I was sorry to hear of the death of one of Ireland’s most distinguished correspondence players, Desmond Taylor, in August, aged 80. He earned the correspondence chess International Master title in 1998 and the correspondence chess Senior International Master title in 2002.
The Lisburn C.C. Facebook page had a post on October 24, with the news, plus some details of his life and chess career, including a recent photograph.
One of his most notable wins was against Tõnu Õim of Estonia, twice World Correspondence Chess Champion (1977-1983 and 1994-2000), during the preliminary round of the 13th Correspondence Chess Olympiad in 1998. His annotation of the game appears on the ICCA web pages. A crucial moment is shown in the diagrammed position:
16. ?
Topalov had suggested 16. Nbc7 Bxd5! 17. Nxd5 Rfe8 here, in notes on the game Adams – Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1996. Õim instead played the novelty 16. Ndc7, presumably to avoid this possibility, but it did not work out, and Taylor took control and won well.
Intriguingly, the ICCA notes say “In Tallinn shortly after this game ended, the world champion told Tim Harding he would never had played this move had he owned a computer to check it.” The game of correspondence chess has changed out of all recognition.