Correspondence Chess in America — Bryce D. Avery

Condition: New

Correspondence Chess in America by Bryce D. Avery is the definitive historical and analytical study of correspondence chess in the United States. Covering more than 150 years of development—from the 1840s through the end of the 20th century—this book traces how postal chess evolved from scattered individual exchanges into a fully organized national system.

Avery provides a richly detailed account of the rise of American correspondence play, with special focus on the Correspondence Chess League of America (CCLA), the oldest correspondence chess organization in the United States and the second oldest in the world. The book also examines the United States Postal Chess Federation, its national championships, and its role in shaping competitive correspondence chess across the country.

Readers will find insightful comparisons between American and international correspondence chess, along with biographies of America’s two World Correspondence Chess Champions, documenting their achievements and contributions to the global correspondence community.

The book includes over 200 illustrative games with diagrams, showcasing key ideas, strategic themes, and high‑level correspondence play. These games highlight the depth and creativity that postal chess made possible long before the age of computers.

Extensive appendices provide valuable reference material, including:

• The CCLA rating system
• Adjudication rules
• The Russian system
• Lists of major tournament winners
• A full bibliography
• Indexes of players, openings, and topics

Correspondence Chess in America is an essential resource for chess historians, collectors, and serious players—especially those interested in the evolution of correspondence chess and its unique place in American chess history.

A high‑quality, authoritative volume in New condition.