IT HAS been described as the most dangerous sport in the world and living in the hills of Dunbible is a master of the field.

Two-time NSW Correspondence Chess Champion and chess master Brian Thew will embark on the Australian championships this month and the seniors championships soon after.

In the past, correspondence chess saw many of its competitors die because its games have the potential to take a very long time - so much so that some players die of old age in the middle of a match.

While online databases meant it was no longer necessary to post moves as far away as Russia, Mr Thew said correspondence chess could still take some time.

"The first state championship I won lasted two years. I just managed to hang on to it by the skin of my teeth," he said.

Mr Thew began playing chess seriously in 1972, after the World Chess Championship match between American Bobby Fischer and reigning champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.

"I played for a year or two...but then as my wife was a teacher we ended up in Wagga," Mr Thew said.

There, it became more difficult to find people to play against - hence he began correspondence chess.

Having taken out the top spot in the 2014 championships, Mr Thew said he was preparing for his next challenge.

When he spoke to the Tweed Daily News, the retired teacher had 15 correspondence games in progress - but said he'd usually have up to 40 going, if it weren't leading up to the championships.

With 400 possible positions within the first few moves, Mr Thew said he always told beginners to focus on controlling the four centre squares.

"There's hundreds and hundreds of hideous traps you can fall into," he said.

The longest chess tournament lasted for 53 years, until one of the competitors died in 1999.