Lecture By Reigning World Correspondence Chess Champion Jon R. Edwards!

The West Orange Chess Club is pleased to announce that, on June 11th, International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF) CGM Jon R. Edwards, the (reigning) 32nd Correspondence Chess World Champion, will provide two instructional sessions at the Toby Katz Community Center for those interested in learning about computer chess algorithms and the challenges faced in Correspondence Chess.

Jon R. Edwards is a notable and accomplished chess player and enthusiast. A Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (CGM) since 2022, his peak ICCF rating was 2560 (currently rated 2552). His numerous other accomplishments include:

US Chess Grandmaster of the Year, 2023
Bronze Medal in the 2023 Correspondence Chess Olympiad
Appearance on the cover of American Chess Magazine, March 2023
Shared 1st place finish at the ICCF Candidates Tournament, in 2019
Appearance on the cover of Chess Life Magazine, February 2019
Grandmaster norm, in 2017
(Shared) 1st place finish at the US Invitational Tournament, in 2017
(Shared) 1st Place finish at the US Amateur Tournament, in 2016
1st place at the 8th North American Invitational Correspondence Chess Championship, in 1999
Senior International Master (SIM) Title, in 1999
1st place at the 10th United States Correspondence Championship, in 1997
Four-time winner of the APCT (American Postal Chess Tournaments) Championship and APCT Game of the Year Awards in 1996, 1997
International Master (IM) Title, in 1997

A noted chess author, Jon Edwards has written (and still writes!) regular columns on chess instruction, such as “You Can Do It!”, in Chess Life for Kids, and “Chess Tech”, in American Chess Magazine, as well as at least 7 books on chess-related matters such as The Chess Analyst (Thinkers Press); Teach Yourself Visually: Chess (Wiley); Sacking the Citadel, ChessBase Complete, ChessBase Complete Supplement for CB 13-15, 1,111 Mates in One, and 1,111 Mates in Two, Three, Four and More (Russell Enterprises). Moreover, he is the current Vice President of the Chess Journalists of America and has instructed many chess learners through Chess-in-the-Schools in addition to his non-chess work at Princeton University, where he was the Coordinator for Institutional Communication in the Office of Information Technology until retirement. Before retiring, however, he was elected “Committeeman” for Hopewell Township from 1998-2004, and served as Mayor of Hopewell from 2000-2001!

The format of his presentation at the Toby Katz Center will follow the following schedule: the early session, during which Edwards will provide ChessBase tips and tricks suitable for younger players and beginners who are inquisitive about learning chess but are unfamiliar with the program, starts at 6 PM; and the second session, starting at 7:30 PM after a brief intermission, will explore the impact of AI on Correspondence Chess. Each session will be followed by a Question-and-Answer period during which your comments are welcome.

There will be no fee to attend this lecture however donations will be accepted to reward Mr. Edwards in appreciation for his time.

Please help us give CGM Jon Edwards an enthusiastic greeting at the WOCC on June 11th and honor him with your presence. His presentation will surely not disappoint!

Sincerely,
— Executive Board Members of the West Orange Chess Club:
John Hagerty, President
Lev Zilbermintz, Vice-President
Andy Chan, Treasurer
Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, Secretary
Bryan Cohen, Officer-at-Large