Courtesy of ongigi23
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Notes from the Sidelines
Roberto Cosulich – Andrea Grinza
36th Italian Chess Championship; Pesaro, June 1975
Caro-Kann Defence B13
36th Italian Chess Championship; Pesaro, June 1975
Caro-Kann Defence B13
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. c5!?
The Gunderam Variation, a sideline favoured by Grandmaster Sergio Mariotti. White gets a Queenside Pawn majority, but to the detriment of his own development.
5. ... e6. More often Black is caught in the dilemma of having to choose between a Pawn break in the centre and a Pawn break on the Queenside: 5. ... e5!? 6. dxe5 Ne4⩱ Mariotti – Pfleger, 7th International Tournament, Olot 1972 or 5. ... b6 6. b4 e6 7. Be3 bxc5 8. dxc5 a5 9. Qa4+ Nfd7 10. Nd2 Bb7 11. Nb3 axb4 12. Qxb4 Qc7∞ Mariotti – Flesch, 4th Memorial Ivan Parčetić, Sombor 1970.
6. Nc3 b6. Very instructive is 6. ... Be7 7. Nf3 0-0 8. Bd3 b6 9. b4 a5 10. Na4 Nbd7 11. Bf4 axb4 12. c6 Nc5! 13. dxc5 bxc5 and Black’s Pawn roller more than compensates for White’s extra piece, Prins – Richter, Richard Réti Memorial, Trenčianske Teplice 1949.
7. b4 Be7. 7. ... a5 8. Na4 Nfd7 9. Bb5 would give White much more than he dared hope for.
8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bf4 0-0 10. Bxd7 Nfxd7 11. Nge2 a5 12. a3 axb4 13. axb4 Rxa1 14. Qxa1 bxc5 15. bxc5. 15. dxc5 gives White two passed Pawns on the Queenside, but Black counterattacks in the centre by 15. ... d4 16. Ne4 Nc6 with a volatile initiative.
15. ... Nc6. 15. ... e5 16. dxe5 d4 17. Nxd4 Nxc5 seems playable enough for Black.
16. 0-0 e5 17. dxe5 (17. Qa4 Qa8=)
17. ... Ndxe5. Also good is 17. ... Nxc5 18. Rd1 d4 19. Be3 Ne6 with equality.
18. Rd1 Bxc5 19. Rxd5 Qe7 20. Bxe5 Nxe5 21. Ne4 Nd7? The losing mistake, leaving Black’s pieces overloaded with impossible defensive tasks. Both 21. ... Ng4! and 21. ... Ng6! merit consideration, so as to reply to 22. N2g3 with 22. ... Qa7! and apparently Black’s just about holding his own.
5. ... e6. More often Black is caught in the dilemma of having to choose between a Pawn break in the centre and a Pawn break on the Queenside: 5. ... e5!? 6. dxe5 Ne4⩱ Mariotti – Pfleger, 7th International Tournament, Olot 1972 or 5. ... b6 6. b4 e6 7. Be3 bxc5 8. dxc5 a5 9. Qa4+ Nfd7 10. Nd2 Bb7 11. Nb3 axb4 12. Qxb4 Qc7∞ Mariotti – Flesch, 4th Memorial Ivan Parčetić, Sombor 1970.
6. Nc3 b6. Very instructive is 6. ... Be7 7. Nf3 0-0 8. Bd3 b6 9. b4 a5 10. Na4 Nbd7 11. Bf4 axb4 12. c6 Nc5! 13. dxc5 bxc5 and Black’s Pawn roller more than compensates for White’s extra piece, Prins – Richter, Richard Réti Memorial, Trenčianske Teplice 1949.
7. b4 Be7. 7. ... a5 8. Na4 Nfd7 9. Bb5 would give White much more than he dared hope for.
8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bf4 0-0 10. Bxd7 Nfxd7 11. Nge2 a5 12. a3 axb4 13. axb4 Rxa1 14. Qxa1 bxc5 15. bxc5. 15. dxc5 gives White two passed Pawns on the Queenside, but Black counterattacks in the centre by 15. ... d4 16. Ne4 Nc6 with a volatile initiative.
15. ... Nc6. 15. ... e5 16. dxe5 d4 17. Nxd4 Nxc5 seems playable enough for Black.
16. 0-0 e5 17. dxe5 (17. Qa4 Qa8=)
17. ... Ndxe5. Also good is 17. ... Nxc5 18. Rd1 d4 19. Be3 Ne6 with equality.
18. Rd1 Bxc5 19. Rxd5 Qe7 20. Bxe5 Nxe5 21. Ne4 Nd7? The losing mistake, leaving Black’s pieces overloaded with impossible defensive tasks. Both 21. ... Ng4! and 21. ... Ng6! merit consideration, so as to reply to 22. N2g3 with 22. ... Qa7! and apparently Black’s just about holding his own.
22. N2g3! Threatens Ng3-f5.
22. ... f6. Or 22. ... g6? 23. Rxd7! winning right off.
23. Qd1! 1–0.
22. ... f6. Or 22. ... g6? 23. Rxd7! winning right off.
23. Qd1! 1–0.
Monday, February 9, 2026
取消文化 (Cancel culture)
According to an official press release, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) won’t be able to play the announced 4-game Fischerandom (Freestyle) exhibition match against Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva in Germany due to visa issues.
Odilon Redon, Silence, 1900. Courtesy of WikiArt.
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Friday, February 6, 2026
年马年 (Year of the Horse)
A red horse plush toy produced by Happy Sister in the city of 义乌 (Yìwū) in the west of China went viral all around the country because of a manufacturing error that gave it a frown instead of a smile. Photo: 高璇 (Jade Gāo)/AFP/Getty Images. |
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Caesuras
We live in our language like blind men
walking on the edge of an abyss... This language is laden
with future catastrophes... The day will come when it will turn
against those who speak it.
Gershow Scholem
walking on the edge of an abyss... This language is laden
with future catastrophes... The day will come when it will turn
against those who speak it.
Gershow Scholem
All the peoples of the earth are now hanging over the abyss of their language. Some are sinking, others are already almost sunken and, as they believe they are mastering the language, they are unknowingly being mastered by it instead. Thus the Jews, who turned their sacred language into an instrumental language of use, are like larvae in the netherworld who must drink blood in order to speak. As long as it was confined to the separate sphere of worship, it provided them with a place free from the logic of economical, technical, and political necessities, with which they measured themselves in the languages they borrowed from the peoples among whom they lived. For Chrstians, too, Latin has long offered a space in which the word was not merely a tool for information and communication, in which one could pray and not exchange messages. Bilingualism could also be internal to the language, as in classical Greece, where the language of Homer — the language of poetry — passed on an ethical heritage which could somehow direct the behaviour of those who every day spoke diverse and changable dialects.
Aa a matter of fact, our way of thinking is more or less unconsciously determined by the structure of language in which we believe we express it. In this sense — as Pasolini tirelessly repeated, but as Dante had already fully realised, distinguishing the lingua volgare from the grammatical language we learn through study — some form of bilingualism is necessary to guarantee the freedom of individuals in the face of the automatisms and conatraints that monolingualism, historically crystallised in the form of a national language, increasingly imposes on them. One cannot think in such a language, because it lacks that inexpressible distance between the thing to be expressed and the expression that alone can guarantee a free space for the thinking subject. Thought is this gap and this internal disconnection, which interrupts the inarrestable flow of language and its supposed self-sufficiency. It is a caesura in the sense that this term has in the metrics of poetry: an interruption that, suspending the rhythm of linguistic representations, lets language itself appear.
What is happening today is that mankind, entirely enslaved to a language they believe they dominate, have become so incapable of thinking that they prefer to delegate thought to an external linguistic machine, the so-called artificial intelligence. If, like the Jews according to Scholem, all peoples are now blindly walking on the abyss of a language and a reason that they have, so to say, abandoned to itself, this implies that the language from which they withdrew as conscious subjects will sooner or later take revenge, leading them to ruin. By relying on a language that is both instrument and master, and of which they have lost all awareness, they do not hear the groan, the accusation, and the threat that it, while leading them to ruin, never ceases to address them.
Aa a matter of fact, our way of thinking is more or less unconsciously determined by the structure of language in which we believe we express it. In this sense — as Pasolini tirelessly repeated, but as Dante had already fully realised, distinguishing the lingua volgare from the grammatical language we learn through study — some form of bilingualism is necessary to guarantee the freedom of individuals in the face of the automatisms and conatraints that monolingualism, historically crystallised in the form of a national language, increasingly imposes on them. One cannot think in such a language, because it lacks that inexpressible distance between the thing to be expressed and the expression that alone can guarantee a free space for the thinking subject. Thought is this gap and this internal disconnection, which interrupts the inarrestable flow of language and its supposed self-sufficiency. It is a caesura in the sense that this term has in the metrics of poetry: an interruption that, suspending the rhythm of linguistic representations, lets language itself appear.
What is happening today is that mankind, entirely enslaved to a language they believe they dominate, have become so incapable of thinking that they prefer to delegate thought to an external linguistic machine, the so-called artificial intelligence. If, like the Jews according to Scholem, all peoples are now blindly walking on the abyss of a language and a reason that they have, so to say, abandoned to itself, this implies that the language from which they withdrew as conscious subjects will sooner or later take revenge, leading them to ruin. By relying on a language that is both instrument and master, and of which they have lost all awareness, they do not hear the groan, the accusation, and the threat that it, while leading them to ruin, never ceases to address them.
(English translation by I, Robot)
沈周 (Shěn Zhōu), Chanting Poems in Leisure Among Pines, ca. 1687. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. |
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Shards and Ashes
For the twilight of the West
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, February 2, 2026
Like in Naples on New Year’s Day, just throw everything out the window. Then, on the street, pick up some shards — shards bring good luck. The new is made from the shards of the old.
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, February 2, 2026
Like in Naples on New Year’s Day, just throw everything out the window. Then, on the street, pick up some shards — shards bring good luck. The new is made from the shards of the old.
(English translation by I, Robot)
Sun Mu (선무), Untitled, 2013. Courtesy of WikiArt.
Monday, February 2, 2026
A Beautiful Mind
Jazz-R&B-pop artist 9m88 is the cover star of Bella’s January 2026 issue — the 500th issue since its inception in 1984. Photos: 周墨 (Zhōu Mò). |
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Man on a Raft
When he could, Roberto Cosulich preferred to live where there were seas and ports. And when there was no sea, he would be content with a river. And so, on his way from the Chilean sea to the Mediterranean, he docked his raft on the English shores in 1965.
With the precious help of John Saunders, we succeeded in spotting him here and there around the British docks:
9th Easter Congress — Major A
Southend-on-Sea, April 16–19, 1965
Ilford, June 4–7, 1965
As we read on the BritBase website, “The final scores were: (1) Raymond D. Keene 3½; (2) T. Goodhill 3; (3-4) Kenneth W. Lloyd, George W. Wheeler 2½; (5) Andrew J. Whiteley 2; (6) Roberto Cosulich (Santiago, Chile) 1½”.
Even in this case none of his games are given.
Furthermore, a few references to Cosulich playing board seven for Middlesex in the 1964/65 Southern Counties Championship appear on The Monthly News Bulletin of the Southern Counties Chess Union, No. 46, Volume 7, June 1965. Cosulich, with White, first defeated John G. Brogden of Surrey, and then David G. Levens of Leicestershire, leading Middlesex to the Semi-Final match against Chesire which took place on June 12, 1965. “Some of the players on higher boards were well-known (Wade, Hartston, etc.)”, Saunders writes. “He drew his game (playing Black) with Vernon Dilworth. Middlesex qualified for the final but he did not play in that match, so perhaps he left the country at that point”.
It should be noted that the distinguished English amateur Vernon Dilworth was not only the originator of the homonymous variation in the Open Ruy López (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5 10. Nbd2 0-0 11. Bc2 Nxf2), but also the proponent of a controversial gambit in the Nimzo-Indian (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e4).
With the precious help of John Saunders, we succeeded in spotting him here and there around the British docks:
9th Easter Congress — Major A
Southend-on-Sea, April 16–19, 1965
1 2 3 4 5 6 Pts 1 WHITBREAD, Alan W. • 1 ½ ½ 1 1 4 2 COSULICH, Roberto 0 • 1 1 1 1 4 3 ROE, Philip L. ½ 0 • ½ 1 1 3 4 WINSER, William A. ½ 0 ½ • 1 1 3 5 HAWSON, John B. 0 0 0 0 • 1 1 6 HARDER, J. H. 0 0 0 0 0 • 016th Ilford Whitsun Congress — Premier Reserves A
Ilford, June 4–7, 1965
As we read on the BritBase website, “The final scores were: (1) Raymond D. Keene 3½; (2) T. Goodhill 3; (3-4) Kenneth W. Lloyd, George W. Wheeler 2½; (5) Andrew J. Whiteley 2; (6) Roberto Cosulich (Santiago, Chile) 1½”.
Even in this case none of his games are given.
Furthermore, a few references to Cosulich playing board seven for Middlesex in the 1964/65 Southern Counties Championship appear on The Monthly News Bulletin of the Southern Counties Chess Union, No. 46, Volume 7, June 1965. Cosulich, with White, first defeated John G. Brogden of Surrey, and then David G. Levens of Leicestershire, leading Middlesex to the Semi-Final match against Chesire which took place on June 12, 1965. “Some of the players on higher boards were well-known (Wade, Hartston, etc.)”, Saunders writes. “He drew his game (playing Black) with Vernon Dilworth. Middlesex qualified for the final but he did not play in that match, so perhaps he left the country at that point”.
It should be noted that the distinguished English amateur Vernon Dilworth was not only the originator of the homonymous variation in the Open Ruy López (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5 10. Nbd2 0-0 11. Bc2 Nxf2), but also the proponent of a controversial gambit in the Nimzo-Indian (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e4).
Saturday, January 31, 2026
More Than a Blind Date
- 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), “Human–AI partnership”, TIME, Vol. 207, Nos. 1-2, January 26, 2026, p. 43.
What Was Left
Pál Charles Benkö – Roberto Cosulich
11th International Tournament; Venice, November 1974
English Opening A29
11th International Tournament; Venice, November 1974
English Opening A29
Notes by Grandmaster Pál Charles Benkö, Chess Life & Review, Vol. XXX, No. 2, February 1975, pp. 81-82, and The Chess Player, No. 7/1974, 883, p. 220.
I had to play Cosulich in the last round, and whether or not he would make the IM norm depended on this game. But for me it was the last chance to improve my standing after my bad luck the previous day.
1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6?! (3. ... c6!?)
4. Nf3! White deliberately delays Nb1-c3, since then Black could play ... Bf8-b4 adopting a very popular line today which my opponent played in this tournament. Also, my game with Malich (Skopje 1972) followed that line, which I analyzed in CL&R.
4. ... Bc5 5. 0-0 (5. Nxe5?!)
5. ... 0-0 6. Nc3 d6 7. d3 Bd7 8. e3⩲ Bb4?!
I had to play Cosulich in the last round, and whether or not he would make the IM norm depended on this game. But for me it was the last chance to improve my standing after my bad luck the previous day.
1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6?! (3. ... c6!?)
4. Nf3! White deliberately delays Nb1-c3, since then Black could play ... Bf8-b4 adopting a very popular line today which my opponent played in this tournament. Also, my game with Malich (Skopje 1972) followed that line, which I analyzed in CL&R.
4. ... Bc5 5. 0-0 (5. Nxe5?!)
5. ... 0-0 6. Nc3 d6 7. d3 Bd7 8. e3⩲ Bb4?!
Obviously, Black has not achieved what he wanted with his ... Bf8-c5,
so he tries to get back in known lines.
9. Ne2!? Not much advantage was promised by 9. Nd5, e.g. 9. ... Nxd5 10. cxd5 Ne7 and 11. Qb3 to capture the QNP is not recommended.
Also possible was the simple 9. Bd2, but the text move is psychologically better motivated, as Black will have trouble with his KB later.
9. ... e4?! Trying to secure the position of his KB, but now the center is opened advantageously for White.
10. dxe4 Nxe4 11. Qc2 Re8 (11. ... Bf5? 12. Nh4)
12. a3 Bc5 13. b4 Bb6 14. Bb2±
9. Ne2!? Not much advantage was promised by 9. Nd5, e.g. 9. ... Nxd5 10. cxd5 Ne7 and 11. Qb3 to capture the QNP is not recommended.
Also possible was the simple 9. Bd2, but the text move is psychologically better motivated, as Black will have trouble with his KB later.
9. ... e4?! Trying to secure the position of his KB, but now the center is opened advantageously for White.
10. dxe4 Nxe4 11. Qc2 Re8 (11. ... Bf5? 12. Nh4)
12. a3 Bc5 13. b4 Bb6 14. Bb2±
14. ... Qe7?! (14. ... Nxf2!? 15. Kxf2!?)
Black already stands badly since the position of his Knight on e4 is far from secure. On 14. ... Bf5 White could answer 15. Nh4. If the Knight moves away, c4-c5 is menacing. Perhaps Black should have considered 14. ... Nxf2, although White’s two minor piece may prove stronger than Black’s Rook. Even capturing with the King is to be considered after 14. ... Nxf2.
15. Nf4! Black’s Queen does not stand well on e7 because of the weakness of his d5, which explains the following blunder. Black’s entire setup does not meet the demands of the position. Now if 15. ... Nxf2 16. Nd5 wins.
15. ... Nf6? (15. ... f5)
Now Black’s game collapses but his situation was not hopeful anyway.
16. Ng5!+−
Black already stands badly since the position of his Knight on e4 is far from secure. On 14. ... Bf5 White could answer 15. Nh4. If the Knight moves away, c4-c5 is menacing. Perhaps Black should have considered 14. ... Nxf2, although White’s two minor piece may prove stronger than Black’s Rook. Even capturing with the King is to be considered after 14. ... Nxf2.
15. Nf4! Black’s Queen does not stand well on e7 because of the weakness of his d5, which explains the following blunder. Black’s entire setup does not meet the demands of the position. Now if 15. ... Nxf2 16. Nd5 wins.
15. ... Nf6? (15. ... f5)
Now Black’s game collapses but his situation was not hopeful anyway.
16. Ng5!+−
Decisively strong, leaving Black no way out. On 16. ... g6, defending against the threats to his h7, 17. Bd5 would have
been very strong, e.g. 17. ... Nxd5 18. Nxd5 Qxg5 19. Nf6+ and Black’s Queen is lost. Moreover, on 17. ... Nd8 or 17. ... Rf8 protecting the weak f7, 18. Nxg6 would win easily.
16. ... Ne5 17. Nd5 1–0. After 17. Nd5 Qd8 18. Bxe5 Rxe5 19. Nxf6+ Qxf6 20. Qxh7+ Kf8 21. Qh8+ White will be ahead the Exchange and two Pawns.
16. ... Ne5 17. Nd5 1–0. After 17. Nd5 Qd8 18. Bxe5 Rxe5 19. Nxf6+ Qxf6 20. Qxh7+ Kf8 21. Qh8+ White will be ahead the Exchange and two Pawns.
Friday, January 30, 2026
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Monday, January 26, 2026
A Half and Half Poem
《半截的诗》 你是我的 半截的诗 半截用心爱着 半截用肉体埋着 你是我的 半截的诗 不许别人更改一个字 Half poem You are my half poem you half love with heart you half hide with flesh you are my half poem let no one dare to change even a word Mezza poesia Sei mia mezza poesia ami metà col cuore nascondi metà col corpo sei mia mezza poesia che nessuno cambi una parola |
朱新建 (Zhū Xīnjiàn), 《美人图》 (Portrait of a Beauty), 2004. Courtesy of Roseberys. |
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Monte Cristo
With the exception of the two Olympiads in which he competed, Roberto Cosulich rarely played outside of Italy. One of these times was when he tore up an invitation to Tunisia.
“The 6th International
Tournament in Tunis, to which an Italian Master is invited every year, was
narrowly won by the Dutch International Master Ree, the only undefeated player. Tied at second place were Austrian Grandmaster Robatsch and Master Cosulich. The defeat suffered by our representative in the direct clash with Robatsch prevented him from winning the tournament”. L’Italia Scacchistica, No. 5, May 1972, p. 113. |
Roberto Cosulich – Slim Bouaziz
6th International Tournament; Tunis, December 1971
Sicilian Defence B51
6th International Tournament; Tunis, December 1971
Sicilian Defence B51
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5 Nc6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. 0-0 e6 6. e5! d5 7. d3 Ne7 8. c4 Qc7. If 8. ... Ng6 then 9. Nc3 Be7 10. b3 0-0 11. Na4!⩲ Cosulich – Paoli, 13th New Year’s International Tournament, Reggio Emilia 1971.
9. Bf4 Ng6 10. Bg3 Be7 11. Nc3 Qb7 12. Na4 Nf8 13. Rc1 Nd7 14. d4 cxd4 15. c5 Qc7 16. Re1 Ba6 17. Nxd4 Rb8
9. Bf4 Ng6 10. Bg3 Be7 11. Nc3 Qb7 12. Na4 Nf8 13. Rc1 Nd7 14. d4 cxd4 15. c5 Qc7 16. Re1 Ba6 17. Nxd4 Rb8
18. Nf5?! A tempting but unsound sacrifice, although at first glance White’s storming attack may seem doomed to success. More systematic is 18. a3 (so as to prevent ... Rb8-b4 and also preparing for b2-b4) 18. ... 0-0 19. f4 leaving White with a clear superiority on both wings.
18. ... exf5 19. e6 f4 20. exd7 Kd8 21. Rxe7. If you say a you must say b.
21. ... Kxe7 22. Bh4 f6. Clearly not 22. ... Kxd7? because of 23. Qg4+ Ke8 24. Qxg7 with too many threats.
23. Qg4
18. ... exf5 19. e6 f4 20. exd7 Kd8 21. Rxe7. If you say a you must say b.
21. ... Kxe7 22. Bh4 f6. Clearly not 22. ... Kxd7? because of 23. Qg4+ Ke8 24. Qxg7 with too many threats.
23. Qg4
23. ... Kf8? Probably Cosulich was expecting 23. ... Kf7 when 24. Re1 Bd3! gives White hardly anything more than a draw by perpetual check after 25. Qe6+ Kg6 26. Qg4+. But both he and Bouaziz overlooked here the way of coming out of the storm, say 23. ... Qe5!! 24. Qxg7+ Ke6 when White is left with a handful of flies.
24. Re1 Rd8
24. Re1 Rd8
25. Bxf6! A devastating blow. Bouaziz was still hoping for 25. Re7? Kxe7 26. Qxg7+ Ke6 27. Qxf6+ Kxd7 28. Qf5+ Ke8 29. Qe6+ Kf8 with a draw by perpetual check. The rest is a foregone conclusion.
25. ... gxf6. Neither 25. ... Qxd7 26. Qg5!! nor 25. ... Rxd7 26. Qe6 Qc8 27. Be7+ Ke8 28. Qe5! saves Black.
26. Qe6 Kg7 27. Qg4 Kf8 (27. ... Kh6 28. Re7+−)
28. Qf5 Kf7 (28. ... Qxd7 29. Qxf6+ Kg8 30. Re7+−)
29. Qh5 Kf8 30. Re8 Kg7 31. Re7 1–0.
25. ... gxf6. Neither 25. ... Qxd7 26. Qg5!! nor 25. ... Rxd7 26. Qe6 Qc8 27. Be7+ Ke8 28. Qe5! saves Black.
26. Qe6 Kg7 27. Qg4 Kf8 (27. ... Kh6 28. Re7+−)
28. Qf5 Kf7 (28. ... Qxd7 29. Qxf6+ Kg8 30. Re7+−)
29. Qh5 Kf8 30. Re8 Kg7 31. Re7 1–0.
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Trip trap
Roberto Cosulich – Francesco Scafarelli
7th Italian Team Chess Championship; Monticelli Terme, April 1966
Sicilian Defence B56
7th Italian Team Chess Championship; Monticelli Terme, April 1966
Sicilian Defence B56
Notes and punctuation by International Master Francesco Scafarelli, Le mie 50 Siciliane, Editrice Scacchistica Internazionale, Napoli, 1980, p. 50.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 e5 7. Ndb5 a6 8. Na3 Ng4 9. Nc4! Nxe3 10. Nxe3 Be7 11. Ncd5 Be6 12. c3! 0-0 13. h4 h6 14. g3 b5 15. Bd3 Rb8 16. b4 Re8 17. Qe2 Qc8 18. 0-0 Bd8 19. a4 Qb7 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rfd1 Ne7 22. c4 Nc6 23. cxb5 Nd4 24. Qf1 Qd7 25. f3! Nxb5 26. Bxb5 Rxb5 27. Ra6 Qb7 28. Ra7 Qxa7 29. Qxb5 Kf8 30. Kh1?
Editor’s note: Scafarelli’s question mark is perhaps out of place, but there is no doubt that 30. Kf1 would prevent the next irruption of the Black Queen on f2.
30. ... Be7 31. Rc1 Bxd5 32. Nxd5 Qf2! 33. Qf1 Qxg3 34. b5 Bxh4? (34. ... Qxh4+)
35. b6 Bg5 36. Rc2! Rb8 37. b7
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 e5 7. Ndb5 a6 8. Na3 Ng4 9. Nc4! Nxe3 10. Nxe3 Be7 11. Ncd5 Be6 12. c3! 0-0 13. h4 h6 14. g3 b5 15. Bd3 Rb8 16. b4 Re8 17. Qe2 Qc8 18. 0-0 Bd8 19. a4 Qb7 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rfd1 Ne7 22. c4 Nc6 23. cxb5 Nd4 24. Qf1 Qd7 25. f3! Nxb5 26. Bxb5 Rxb5 27. Ra6 Qb7 28. Ra7 Qxa7 29. Qxb5 Kf8 30. Kh1?
Editor’s note: Scafarelli’s question mark is perhaps out of place, but there is no doubt that 30. Kf1 would prevent the next irruption of the Black Queen on f2.
30. ... Be7 31. Rc1 Bxd5 32. Nxd5 Qf2! 33. Qf1 Qxg3 34. b5 Bxh4? (34. ... Qxh4+)
35. b6 Bg5 36. Rc2! Rb8 37. b7
37. ... Qh4+?
Editor’s note: Self-trapping the Queen, but, as two students of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” noted, the correct defence was by no means obvious, i.e, 37. ... Bd8!! (Niccolò & Riccardo), so as to reply to 38. Rc8? with 38. ... Qh4+! 39. Kg2 Rxb7 and it’s Black who wins!
38. Rh2 Qg3 39. Rh3 1–0.
Editor’s note: Self-trapping the Queen, but, as two students of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” noted, the correct defence was by no means obvious, i.e, 37. ... Bd8!! (Niccolò & Riccardo), so as to reply to 38. Rc8? with 38. ... Qh4+! 39. Kg2 Rxb7 and it’s Black who wins!
38. Rh2 Qg3 39. Rh3 1–0.
Friday, January 23, 2026
Incredible, but possible
Professor Mauro Berni (Genoa, Italy) shared some pages from a booklet entitled Le mie 50 Siciliane by Francesco Scafarelli that combines history and not always happy endings.
Roberto Cosulich – Francesco Scafarelli
8th Italian Team Chess Championship; Recoaro Terme, May 1967
Sicilian Defence B75
8th Italian Team Chess Championship; Recoaro Terme, May 1967
Sicilian Defence B75
Notes by Scafarelli, Le mie 50 Siciliane, Editrice Scacchistica Internazionale, Napoli, 1980, pp. 40-41 and pp. 49-50.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Bd7 7. Be3 g6. Preferable is 7. ... Ng4 8. 0-0 or 8. Nxc6. It is more convenient for Black to submit himself to attack on the f-file by eliminating the e3-Bishop, than to deal with heterogeneous castling.
8. f3! Bg7 9. Qd2. Now White’s position is ideal for attacking on the Kingside.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Bd7 7. Be3 g6. Preferable is 7. ... Ng4 8. 0-0 or 8. Nxc6. It is more convenient for Black to submit himself to attack on the f-file by eliminating the e3-Bishop, than to deal with heterogeneous castling.
8. f3! Bg7 9. Qd2. Now White’s position is ideal for attacking on the Kingside.
9. ... Na5 10. Bb3 Nxb3. Or 10. ... Rc8 11. 0-0-0 Na5 12. h4 b5 13. Kb1 Nc4 14. Qe2 b5 15. Bg5 Nh7 16. Bc1 e5 17. Nf5 gxf5 18. Bxc4 Rxc4 19. Rxd6 Rc6 20. Rd3 Qc8 21. Rhd1 Be6 22. Rd8+ Qxd8 23. Rxd8+ Kxd8 24. Nd5 Kd7 25. Qe3 Bxd5 26. exd5 Rc7 27. Qd3 e4 28. fxe4 Re8 29. Qf3 fxe4 30. Qf5+ Kd8 31. Be3 Nf8 32. d6 Rb7 33. Qd5 Rb8 34. Qxf7 1–0 Pérez – Scafarelli, 2nd Costa del Sol Tournament, Torremolinos 1962.
11. axb3 h5. Preventing g2-g4.
12. h4 a6 13. 0-0-0 Rc8 14. Nd5 Nxd5. Questionable. More interesting is 14. ... Bc6.
15. exd5 0-0. Black cannot abstain himself from castling because of the e-file.
16. g4 Rc5? An oversight in a difficult position after that, as consequence of Black’s castling, the g2-g4 advance regained purpose.
17. Nc6! bxc6. Editor’s note: 17. ... Rxc6! 18. dxc6 Bxc6 seems most acceptable to Black.
18. Bxc5 cxd5. If 18. ... dxc5 19. dxc6!.
19. Be3 d4. Editor’s note: 19. ... hxg4! 20. h5! gxf3 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Qxd5+ Rf7 23. Bh6 Qf8 24. Bxg7 Qxg7 25. Rd2 Bg4 26. Rdh2 Bh5 is the cold-blooded defence recommended by the mighty engines, but Scafarelli may well be excused for having been afraid of it.
20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Qxd4 Qa5 22. Kb1 Rc8 23. Rd3 Qc5. Black is again compelled to simplification.
24. Qxc5 Rxc5 25. Re1 hxg4 26. fxg4 Kf8 27. Rd4 Rc6 28. c4 e5 29. Rxe5? An unnecessary sacrifice.
29. ... dxe5 30. Rxd7 f5! 31. gxf5 gxf5 32. Kc2 Re6 33. c5 f4 34. Rd6! Re7 35. Rxa6 Kg7! 36. Kd2 e4 37. Ra1 Kf6 38. c6 Rc7 39. Rc1 Ke5 40. b4 Kd4 41. b3? (41. b5)
41. ... e3+ 42. Ke2 f3+ 43. Kxf3 Rf7+ 44. Ke2 Rf2+ 45. Ke1 Rg2? (45. ... Rh2!)
46. Rd1+ (46. Kf1!)
46. ... Ke4
11. axb3 h5. Preventing g2-g4.
12. h4 a6 13. 0-0-0 Rc8 14. Nd5 Nxd5. Questionable. More interesting is 14. ... Bc6.
15. exd5 0-0. Black cannot abstain himself from castling because of the e-file.
16. g4 Rc5? An oversight in a difficult position after that, as consequence of Black’s castling, the g2-g4 advance regained purpose.
17. Nc6! bxc6. Editor’s note: 17. ... Rxc6! 18. dxc6 Bxc6 seems most acceptable to Black.
18. Bxc5 cxd5. If 18. ... dxc5 19. dxc6!.
19. Be3 d4. Editor’s note: 19. ... hxg4! 20. h5! gxf3 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Qxd5+ Rf7 23. Bh6 Qf8 24. Bxg7 Qxg7 25. Rd2 Bg4 26. Rdh2 Bh5 is the cold-blooded defence recommended by the mighty engines, but Scafarelli may well be excused for having been afraid of it.
20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Qxd4 Qa5 22. Kb1 Rc8 23. Rd3 Qc5. Black is again compelled to simplification.
24. Qxc5 Rxc5 25. Re1 hxg4 26. fxg4 Kf8 27. Rd4 Rc6 28. c4 e5 29. Rxe5? An unnecessary sacrifice.
29. ... dxe5 30. Rxd7 f5! 31. gxf5 gxf5 32. Kc2 Re6 33. c5 f4 34. Rd6! Re7 35. Rxa6 Kg7! 36. Kd2 e4 37. Ra1 Kf6 38. c6 Rc7 39. Rc1 Ke5 40. b4 Kd4 41. b3? (41. b5)
41. ... e3+ 42. Ke2 f3+ 43. Kxf3 Rf7+ 44. Ke2 Rf2+ 45. Ke1 Rg2? (45. ... Rh2!)
46. Rd1+ (46. Kf1!)
46. ... Ke4
Editor’s note: It goes without saying that the ending is an elementary book win for White after 47. Rd8, but...
47. c7?? Kf3 48. Kf1 e2+ 0–1. Incredible, but possible. This also is part of the charm of the game of chess.
47. c7?? Kf3 48. Kf1 e2+ 0–1. Incredible, but possible. This also is part of the charm of the game of chess.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Hecuba
Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Peking University lecturer 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) speaking at a session titled What Chess Teaches Humans When Machines Play Better, held on January 21, 2026, at the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, alongside Kenneth Rogoff, Maurits C. Boas Chair of International Economics at Harvard University. Photos © World Economic Forum/Thibaut Bouvier. |
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
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