Friday, July 31, 2015

Sliding Doors

A woman cries as she holds her baby near their home, which was damaged by shelling in Horlivka (Горлівка), eastern Ukraine. After several months of a fragile ceasefire, the country has seen the most violence since February, prompting fears of a resumption of full-blown conflict in the region. Photo: Mstyslav Chernov/AP.

“佳佳”太太 (Madam Jiā Jiā)

“佳佳” (Jiā Jiā) was born in 四川 (Sìchuān), China, in 1978 and was given to 香港 (Hong Kong) in 1999 to mark the handover by Britain two years earlier. Photo: AFP/Philippe Lopez.

Hong Kong (AFP) – It may not be considered a landmark birthday for humans, but turning 37 on Tuesday made Hong Kong’s Jiā Jiā the oldest-ever giant panda in captivity, and she celebrated in style.
The equivalent of more than 100 years old in human terms, Jiā Jiā was presented with a towering birthday cake made from ice and fruit juice with the number 37 carved on top in her enclosure at the city’s Ocean Park theme park. [Read more].

Gens una sumus

http://zaxid.net/news/showNews.do?ukrayintsi_ta_rosiyani__tse_odin_narod__prezident_mizhnarodnoyi_shahovoyi_federatsiyi&objectId=1360276
“Ukrainians and Russians – Gens una sumus”, FIDE President said

“Chess is beyond politics, but there is an exception to every rule”, FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov said. Photo: Chess-News.ru.

鸟巢 (Bird’s Nest)

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/31/beijing-wins-right-host-winter-olympics-2022
Běijīng has won the battle to host the 2022 Winter Olympics after the Chinese president, Xí Jìnpíng, made a last-minute vow to lay on a “fantastic, extraordinary and excellent” event. Běijīng defeated its rival Almaty in Kazakhstan by 44 votes to 40, with one IOC member abstaining.
International Olympic Committee delegates handed the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic events to Běijīng on Friday afternoon following a secret ballot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Read more].
Participants holding Chinese national flags and 北京 (Běijīng) 2022 Olympic flags walk past the 鸟巢 (Bird’s Nest), also known as the National Stadium, to attend a rehearsal of a performance in 北京 (Běijīng), China, July 30, 2015. Photo: Reuters/China Daily.

黑瞎子岛 (Большой Уссурийский)

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – 倪华 (Ní Huá)
China – Russia Challenge Match; 抚远 (Fǔyuǎn), 黑瞎子岛 (Hēixiāzi Island), July 31, 2015
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Nc3 Bf5 9. Re1 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 0-0 12. Re2 a6 13. Bf4 Qd7 14. Rae1 Rae8 15. c4. If, instead, 15. Qe3 might follow 15. ... f6 16. Qe6+ Qxe6 17. Rxe6 Kf7 18. Bxc7 Ba3 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. Rb1 b5 and Black’s position seems to compensate for the Pawn, Nepomniachtchi – Fridman, 12th European Individual Chess Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 15. ... dxc4 16. Qxc4 Bd6? A hasty move by which Black only gets to simplify the game in the opponent’s favour. After 16. ... b5 17. Qd3 Bf6 18. c3 White has only a slight plus. 17. Rxe8 Rxe8 18. Rxe8+ Qxe8 19. Bxd6 cxd6 20. d5 Ne7. Clearly not 20. ... Ne5?? on account of 21. Nxe5 dxe5 22. d6 and wins.


21. Qc7! Very accurately calculated. 21. ... Nxd5 22. Qxb7 Nc3 23. Qxa6 Qb8 24. g3 h6 25. a4 Qb1+ 26. Kg2 Qxc2. Although Black has won back his Pawn, White will easily win the game by virtue of his passed a-Pawn. 27. Qc8+ Kh7 28. a5 Qb2 29. Qc6. Whereas 倪华 (Ní Huá) was hoping for 29. a6?? Nd1 when White has nothing better than the perpetual (30. Qc8+). 29. ... d5 30. Qb6 Qa2? Tougher resistance is offered by 30. ... Qb5, although after 31. h4! Black cannot hope to save the game. 31. a6 Ne4 32. a7 g5 33. Ne5 Kg7 34. Nd3 d4 35. Qxd4+ Nf6 36. Nc5. Threatening both Nc5-d7 and Nc5-e4. 1 : 0. For after 36. ... Qxa7 37. Ne6+ White wins the Queen.

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin vs. 倪华 (Ní Huá)
Photo: sinochess (@sinachess)

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Blackmail

http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/mondo/2015-07-30/tsipras-propone-referendum-superare-divisioni-dentro-syriza-150212.shtml?uuid=ACH96Da
Alexīs Tsipras
Foto: Alexīs Tsipras (@tsipras_eu)

The Swimming Pool

Visitors crowd the “Sea of Death” tourist resort in 遂宁 (Sùiníng) as high temperatures hit China. Photo: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images.

Le roi s’amuse

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Richárd Rapport
48th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, July 30, 2015
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6. Philidor’s dogma. 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. g3 0-0 7. Bg2 Re8 8. 0-0 Bf8 9. Bf4 Nbd7 10. Qd2 Ne5 11. Rad1 c6 12. h3 b5. For 12. ... Nc4 13. Qc1 Qa5 see Brady – Wall, e2e4 Dublin International Easter Congress Masters, Dublin 2012. 13. b3 b4 14. Na4 c5 15. Nb5


15. ... d5? This pseudo-freeing counter-move is a serious error of judgment, leading to the loss of a Pawn without any compensation. Here 15. ... Ba6 16. c4 Bxb5 17. axb5 Qa5 would seem a quite reasonable continuation. 16. exd5 Bxh3 17. Bxe5 Rxe5 18. Bxh3 a6 19. Nbc3 bxc3 20. Nxc3. White is not only a Pawn ahead, but has a powerful passed Pawn. Such an advantage is more than enough for Maxime to convert to a win. 20. ... Bd6 21. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Qc7 23. Ne4 Nxe4 24. Rxe4 Qb6 25. Qe3 g6 26. Bd7 Rd8 27. Be8 Qc7 28. Kg2 Rb8 29. Rh4 h5 30. Re4 Rb4 31. c4 Rb8 32. Qf3 Bf8 33. Qf6 a5 34. d6! Qb7. After 34. ... Bxd6 35. Bxf7+! Qxd7 36. Qxd6 Black is busted. 35. f3 Bg7 36. Qe7. Without further thought, Maxime forces the exchange of Queens as to ensure the win of the second Pawn. 36. ... Qxe7 37. Rxe7 Bf8 38. Bxf7+ Kg7 39. Ra7 Bxd6 40. Bd5+ Kf6 41. Rxa5 Rb6 42. f4 g5 43. Kf3 h4 44. fxg5+ Kxg5 45. gxh4+ Kxh4 46. Ke4 Kg5 47. Rb5 Rb8 48. Rxb8 1 : 0.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. Richárd Rapport
Photo: Biel International Chess Festival

Mermaid

Pietrasanta, Italy, July 30, 2015. “Il Canto delle Sirene | The Mermaids’ Song”, an outdoor exhibition of sculptures by Luigi Galligani. Photo: Mado Flynn.

Σειρῆνες (Sirene)

Pietrasanta, Italy, July 30, 2015. “Il Canto delle Sirene | The Mermaids’ Song”, an outdoor exhibition of sculptures by Luigi Galligani. Photo: Mado Flynn.

Human Eclipse

Pietrasanta (LU), 30 luglio 2015
Igor Mitoraj, “Mito e Musica”
Foto: Isadora Duncan 

Mito e Musica

Pietrasanta (LU), 30 luglio 2015
Igor Mitoraj, “Mito e Musica”
Foto: Isadora Duncan 

A Tale of Two Sisters

http://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2015/07/26/u-lvovi-vijskovosluzhbovczi-%E2%80%93-uchasniki-ato-pozmagalisya-iz-chempionkami-svitu-ta-evropi-z-shahiv-marieyu-ta-gannoyu-muzichuk--/
http://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2015/07/26/u-lvovi-vijskovosluzhbovczi-%E2%80%93-uchasniki-ato-pozmagalisya-iz-chempionkami-svitu-ta-evropi-z-shahiv-marieyu-ta-gannoyu-muzichuk--/
Mariya & Anna Muzychuk
Photos: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

Rapa Nui

Die Leiden des jungen Werthers

http://www.vg.no/sport/sjakk/magnus-carlsen-har-gjort-54-millioner-paa-fem-aar/a/23496705/
Sixteenth World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen
Photo: Ole Kristian Strøm | VG

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Standing ovation


Rare AP Archive footage from 1971 Candidates final between Robert James Fischer and Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian. The clip shows the audience of the Teatro San Martín in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 26, 1971, giving Fischer a standing ovation when Petrosian resigned the 9th game.

Galilean invariance


我们飞得越高,我们在那些不能飞的人眼中的形象就越渺小。
Wǒmen fēi dé yuè gāo, wǒmen zài nàxiē bùnéng fēi de rén yǎnzhōng de xíngxiàng jiù yuè miǎoxiǎo.
The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.

Mise en place

Attendants check the place settings after the opening session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (中国人民政治协商会议). Photo: 王钊 (Wáng Zhāo)/AFP.

Touchscreen

David Navara – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
48th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, July 29, 2015
English Opening A37

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. 0-0 Nge7 7. Ne1 a6 8. d3 Rb8 9. a4 d6 10. Nc2 0-0 11. Rb1 a5 12. Bg5 f6 13. Bd2 f5 14. f4 Be6 15. Nd5 Nb4!? Theoretical novelty. The older reference was 15. ... b6 16. Na3 Nb4 17. Qb3 Qd7 18. Rbe1 Kh8 19. Nb5 Bg8 20. Kh1 h6 21. fxe5 dxe5 22. e4 Nec6 23. Bh3 Be6 24. Bxb4 axb4 25. Qd1 Rb7 26. Rf2 Qd8 27. Ref1 Rbf7 28. Kg1 Ne7 29. Nbc7 Bxd5 30. Nxd5 Nxd5 31. exd5 f4 32. Be6 Rf6 33. Qg4 fxg3 34. hxg3 Rxf2 35. Rxf2 Rxf2 36. Kxf2 Qf6+ 37. Ke2 h5 38. Qf3 Qxf3+ 39. Kxf3 Bf8 40. Ke2 Kg7 41. Kd2 Kf6 42. Kc2 Ke7 43. Kb3 g5 44. Kc2 Kd6 45. Bf7 h4 46. gxh4 gxh4 47. Be6 Kc7 48. Bh3 Bd6 ½ : ½ Botvinnik – Bobotsov, 16th Chess Olympiad, Tel Aviv 1964. 16. fxe5?! We guess Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik would never have played such a move! After 16. Ncxb4 axb4 17. fxe5 Bxe5 18. Bh6 Bxd5 19. cxd5 Rf7 the position appears quite even. 16. ... Nbxd5 17. cxd5 Nxd5 18. exd6 Qxd6


19. Bxa5? White should not have taken this Pawn, since thus he allows Black a terrific attack. 19. ... f4! 20. Qe1. Also 20. Be1 can be answered by 20. ... Be5. 20. ... Be5 21. e4 fxe3 22. Bc3 Rxf1+ 23. Bxf1 Re8 24. Na3 Nxc3 25. bxc3 Bd5. White’s position is a nightmare. 26. Nc4 Bxc4 27. dxc4 Qd2 28. Qe2 Rf8 29. Rxb7 Bxc3 30. Rb1 Qxe2 31. Bxe2 Rf2 32. Bd3 Rd2 33. Be4 e2 34. Kf2 Ra2! 0 : 1. Maxime’s finishing touch is very elegant.

David Navara vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Photo: Biel International Chess Festival

Apertis verbis

http://chess-news.ru/en/node/19665
So, it has finally been decided: the rematch between current World Chess Champion, Ukrainian Mariya Muzychuk and contender Hóu Yìfán from China to be held at Mariya’s home town of Lviv.
Frankly, this is a kind of political solution. Lviv was opposed by Běijīng, whose members not only filed their bid in good time under the rules, but also reinforced it with a bank guarantee for the transfer of part of the prize fund. The Ukrainian side has not complied with all the formalities. And yet, I insisted on making a decision in favor of the city. Why is that?
In short, my visit to the city allowed me to see with my own eyes that this is a magnificent city, calm and friendly. There is a very strong chess tradition and chess school. The Lviv Chess Federation today has 20 grandmasters. It has such masters as Adrian Mikhalchishin, Vassily Ivanchuk and Alexander Beliavsky, and it produced brought up Mariya Muzychuk. However, the last major competition held in Lvov was in 1984 – it was the USSR Chess Championship.
Since then 31 (!) years have passed. In my opinion, this is too unfair on the city, whose residents so appreciate and love chess. [Read more].

Just a Moment



给我一首歌的时间
周杰倫 (Zhōu Jiélún)

雨淋濕了天空
毀得很講究
妳說妳不懂
為何在這時牽手
我曬乾了沉默
悔得很衝動
就算這是做錯
也只是怕錯過

在一起叫夢
分開了叫痛
是不是說
沒有做完的夢最痛
迷路的後果
我能承受
這最後的出口在愛過了才有

能不能給我一首歌的時間
緊緊的把那擁抱變成永遠
在我的懷裡妳不用害怕失眠
哦如果妳想忘記我也能失憶

能不能給我一首歌的時間
把故事聽到最後才說再見
妳送我的眼淚
讓它留在雨天
哦越過妳劃的線我定了勇氣
的終點

妳說我不該不該
不該在這時候說了愛妳
要怎麼證明我沒力氣
告訴我暫停算不算放棄
妳說我不該不該
不該在這時候才說愛妳
要怎麼證明我沒有力氣
我只有一天的回憶


Dammi il tempo di una canzone
Jay Chou

Il cielo fradicio di pioggia
Come un arazzo strappato
Dici di non sapere
Perché allora ci tenessimo la mano
Ho asciugato il silenzio
Pentendomene subito
Anche se è stato uno sbaglio
Ho avuto paura di perdere tutto

Insieme lo chiamiamo sogno
Separati lo chiamiamo dolore
Potremmo ben dire
Che i sogni incompiuti sono i più lancinanti
Le conseguenze di perdermi
Posso sopportarle
Quando hai amato
Sai anche come uscire

Dammi il tempo di una canzone
Un abbraccio eterno
In cui fugherai ogni paura di notti insonni
Se vorrai dimenticare, anch’io perderò la memoria

Dammi il tempo di una canzone
Dimmi addio solo dopo averla ascoltata
Le lacrime che hai pianto per me
Le terrò per i giorni di pioggia
Varcando il limite che hai tracciato
Ho deciso dove il mio coraggio si arrenderà

Dici che quel giorno ho sbagliato
Che mai avrei dovuto dirti ti amo
Come dimostrarti che non ho più
Una stilla di energia
Come dimostrarti che non ho più forze
Ti prego dimmi se un momento di oblio
Può significare un distacco definitivo
Non ho ricordi che di quel giorno

(Traduzione di 洛伦佐)

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Львівський Державний академічний (Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet)

http://chess-news.ru/en/node/19659
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has published an article [...] where he says the matter of organizing the World Women’s Championship match in Lviv “has been settled”, admitting that to be “a kind of political decision”. [Read more].
“Swan Lake” at the Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where “most probably, we will organize the match between Mariya Muzychuk and Hóu Yìfán”, FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov said. Photo: Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet.

Mariya Muzychuk vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Monday, July 27, 2015

Jumping the Broom

Hostesses jump on 天安门广场 (Tiān’ānmén Square) near the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂) in 北京 (Běijīng). Photo: Fred Dufour/AFP.

Iupiter tonans

Paul Charles Morphy – Louis Paulsen
1st American Chess Congress; New York, October 29, 1857
Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3! Morphy’s favourite move order against the Sicilian Defence. 3. ... e6 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3. 5. Be3! might be even stronger, since 5. ... Qb6 6. Nc3! Qxb2?? is refuted by 7. Ndb5!+- Morphy – Paulsen, New York, November 8, 1857. 5. ... Bb6 6. Nc3 Ne7 7. Bf4 0-0? This indifferent move leads to a very cramped position. Correct was 7. ... d5! 8. exd5 exd5 with a playable game for Black. 8. Bd6! f5 9. e5 a6. If 9. ... Nbc6 might follow 10. Qd2 f4 11. 0-0-0 Rf7 12. Bd3 Nf5 13. Rhe1 Qh4 14. Ne4 Bd8 15. g3 Qh6 16. gxf4 Nxd6 17. Nxd6 Rxf4 18. Kb1 Bc7 19. Bb5 Bb6 20. Nc1 Qh4 21. Nd3 Rf3 22. Re4 Qh5 23. c3 a6 24. Ba4 Ba7 25. Rg1 Qxh2 26. Qg5 g6 27. Rh4 Qxg1+ 28. Qxg1 Rxd3 29. Qh2 1 : 0 Timman – Basman, 49th International Chess Congress, Hastings 1973/1974. Géza Maróczy suggests instead 9. ... Bc7 10. Nb5 Na6. 10. Be2. Morphy plays nonchalantly. Grandmaster Valeri Beim rightly recommends 10. Qd2 Nbc6 11. f4 followed by Queenside castling. 10. ... Nbc6 11. 0-0. Again Beim prefers 11. f4, but Morphy probably didn’t suit 11. ... Be3. 11. ... Rf7 12. Kh1 f4!? Paulsen sharply speculates on the weakness of the White e-Pawn. A more circumspet way to play was 12. ... Bc7 13. f4 b6 followed by ... Bc8-b7 (Maróczy’s analysis). 13. Ne4 Nf5 14. Bh5 g6 15. Bg4 Ng7? This is a gross error. After 15. ... Nxd6! 16. exd6 (else 16. Nxd6 Rf8 and Black is fine) 16. ... Ba7 (or even 16. ... Ne5) Black’s position is perfectly playable. 16. Qf3 h5? This is already the decisive mistake. Nolens volens, Black now should have played 16. ... Bc7 17. Qc3 Ne8 (Beim’s analysis). 17. Bh3 Qh4. 17. ... g5 is met by 18. g4! (Beim’s analysis). 18. Nf6+ Kh8 19. Qe4 Qg5 20. g3 f3. If 20. ... fxg3 there follows 21. fxg3 Nf5 22. Bxf5 gxf5 23. Qe2 h4 24. Rf4! hxg3 25. hxg3+- (Beim’s analysis). 21. Nd2! Not difficult, but very pretty. 21. ... Bd8. Obviously 21. ... Qxd2?? 22. Qxg6 would lead to mate in short order. If, instead, 21. ... Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Rxf6 then 23. Rae1! d5 24. Nxf3 and White must win. 22. Nxf3 Qh6


23. Rg1!! Morphy’s way of bringing the Rook into play without open lines is a true flash of genius! More than a hundred years later, Robert James Fischer – a great admirer of Morphy – will employ the same idea in a partie sans façon: R. J. Fischer – U. Andersson, Siegen 1970. 23. ... Bxf6 24. exf6 Ne8. A little better is 24. ... Rxf6, though after 25. Bf4 d5 26. Qe2 Qh7 27. Ne5! White dominates the board (Beim’s analysis). 25. Bf4 Nxf6 26. Qxc6! Qxf4. 26. ... bxc6 fails to 27. Bxh6 Ne4 (or 27. ... Ng8 28. Bf4+-) 28. Ng5! Nxf2+ 29. Kg2 Rf6 30. Rgf1+- (Maróczy’s analysis). 27. Qxc8+ Rxc8 28. gxf4 Rxc2 29. Rac1! Morphy’s impressive technique triumphs. 29. ... Rxf2 30. Rc8+ Ng8 31. Ne5 Rg7 32. Nxg6+ Kh7 33. Nf8+ Kh6 34. Nxd7 Rxd7 35. Rcxg8 Rxf4 36. Bxe6 Re7 37. R8g6+ Kh7 38. Bg8+ Kh8 39. Rh6+ Rh7 40. Rxh7 mate.

Paul Charles Morphy (right) vs. Louis Paulsen
Photo: Chess.com

Jumping the shark

Hostesses jump on 天安门广场 (Tiān’ānmén Square) during the opening session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (中国人民政治协商会议). Photo: (Fred Dufour/AFP).

The Turning Point

Chanda Sandipan – Mariya Muzychuk
12th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay, February 5, 2014
Blumenfeld Counter-Gambit E10

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 e6 4. c4 b5 5. Bf4 exd5 6. cxd5 Qa5+ 7. Bd2 Qb6 8. e4 Be7 9. Nc3 b4 10. Na4 Qc7 11. Bd3. For 11. Qc2 0-0 12. Bd3 Ba6 see Disconzi da Silva – Peralta, Mar del Plata 1993. 11. ... d6 12. Rc1 Ba6 13. Bf4 Qb7 14. 0-0 0-0 15. e5. White decidedly claims the initiative. 15. ... dxe5 16. Bxe5 Bxd3 17. Qxd3 Qxd5 18. Qxd5 Nxd5 19. Rfd1 Nb6? We would have preferred 19. ... Rd8! 20. Nxc5 Nd7! and if 21. Nb7 then 21. ... Rdc8! with almost equality. 20. Nxc5 Bxc5? Another questionable decision, after which the Black b-Pawn becomes a definite target. The lesser evil is 20. ... Rc8 21. Nd3 Nd7 and Black’s game seems tenable. 21. Rxc5 N8d7 22. Rb5 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 Rfd8 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Kf1 Rd1+ 26. Ke2 Ra1 27. Ra5 f6. After 27. ... b4 28. a3 Rc1 29. Nd3 Rc2+ 30. Kd1 g6 31. Rb5 the b-Pawn is doomed anyway. 28. Nc6 Nc4 29. Rxa7 Nxb2 30. Nxb4 Nc4 31. Nc6 Nd6 32. Nd4 Ne4 33. Kf3 Re1. Mariya desperately seeks a compensation for the Pawn. 34. g3 h5 35. a4 g5 36. a5 g4+ 37. Kg2? After 37. Kf4 Nd6 38. f3 White retains both his extra Pawn and a clear edge without allowing any counterplay to his opponent. 37. ... Ng5 38. a6?? White is totally oblivious of danger and falls into a mating net! Correct was 38. Ra8+ Kf7 39. Ra7+ Kg6 40. a6 Nh3 41. Nf3 Ra1 with a draw in sight.


38. ... Nh3! With the deadly threat of ... Re1-g1 mate. 39. Nf3 Re2! The pointe. 40. Kf1 gxf3 0 : 1.

Catalan Bay, Gibraltar, February 6, 2014. Award ceremony of the 12th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival. From left: 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), Raymond Dennis Keene, Mariya Muzychuk, and Lela Javakhishvili. Photo: John Saunders.

Arcovazzi No Latex


Ai santi vecchi non gli si dà più incenso.

Proverbio toscano

Sibyl

哈尔滨国际冰雪节

Visitors walk in an ice maze at the China Ice and Snow World on January 4, 2015 on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 16th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in 哈尔滨 (Hā’ĕrbīn), northeast China’s 黑龙江省 (Hēilóngjiāng) province. Photo: AFP/Fred Dufour.

Little Things

http://zik.ua/ua/news/2015/07/26/sestry_muzychuk_daly_seans_odnochasnoi_gry_u_shahy_z_voinamy_ato_610556
The Muzychuk family
Photo: zik.ua

Mariya & Anna Muzychuk
Photo: zik.ua

Rubber Soul

http://www.repubblica.it/economia/2015/07/27/news/borsa_27_luglio_2015-119888887/?ref=HRER3-1
http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2015/jul/27/business-live-chinese-stock-market-rout-ftse-greece-live
An investor walks past a screen that shows share prices in a security firm in 杭州 (Hángzhōu), east China’s 浙江 (Zhèjiāng) province, today. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images.