What did I tell you, my dear Edna? They couldn’t wait to hear from you again

Courtesy of Mint-Decavigator

Just A Reminder Each Day

Fenny Heemskerk – Clarice Benini
8th Women’s World Chess Championship; Moscow, January 2, 1950
Slav Defence D18

Comments in quotation marks by Grandmaster Max Euwe, Moskou 1949. Wereldkampioenschap Schaken Dames, Oosterbaan & Le Cointre N.V., Goes, 1950, pp. 40-41.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bd2. “Usual is 9. Qe2, intending to advance e3-e4, which is no longer so easy to accomplish after the move in the text”.
9. ... Nbd7. “Stronger was 9. ... c5 followed by ... Nb8-c6, by which Black would have gained excellent counterplay in the centre”.
Editor’s note: And indeed, 9. ... c5! 10. Qe2 Nc6 11. dxc5 Bg4 gave Black good play in Grob–Euwe, Zürich 1947, match game 6.
10. Re1 h6. “Provides the Bishop with a retreat square in advance, although 11. e4 does not work because of 11. ... Bxc3 12. exf5 Bxd2 etc.”.
11. Qe2 Rc8. “Still Black need not concern herself with the advance e3-e4. However, the move in the text has little effect, and therefore 11. ... Qe7, along with possibly ... e6-e5, deserved preference”.
12. Nb1! “A surprising way to still achieve e3-e4; first and foremost, White saves the c3-Knight from the very troublesome exchange with ... Bb4xc3”.
Editor’s note: Again, as noted by Haije Kramer, 12. e4 Bxc3! 13. exf5 Bxd2 leads nowhere for White.
12. ... Be7. “More active was 12. ... Bd6; the difference with the move in the text will become apparent shortly”.
13. Bc3 Ne4 14. Nbd2 Ndf6. “The battle for the e4-square is suddenly now in full swing”.
15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Nd2 Nxc3. “Had Black played 12. ... Bd6 instead of 12. ... Be7, 16. ... Qh4 might very well follow here, compelling White to weaken his King’s position. Black was now faced with a difficult choice. The exchange on c3 admittedly strengthens White’s centre, but after 16. ... Nxd2 17. Qxd2 the c3-Bishop will play an important role, e.g. 17. ... c5 18. e4 Bh7 19. d5 etc.
After the text move, the battle for the e4-square is decided in White’s favour”.
17. bxc3 c5. “Black’s counterplay comes too late now, as White can advance in the centre with gain of tempo”.
18. e4 Bg6 19. d5! “A powerful advance, which is the best way to capitalise on the centre majority”.
19. ... exd5. “19. ... e5 was better in any case, although then White would be left with a protected passed Pawn”.
Editor’s note: But it appears to us that after 19. ... e5 20. f4! exf4 21. e5 White’s initiative would be much too strong.
20. Bxd5! “Very well played. White takes advantage of her central advantage (e4-Pawn) by bringing the Bishop to a controlling position. The pressure on f7, in particular, will make itself felt from now on”.
20. ... b6 21. Qc4. “Also strong was 21. f4, as well as f4-f5”.
21. … Qd7?! Editor’s note: Lost time. If nothing else, 21. ... Qc7 at once would save a tempo.
22. Nf3. “Slowly but surely White strengthens her position. Nf3-e5 is threatened”.
22. ... Qc7 23. e5!

“The characteristic way to benefit from a centralised Bishop. Now that the Bishop is unassailable and the Pawn no longer needs protection, this latter will act as a battering ram in combination with Qc4–Bd5”.
23. ... Rcd8 24. Rad1 Kh7 25. h4! “Very enterprising, White is going to increase the pressure on Black’s position through the advance of the Kingside Pawns, which also puts the g6-Bishop under pressure”.
Editor’s note: The attacking threat is g2-g4.
25. ... f6. “The enterprising, lusty Italian Women’s Champion doesn’t want to wait anymore, and concedes her opponent a magnificent passed Pawn. On the other hand, she had only a choice between evils”.
26. e6 Kh8 27. g4 Bh7? Editor’s note: 27. ... h5! seems to be more resistant.
28. h5 Bg8 Editor’s note: (28. ... f5? 29. Ne5+−).
29. Nh4 Bh7 30. Ng6+. “Black threatened to free herself with ... f6-f5. The exchange that follows puts emphasis on Black’s back rank difficulties”.
30. ... Bxg6 31. hxg6 f5 32. Bf3. “The Bishop has fulfilled its task and White now clears the d-file in order to benefit from Black’s back rank problems”.
32. ... fxg4 33. Rxd8! “Very importantly, White exchanges some pieces, so that the remaining Black figures will have to strictly limit themselves to protecting the back rank and defending the King”.
33. ... Rxd8. “On 33. ... Qxd8 there follows the Zwischenzug 34. Rd1, after which 34. ... Qc7 35. Qxg4 Qf4 fails to 36. Qxf4 Rxf4 37. Rd7! and wins”.
34. Qxg4 Bf6 35. Qc4. Editor’s note: Threatening e6-e7 followed by the Queen invasion to f7.
35. ... Qe7 36. Kg2 Kg8. “It is obvious what thorns the Pawn on e6 and g6 are in Black’s position. Black cannot move a muscle”.
37. Bc6. “Intending Bc6-d7, with Black almost completely boxed in”.
37. ... Rd6. “It is understandable that Black wants to prevent the Rook from being paralysed, but now the back rank is no longer adequately guarded, which hastens the end”.
38. Bd7 Kf8 39. Qe4. “Thus White takes advantage of the position of the Black Rook on d6. Black must now worry about the threat of invasion by the White Queen on a8”.
Editor’s note: White is actually threatening 40. Qa8+ Qd8 41. e7+ Bxe7 42. Qxd8+ Bxd8 43. Re8#.
39. ... Qd8 40. Re3. “The Rook is heading to the f-file”.
40. ... a5 41. Qb7 Bg5. Editor’s note: If 41. … Rd2 then 42. e7+! Bxe7 43. Qf3+ and game over.
42. Qf3+. “Decisive, as Black cannot prevent the invasion. On 42. ... Bf6 or 42. ... Qf6 there follows 43. e7+”.
42. ... Kg8 43. Qf7+ Kh8 44. e7 Bxe7 45. Rxe7 Rxg6+ 46. Kf1! “Leads to significant material advantage, because on 46. ... Kh7 there now follows 47. Bf5 Qd1+ 48. Re1 etc.”.
Editor’s note: 46. ... Kh7 47. Re8 is also convincing.
46. ... Qxe7 47. Qxe7 Rf6 48. Bb5 1–0.

The Ocean and Its Wonders

Sacred Water

Holy water

The Battle of Waterloo

Rail passengers arrive at London Waterloo station in the morning rush hour, as the UK experiences record temperatures disrupting schools and transport networks. Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters.

Intentional Summer

Tourists visit Piazza dei Miracoli near the Leaning Tower in Pisa, Italy. Ministry of Health on Monday issued heatwave red alerts for 12 cities, including Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome. Photo: Enrico Mattia Del Punta/NurPhoto/Shutterstock.

Sissa’s reward

Competitors take part in a rice transplanting competition in a paddy set up inside a shopping mall in 宁波 (Níngbō), 浙江省 (Zhèjiāng province), China. Photo: Héctor Retamal/AFP/Getty Images.

Love in the Time of Cholera

A woman walks outside a shopping mall as black smoke rises over an oil refinery in the south-eastern suburbs of Moscow, Russia. Photo: AFP/Getty Images.

Visions and Re-visions

Dragonite

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – 赵骏 (Zhào Jùn)

4th FIDE World Rapid Team Championship; Dragon Chilling – Interstellar Club; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 香港 (Hong Kong), June 19, 2026

Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bf4 dxc4 6. e3 a6 7. a4 Nb6 8. a5 Nbd5 9. Bxc4 Nxf4 10. exf4 Bd6 11. Ne5 0-0 12. 0-0 Bd7 13. Qf3. 13. Qb3 Rb8 14. f5 b5 15. Bxe6?! (15. axb6 Rxb6 16. Qa2⩲) 15. ... Be8! won a Pawn, but gave Black too much play in Rönkä – Kekki, 78th Finnish Chess Championship, Helsinki 2016.
13. ... Rb8 14. Rad1 b5 15. axb6 Rxb6 16. b3 Bb4? (16. ... Qa8 17. Nxd7 Nxd7 18. Ne4⩲)

17. d5! exd5? The losing mistake. After 17. ... Bxc3 18. Nxd7 (18. dxe6!? Bxe5 19. exf7+ Kh8 20. fxe5 is also attractive) 18. ... Nxd7 19. Qxc3 exd5 20. Rxd5 Qc8 21. Re1 White is clearly better, but the game is far from over.
18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Qxd5 Rd6 20. Nxf7 1–0. For after 20. ... Rxd5 21. Nxd8 White wins at least the Exchange.

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) is back on top after a long sabbatical leave! Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.

Guess who’s come to dinner?

Aurora, Emma, Giacomo, Letizia, and Viola enjoy pizzas and gourmet desserts at the end-of-year dinner of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”. Our young ladies were finally presented with a handmade gift by Mado Flynn.

Time Machines

Two old-timers of our happy school days, Aurora and Giacomo, meet for a friendly game of chess at the end-of-year dinner of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”.

In the Chair

叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina

4th FIDE World Rapid Team Championship; Mr Birdie and Friends – WR Chess; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 香港 (Hong Kong), June 18, 2026

3rr2k/1ppb2p1/1nB2q1p/p7/P3p3/2P2NPP/1P1B2P1/1R1QR1K1 b - - 0 21

Position after 21. Bb5xc6

White’s last move is a mistake which allows Black to unleash the beast within.
21. ... bxc6 22. Nd4. 22. Nh4 Bxh3! (23. gxh3 Nc4) is no better.
22. ... c5 23. Nc2 Bxa4 (23. ... Bxh3!?)
24. Qc1 Nc4 25. Bf4 Bxc2 26. Qxc2 e3 27. Rbd1 Rxd1 28. Rxd1? 28. Qxd1 Qe6 is anything but satisfying but perhaps the lesser of two evils.
28. ... g5 29. Qe2. Not 29. Bxc7 on account of 29. ... e2 30. Re1 Qf1+! 31. Rxf1 exf1=Q+ 32. Kxf1 Ne3+ winning a clear Rook. If, instead, 29. Rd7 then 29. ... Re7 30. Rd8+ Kg7 31. Qe2 Qf7 winning a piece.
29. ... gxf4 30. Rf1. Desperation — but 30. Qxc4 f3! also loses.
30. ... Nd6 31. Rxf4 Qe5 32. Rh4 Nf5 33. Rg4 Nxg3 34. Qe1

34. ... e2! 0–0. For after 35. Rxg3 Qxg3! Black would be left with a Rook to the good.

Post equitem sedet atra cura. Photo: FIDE.

You know, Edna, only you can make sense of them as they appear — and disappear

Artwork © CathryneDelamort

In the Hot Seat

鹿妙夷 (Lù Miàoyí) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina

4th FIDE World Rapid Team Championship; Chessnut Nova – WR Chess; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 香港 (Hong Kong), June 17, 2026

rr5k/p1p1Npp1/4b2p/b1p1P3/3pRP1B/8/PPP3PP/1K1R4 b - - 3 25

Position after 25. Re1-e4

The sudden inability of four-time Women’s World Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) to join the WR Chess Team gave Goryachkina the opportunity to sit just where she wouldn’t dare to venture without a clear invitation from the boss of WR Group, Wadim Alexandrowitsch Rosenstein. But the queen’s chair was too hot today, and the rising star of Chinese (women’s) chess, 鹿妙夷 (Lù Miàoyí), gave Goryachkina a hard time.
25. ... Rxb2+! 26. Kxb2 Rb8+ 27. Kc1 Bxa2 28. c4

28. ... Bb4? Goryachkina played very well so far, but here she misses the best way to make sense of her initiative: 28. ... Bc3! (Δ 29. ... Rb1+ 30. Kc2 Rb2+ 31. Kc1 Bb3−+) 29. Be1 Rb1 30. Kc2 Rb2+ 31. Kd3 Rb1 with a likely draw.
29. Nc6 Ba3+ 30. Kd2 Rb2+ 31. Ke1 Bxc4 32. Ra1 Bd3? 32. ... Rb3! 33. Ne7 Kh7! 34. f5 Bb2 35. Rxa7 Bc3+ 36. Kf2 Rb2+ 37. Kg3 Rb3∞ was Black’s last chance to hang on to a possible draw.
33. Rxd4 cxd4 34. Rxa3 Be4 35. Nxd4 Rxg2 36. Bg3 Rb2 37. Rxa7. Black has not enough for the piece. The rest is a matter of technique for 鹿妙夷 (Lù Miàoyí).
37. ... c5 38. Ne2 Bf3 39. Nc3 Kg8 40. Rc7 h5 41. Rxc5 h4 42. Bxh4 Rxh2 43. Bg5 Bg4 44. Nd5 Kh7 45. Ne7 Bd7 46. Rd5 Bg4 47. Rd2 Rh1+ 48. Kf2 Rh2+ 49. Ke3 Rh3+ 50. Kd4 Bd7 51. Ke4 Bg4 52. f5 Rh5 53. Kf4 Bh3 54. Rh2 g6 55. fxg6+ fxg6 56. Nd5 Kg7 57. Nf6 Rh8 58. Kg3 Be6 59. Rxh8 Kxh8 60. Bh6 g5 61. Bxg5 Kg7 62. Kf4 Kf7 63. Ne4 Ba2 64. Nc5 Ke8 65. Ke4 Kf7 66. Bf6 Kg6 67. Nd3 Kf7 68. Nf4 Bb3 69. Kd4 Ba2 70. Kc5 Bb3 71. Kd6 Ba2 72. Nd5 Bb3 73. e6+ Kg6 74. Bc3 Ba4 75. Nb6 Bb3 76. e7 Bf7 77. Kd7 Kf5 78. Nc8 Bh5 79. Nd6+ Kf4 80. Bb2 Bg4+ 81. Kc6 Bh5 82. Bf6 Bf3+ 83. Kd7 Bg4+ 84. Ke8 Be6 85. Kd8 1–0.

Si duo faciunt idem, non est idem. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.

Voldemort and Harry

The rule of madness

Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, June 15, 2026

How can one explain — or even simply attempt to understand — what is happening in the United States? How can one put forward the fact — actually inexplicable — that the nation which until recently dominated the world has been — and continues to be — governed for the past decade by a technically mentally deranged president? Perhaps the only possible answer is that the United States find themselves in a historical situation for which only madness is adequate. When a country reaches the ultimate stage of the spiritual break-up, no rational decision to address it is any longer accessible. One can only rush, with all means, the now inevitable collapse, and madness — real or simulated — is certainly the most useful instrument of government.
As a loyal subject of the United States, Europe, too, is self-destroying and, like the United States, appears to be rushing into madness. Whether some European states will be able to stop themselves on the brick of the abyss or whether they will fall down into it along with the wretched and illegitimate body called European Community, is something the next few years will show.

(English translation by I, Robot)

Francisco Goya, The Madness of Fear, 1819–1823. Courtesy of WikiArt.

Songs of Transience

The Apple and the Butterfly

Echoes from the Past

The Other Hong Kong Report

The outlet RookReview announced that three-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina will replace four-time Women’s World Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in WR Chess Team.

Here is a picture taken on June 27, 2024 in Moscow, Russia, showing Goryachkina, Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), and Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno chatting away. One may just wonder in passing in what language they communicated with each other. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

Unforeseeable Chinas

Wadim Alexandrowitsch Rosenstein, CEO of WR Group, announced today that:

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will unfortunately be unable to join WR Chess Team for the upcoming competition in 香港 (Hong Kong)“.

Hit parade

The Odd Couple

Playtime

After all, the most important thing one can do to prepare for the week ahead — the last week of school before graduation — is to play Saturday afternoon at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”.