Just had a quick look. Havent found Berliner's analysis yet.
But I was right about Walter Muir:

Muir-Svensson correspondence game 1971/1973 continued:
12.Qe2, 0-0 13.fxg4, Bxg3+ 14.Kd1,Nf6

So much for 12.Qe2 being a novelty!

(1) I agree with MNB that 8....Ne6! is correct. Actually NMB is too modest. On the forumn - in a previous thread - he gave variations up till move 19, showing Black can reach approximate equality.
(2) 12.Qe2 is by no means a new move. If my memory is correct, this move was invented and played by the corr. player Walter Muir.
The variation was also discussed in Correspondence Chess Mail.
I think that Berliner has reacted, and proposed some variations, but I will have to look that up.
(3) I can agree that 12.Qe2 poses severe difficulties for Black But I dont agree with the variations presented above.
For instance after 12.Qe2,0-0 13.Qf2,exf 14.gxf,Bh5 I think Black has sufficient compensation (If white wants to refute this line he must risk 13.fxg4.)
(4) There is an even nastier problem for Black in the Fritz, also discussed on this Forum. Topnotch made a good case that
8.cxd4,Qxg5 9.Bxb5+,Kd8 10.0-0!, Rb8 11.Bc6!,exd4 12.d3,Nf4 13.Na3 (Pirrot-Daeubler, Bad Worrishofen, 2008) leaves white with an advantage.
(5) The question who is the strongest Correspondence World Champion is as meaningfull as the question who is the strongest World Champion of all time.
(6) That being said Hans Berliner certainly is one of the great correspondence champions. At least we can say that he had an original style to which his variation in the Fritz - correct or not- testistifies. If you replay his games, you will see his expert handling of endgames.

HgMan wrote on 12/30/08 at 18:28:23:


A book, apparently.   

Am I the only one getting riddled with messages?  Maybe Sloughter and Zukertort could open their own section on Chesspub...

sloughter wrote on 12/30/08 at 15:06:16:


This is nonsense. In the first place I think higher of Estrin's play and in the second place ICCF has produced some excellent WCh's since Berliner: Baumbach, a few Russians whose name I can't remember and some Dutchies.

Anyhow, according to my analysis and practice 8...Ne6 9.Bxb5+ Bd7 offers enough compensation to maintain equality. After 10.Bxd7 Qxd7 White is slightly behind in development and suffers from a vulnerable d-pawn. After both 10.Qa4+ and 10.Qe2 Black gets excellent play with ...Ndf4!
According to most GM's Black also gets sufficiently play after 5...Na5, but I will leave it to others to defend this variation.
Btw 5...b5 and 6...Nd4 is considered more precise since many years. This makes me suspect that you don't have done enough book research. My well meant advise is to book up before making daring claims. Emms has excellent stuff on 5...Na5. For the Fritz-Ulvestadt you will probably have to turn to older soucres. In fact I think Estrin's old work on the Two Knights Game still the best on 8...Ne6. It inspired me to find Black's most precise play in the only line that is thought to end with +=, ie 8...Ne6 9.Bxb5+ Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Qxd7.

You're in the wrong section.  Please post under 1.e4 e5.

And what makes Hans Berliner the strongest cc world champion?  His book is absolute lunacy.

HITECH was a very impressive piece of machinery, but it wasn't that strong by today's standards.

Bibs was bang on re. writing style, though.  What are you selling?

Commendable enthusiasm, but spamming all sections until you get attention may not make you too many friends. Sure a reply will come if you wait in the e4 e5 section.

Love the writing style btw - very Raymond Keene. Same English teacher?

festive wishes,

Bibs