A major event in the history of the gambit took place in 1990 when the German master and publisher, Volker Drueke, organized an international thematic correspondence tournament. 

Spanning from May, 1990 to April, 1993, the field of twelve players, representing nine countries, included no less than six ICCF/WCCF masters: David Heap (2494), Terry Taylor (2483), Itamar Oren (2450), Alexander Bangiev (2445), Rob Ritterhouse (2360), and Keith Hayward (2275). The winner was Heap with an impressive score of 12 1/2 - 9 1/2, a feat attributed more to the authors lengthy experience with the gambit rather than skill!