richmond, England Congress in 1989. He served as ICCF General Secretary from 1988-1995. He was an Honorary Life Member of ICCF. He was one of Romania's three Grand Masters. He played 215 games at a time when post to and from Romania must have been very slow. There are many people who knew Eng. Paul Diaconescu better than we did. We don't know how he earned his IM in 1974 or how he earned his GM in 1982. But in the few, short years that we knew him, he became one of our favorite ICCF Chessfriends.

Paul Diaconescu as General Secretary had the responsibility to communicate with all Congress delegates. Unlike many of the Eastern block delegates, Paul was not afraid to be seen talking with delegates from other parts of the world. Or perhaps it was his ability to speak some western languages that helped him communicate with others. He spoke French, and my wife, Ruth Ann Fay, tried very hard to remember her high school French. We could always find a few phrases that would bring smiles to all our faces.

He was always very quiet at the Congress, but behind the scenes, he was a staunch friend of small countries and always willing to help and give advice. To me personally, he was a true gentleman, a gracious person, and friend.

He was chief arbiter at the FIDE Interzonal (Sousse 1967). Also he handled the ICCF Ladies Olympiad and World Championship. The Ladies loved him. The US Team Captain, Alina Markowski, said it was a pleasure to work with him and read his letters.

He confidentially told us about life in Romania. He spoke of his family situation and of the political situation. He obviously enjoyed traveling to other parts of Europe even though he was worried about his family being held hostage at home. He did not have enough financial assistance while traveling, so he really depended on the breakfast that came with the bed. He enjoyed the banquets and day trip lunch more than the rest of us. The rest of us may have been a bit tentative about eating haggis in Scotland, but he probably dug in to his, just as he passionately dug in to life and chess.

As General Secretary, he needed to write letters and distribute information. He performed his duties well in spite of ill health. He had one problem. Neither he nor the Romanian chess club had a copier. We offered to supply a copier and Gerhard Radosztics from Austria was able to provide for delivery. This enabled Paul to perform his ICCF duties. It also provided Romanians with one of the few copiers in the country at the time the only “free press”. He was anti-communist and a strong, passionate believer in freedom. His brother had been tortured by the communists.

When we last saw him at the 1996 Congress in Bad Neuenahr, Germany, he was ill and frail, but he still had a twinkle in his eye.


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Valer Vasile Demian (ROM), ICCF-IM

Eng. Paul Diaconescu was one dedicated man for Romanian chess. Those who find time in their chess struggles to also serve the chess community deserve an unlimited appreciation. Back in the 40s of the past Millennium I was full of admiration for the man who invented the "Diaconescu" theme. In Oct 1955 I had the pleasure of meeting him in person during a team match between counties. I was playing a national master Mitroi and Paul was their team captain; at the end of the game he told Mitroi: „He took control of -d5- and gave you no chance. He is dangerous”. Of course that was a great compliment coming from him.

Later on together with his good friend Ing.Stefaniu managed to put a solid foundation for correspondence chess in Romania. Their efforts were rewarded with 3 Coppa Latina 1st places, 4th place in the World and our own ICCF-GMs: Diaconescu, Costea, Breazu, Rotariu, our golden boys!

His dedication and efficiency in occupying domestic and international official positions should be patented and followed by the new generation. He also had a very deep knowledge and understanding of postal tricky situations and the Palmiotto episode from Coppa Latina 2 comes immediately to mind. Unfortunately he was too much of a gentleman sometimes in dealing with TDs such as Bullockus, Simonet, Rozinov, or Rott. For the trust he invested in me to represent Romania I managed to return the favour of a silver medal and other good results!

I have always been a Fischer fan, so in the mid 70s I asked him to describe Fischer based on his impressions of being a TD at Soussa 1967. Was Fischer so impossible to deal with as the Soviet propaganda was claiming? Considering the political situation at that time and the side we were on, his refusal to comment was an elegant gesture. A great chess player and person!

Selected games

Jean Luis Ormond - Paul Diaconescu, corr.19601.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 c4 7.g3 Nge7 8.Nbd2 Na5 9.Bh3 Bd7 10.Nf1 Nb3 11.Rb1 Nxc1 12.Qxc1 Ba4 13.Ne3 Nc6 14.Nd2 h5 15.f4 g5 16.Kf2 gxf4 17.gxf4 Bh6 18.Nf3 0-0-0 19.Ng5 Nxd4 20.cxd4 Qxd4 21.Kf3 Bxg5 22.fxg5 Qe4+ 23.Kf2 Qh4+ 24.Kg2 Bc6 0-1

Paul Diaconescu - Hans Dieter Mueller, 6th Olympiad Final, 1968-19721.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.f3 d5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 Nxc3 9.Qc2 Nb5 10.e4 Nd4 11.Qc3 e5 12.Be3 Nbc6 13.Rd1 0-0 14.Ne2 Qh4+ 15.Bf2 Nxe2 16.Bxe2 Qg5 17.0-0 Be6 18.Rd6 Rac8 19.Be3 Qe7 20.f4 exf4 21.Bxf4 Nd8 22.Rd2 Re8 23.Bd6 Qh4 24.Qe3 Bd7 25.e5 h6 26.Rd4 Qg5 27.Rdf4 Bc6 28.Qf2 Rxe5 29.Bxe5 Qxe5 30.Bc4 Qc3 31.Bxf7+ Nxf7 32.Rxf7 Rd8 33.Re7 Rd5 34.h4 Qxc5 35.Qxc5 Rxc5 36.Rff7 g5 37.Rg7+ Kf8 38.Ref7+ Ke8 39.Rf6 Rc1+ 40.Kh2 Rc2 41.Rxh6 Rxg2+ 42.Kh3 g4+ 43.Rxg4 Ra2 44.Rg7 1-0

stPaul Diaconescu - Paul Clement, 1 Coppa Latina, 1971-19731.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Nd2 Na6 11.Kh1 Nc7 12.a4 Rb8 13.f3 Nd7 14.Nc4 Ne5 15.Ne3 f5 16.f4 Nf7 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Bd3 Nh6 19.Ne2 Bd7 20.Ng3 Rf8 21.Qc2 Qf6 22.Nh5 Qf7 23.Nxg7 Kxg7 24.b3 Ng4 25.Nxg4 fxg4 26.Bb2+ Kh6 27.f5 Rbe8 28.Qd2+ Kh5 29.f6 Rg8 30.Bc1 Rg6 31.Bxg6+ Qxg6 32.Bb2 Rf8 33.Rae1 1-0

Paul Diaconescu - Mario Napolitano, Europe Echecs 20 Years, 1979-19871.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc5 7.Bg5 b6 8.e3 Bb7 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 Be7 11.Rfd1 Rc8 12.Nb5 Ne8 13.Bf4 d6 14.Rd2 d5 15.cxd5 Nd4 16.Qd1 Nxe2+ 17.Qxe2 exd5 18.Nxa7 Ra8 19.Nb5 Nd6 20.Nxd6 Bxd6 21.Bxd6 Qxd6 22.Nd4 Qg6 23.Qd3 Rfc8 24.Qxg6 hxg6 25.f3 Kf8 26.a3 Ke7 27.Rc2 Rxc2 28.Nxc2 Rc8 29.Nd4 Kd6 30.Kf2 Ba6 31.Ke1 Rc7 32.Kd2 Rc8 33.Rc1 Rxc1 34.Kxc1 Bf1 35.g3 Ba6 36.f4 Bc8 37.Kd2 Bd7 38.Kc3 Kc5 39.b4+ Kd6 40.Nf3 Be8 41.Kd4 b5 42.Nd2 f6 43.Nb1 Bf7 44.Nc3 Kc6 45.g4 Be6 46.g5 1-0


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The structure of the tournament

This memorial gathers together players (75 in total) and officials from 18 ICCF countries including Romania, as Paul would have definitely enjoyed seeing. For Romanian CC having 44 players involved means this memorial is the most important CC event in the past 25 years. Participating players have been divided into 5 groups as follows:§ 3 international played by email,§ 2 national: one played by email and one played by post.

Group A - 15 players, play by emailAverage rating: 2404, category VII, TD IA Ralph Marconi (CAN)Participants: IM Jean Banet (FRA), IM Natalino Constantino Ferreira (BRA), Eduardo Calhau (POR), Constantin Vasile (ROM), IM Liam Lynn (ENG), IM Kristo Miettinen (USA), Daniel Hagelstein (ROM), IM Everdinand Knol (RSA), Cristian Mayer (ROM), SIM Hilmar Krueger (GER), Aniello Tucci (ITA), Octavian Moise (ROM), SIM Ervin Janosi (HUN), SIM Sergey Simonenko (TKM), Radu Breahna (ROM)

Group B - 15 players, play by emailAverage rating: 2347, category IV, TD IA Pedro Federico Hegoburu (ARG)Participants: Petre Grigore (ROM), Istvan Brindza (YUG), Viorel Calugaru (ROM), Nicola Latronico (ITA), Sandor Daroczy (HUN), Miron Sferle (ROM), Anthony Morgan (AUS), German Castillo (VEN), Marco Antonio dos Santos (BRA), Joaquim Brandao (POR), Christopher Fordham-Hall (ENG), Doru Talos (ROM), Svein Olsen (NOR), Francois Sage (FRA), IM Henrich Guenter (GER)

Group C - 15 players, play by emailAverage rating: 2256, category I, TD Valer Eugen Demian (CAN) Participants: Alcindo da Luz Silva Filho (BRA), Alan Sutton (ENG), Zsolt Szabo (HUN), Willy Muller (GER), Vitor Ribeiro (POR), Douglas Hamilton (AUS), Iulian Necula (ROM), Silviu Nenciulescu (ROM), Florin Dutu (ROM), Stefan Lakatos (ROM), Franklin Campbell (USA), Sotiris Delavekouras (GRE), Bernard Baroin (FRA), Alexandru Ilinca (ROM), Mauro Marchisotti (ITA)

Group D - 15 players, national, play by emailAverage rating: 2061, TD Nicolae Doroftei/Marius Ceteras (ROM)Participants: Alin Toma, Cristian Veneteanu, Daniel Cinca, Gheorghe Dobrei, Octavian Cartas, Gheorghe Oancea, Istvan Bartha, Jozsef Schulle, Sorin Ciucurel, Cristian Campian, Alexandru Parseghian, Istvan Antal, Florin Sebe, Nicolae Pripoae, Almos Szabo

Group E - 15 players, national, play by postAverage rating: 2191, TD Florin Dutu (ROM)Participants: Iuliu Follert, Tiberiu Aninis, Carol Szilagyi, Nicolae Achim, Iuliu Topan, Constantin Mihailescu, Vasile Tudor, Stefan Ticleanu, Anton Stemate, Constantin Blanaru, Victor Tacu, Marius Horvath, Adrian Parau, Ion Popescu-Rusavat, Alexandru Vidican


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Romanian Correspondence Chess Commission

Romanian CC Commission is part of Romanian Chess Federation.Address (Romanian Chess Federation): Federatia Romana de Sah, Str. Ion Campineanu nr.20, sector 1, BucurestiFax: 40-21-3121944

National CC contacts

Honorary President: Vladimir Salceanu

President: Radu Breahna

National Email Coordinator: Marius CeterasEmail Address:

Address: Dobrogei 2A, 510142 Alba Iulia, RomaniaPhone: 40-745633805 Fax: 40-258-811036

National Postal Coordinator: Eugen HangB-dul 21 Decembrie 1989 nr. 60, Ap.11

400124 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

ICCF Email Contact: Valer E. Demian

National Rating & Titles Commisioner: Miron Sferle

Rules Commissioner: Gavril Berecz

Appeals Commissioner: Florin Dutu

Webmaster: Cristian Campian

Team Captains for friendly matches:Elemer Karacsony

Doru Talos

National Website

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]@yahoo.com

www.romanianchess.org


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romanian correspondence chess

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