Backfire

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Viktor Láznička
1st Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chess Tournament, New Delhi, June 22, 2011
Caro-Kann Defence B19

“[...] second seed Viktor Láznička stop[ped] women’s World Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in a Caro-Kann game which he should have won much earlier than 65 moves”, Rakesh Rao wrote in his report for The Hundu of June 23, 2011.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Bb4 13. c3 Be7 14. c4 Qc7 15. 0-0-0 Ngf6 16. Rhe1 0-0 17. Nf5 Bd6 18. Nxd6 Qxd6

19. Qe2. 19. g4 b5 20. g5 bxc4 21. Qc2 hxg5 22. Nxg5 c3 23. Bxc3 Qf4+ 24. Bd2 Qf5∞ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周唯奇 (Zhōu Wéiqí), 3rd 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2012.
19. ... b5 20. g4 bxc4. 20. ... Nxg4? 21. Ne5! Nxe5 22. dxe5 Qe7 23. Bxh6! gxh6 24. Rg1+ Kh8 (24. ... Kh7 25. Qd3+) 25. Qd2.
21. g5 hxg5 22. Rg1 (22. h6!? gxh6 23. Rh1 c3∞)
22. ... c3 23. Bxc3 Nd5

24. Bd2?! 24. Rxg5 Nxc3 25. bxc3 Rab8 looks quite unpleasant for White, but at the same time, it might have offered little better chances of counterbalancing.
24. ... f6 25. h6. Maybe 25. Rde1 could be worth a thought. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s aggressive approach will soon backfire on her.
25. ... gxh6 26. Rde1 Rf7 27. Rh1 Rh7 28. Rh2 Kg7 29. Rg1 Rah8 30. Qe4 Nf8 31. Re1 Ng6 32. Qxe6 Qxe6 33. Rxe6 Rc8 34. Rh1 Kf7 35. Re2 Re8 36. Kd1 Rxe2 37. Kxe2 g4 38. Nh2 f5 39. Rc1 Nge7 40. Rc5 Ke6 41. b4 h5 42. Ra5 Nc8 43. Rc5 Kd6 44. b5 Nce7 45. bxc6 Nxc6 46. Kd3 Re7 47. Kc4 Nb6+ 48. Kd3 Nd5 49. Kc4 Nb6+ 50. Kd3 Rf7 51. Bf4+ Kd7 52. d5 Nb4+ 53. Kd4 N4xd5 54. Rxd5+ Nxd5 55. Kxd5 Re7 56. Be5 Re6 57. a3 Ra6 58. Bb2 Ra5+ 59. Kd4 Ke6 60. Nf1 Rb5 61. Bc3 Rb1 62. Nd2

62. ... h4! 63. Ba5. The Rook is obviously taboo because of 63. ... h3.
63. ... Rc1 64. Nc4 h3 65. Bc7 Rc2 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s aggressive approach has backfired on her.

Eye of the Needle (针眼)

Kim Hyun-a & Jang Hyun-seung – “Trouble Maker”

Clarice Benini: a temporary edition

Alessandra Innocenti & Lorenzo Barsi

Clarice Benini
Omaggio alla Campionessa di Scacchi

versione 0.1 (PDF)

IN TUCCAM Exigis, ut nostros donem tibi, Tucca, libellos.      Non faciam: nam vis vendere, non legere. A TUCCA Ch’io ti doni i miei libri, o Tucca, domandi e pretendi.      Non lo farò, giacché vuoi venderli, non leggerli. 给杜卡 杜卡，你向我索要的书，我绝不会给。      因为你只想卖，而不是读这些书。

Marco Valerio Marziale, Epigrammi, vii

Traduzione di 莫东科 (Mò Dōngkē)

A Hate-Love Story

It’s the night of March 24, 2005. 11th World Chess Champion Robert James “Bobby” Fischer was traveling on a jet from Japan to Iceland, just after his release from a Japanese immigration detention centre. A video interview was taken, and Fischer, among other matters, spoke about “old” and “new” chess. Here are some excerpts (Fischer’s words in bold):

— You can learn Fischerandom in five, ten seconds practically, so there is no impediment. You have the same pieces, the same board; all you have to do is get an electronic shuffler and in one second you have a position. Of course, you can create more creative games than Fischer Random: maybe an extra piece or a bigger board or all kinds of things. People think I’m anti-chess. No, I’m not anti-chess, I’m pro-chess. I’m trying to keep it alive. I’m not coming up with anything radical at all.
— Being asked about who is the greatest player ever, he replied:
— I want to get back to Fischerandom. [...] First you have to understand something about chess. Of course, I’m better than Morphy. Why am I better than Morphy? I don’t say I have more talent than him. I just know much more theory, right? If he came back today, and he couldn’t open a book (let’s say), he wouldn’t do badly even against masters maybe. That has nothing to do with his talent though. So when you say I’m better than someone, it doesn’t mean anything, because of all this theory in chess. Now if you want to say am I the most talented player, that’s something else.
— Are you the most talented player?
— I think so, but that’s just my opinion. Morphy was fantastic, Capablanca was fantastic.
— What about later World Champions? Kasparov?
— As I say, I don’t like to delve too much into the old chess, because I hate it so much. By delving into it, I’m promoting it in some way. I don’t want to promote this [bleeping] game. I have only one interest in the old chess: to expose the pre-arrangement. People are living in a dream world.
— Don’t you think that’s paradoxical coming from the best player that ever was?
— Life is like that. It’s not really paradoxical. Chess is basically a search for truth, right? So I’m searching for the truth. The truth is that chess is no good any more. Chess hasn’t been a good game, objectively, for 150 years, since all this theory developed. It was a good game maybe 200 years ago, in the time of [Philidor].
— So you’re saying that already when you became World Champion, already by then, it was a bad game.
— Yes, it was a bad game. On the other hand, it wasn’t as bad as today. No comparison, but it was a bad game. At the time I was fired with ambition to win and I was willing to overcome all of these idiotic obstacles that block a talented person from winning. As you get older, if you don’t get better, you have to get smarter. I’m much smarter now than I was then. Much, much smarter. Now I don’t want to do things the hard way. Why do things the hard way when there’s an easier, better way? The old chess is that you’re banging your head against the wall with this theory. You’re trying to find some little improvement on move 18, or 20. It’s ridiculous. It gets harder and harder and harder. You need more and more computers, you need more and more people working for you.
— And less and less talent?
— Yes, less and less — it’s ridiculous. Why?
— Did you gradually start to hate chess or did it come suddenly?
— That’s a good question. [Pauses] I think it came gradually, but then at a certain point I was hating it, but didn’t know. I was still trying to make it work. Now I realise I was gradually hating it all along.

Impeachment (last call)

IMPEACHMENT
JUDGEMENT
SENTENCE

Effe Esse
Esse Esse



Esame di tecnica di Danza in Cina

Renaissance Goddess

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Hoàng Thị Bảo Trâm
24th World Junior Chess Championship Girls U-20; Yerevan, October 9, 2006
Caro-Kann Defence B17

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7. The Petrosian Variation.
5. Ng5 Ngf6 6. Bd3 e6 7. N1f3 Bd6 8. Qe2 h6 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Qc7 11. 0-0 b6 12. Qg4 Kf8 13. b3 c5!? Or, alternatively, 13. ... Bb7 14. Bb2 Nf6 15. Qh4 Nd5 16. Ne5 g5 17. Qg4 Nf4 18. Rfe1 Rg8 19. Qf3 Rd8 20. Be4 f5 21. Bxc6 Bxe5 22. Bxb7 g4 23. Qc6 Qxc6 24. Bxc6 Bxd4 25. Rad1 Ne2+ 26. Rxe2 Bxf2+ 27. Kxf2 Rxd1 28. Rxe6 Rd2+ 29. Re2 Rxe2+ 30. Kxe2 Ke7 31. c4 Kd6 32. Bd5 Re8+ 33. Kf2 f4 34. Bg7 h5 35. Bf7 Rd8 36. Bxh5 Ke7 37. Bc3 Rg8 38. h3 gxh3 39. gxh3 Rg3 40. Bb4+ Kf6 41. Bg4 Ke5 42. Bc8 a5 43. Ba3 a4 44. Bb2+ Ke4 45. Bb7+ Kd3 46. Be5 axb3 47. axb3 Rxh3 48. Bxf4 Kd4 49. Bf3 Kc3 50. Bd5 Kd4 51. Bg3 b5 52. Kf3 bxc4 53. bxc4 Kc5 54. Kf4 Kb4 55. Be1+ Kc5 56. Bf2+ Kb4 57. Ke5 Rh5+ 58. Kd4 Ka5 59. Kc5 Rh6 60. Bg3 Ka6 61. Bd6 Rh8 62. Kc6 Rh7 63. c5 Ka7 64. Be6 Rg7 65. Bd7 Rg6 66. Kc7 Rh6 67. Kd8 Ka6 68. c6 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Sasikiran, 71st Corus Chess Tournament (Group B), Wijk aan Zee 2009.
14. dxc5 Nxc5 15. Bb2 e5 (15. ... f6? 16. Bc4)
16. Bf5 Bxf5? Overclocking! Correct is 16. ... h5 17. Qh3 Ne6 18. Bxe6!? Bxe6 19. Qg3 f6 20. Nh4 Kg8 (20. ... Qxc2? 21. Rad1! Bc5 22. Bxe5!! fxe5 23. Qf3+ Ke7 24. Rd3!+− Vescovi – Miton, 3rd Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2004) 21. Rad1 Rd8 22. Qg6 Rh6 23. Qe4 Bc8! 24. c4 g5! 25. Nf3 Bf5 26. Qe2 Rh7 27. Nd2 Qc6 28. Nb1 Qe4= Timman – Erenburg, 21st Reykjavík Open, Reykjavík 2004.
17. Qxf5 Re8 18. Rad1 Kg8 19. Rfe1 f6? From bad to worse, although neither 19. ... e4 20. b4! Na4 21. Ba1± nor 19. ... g6 20. Qg4± was of much help to Black.
20. Nh4 Rd8 21. f4! exf4 22. Ng6 Rh7 23. b4 Nb7

24. Re7!! A most sumptuous sacrifice by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).
24. ... Qc4 (24. ... Bxe7 25. Qe6#)
25. Rd5! 1 : 0. For if 25. ... Bc5+ then 26. bxc5 Qxd5 27. Re8+! Kf7 28. Rf8+!+− finis.

Jailhouse Rock

给克拉丽斯 (Per Clarice)

给克拉丽斯：
(Per Clarice:)

• Lorenzo Barsi Italia
• Mauro Berni Italia
• Renzo Cambi† Italia
• 中国国际象棋协会 (CCA) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• Mirsad Crnic Repubblica di Serbia
• Renato Di Vincenzi† Italia
• Marco Faggiani Italia
• Giorgio Gioulis Italia
• 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• Alessandra Innocenti Italia
• Jan Kalendovský Repubblica Ceca
• Giuseppe Laco Italia
• Igor Laco Italia
• Mario Leoncini Italia
• 林丽丽 (Lín Lìlì) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• Giovanni Lucci Italia
• 莫东科 (Mò Dōngkē) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• L. M. Italia
• Janet L. Newton Stati Uniti
• Massimiliano Orsi Italia
• Fiorentino Palmiotto Italia
• Rafael Santana Venezuela
• Claudio Sericano Italia
• Zdeněk Závodný Repubblica Ceca

To be continued...

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) per Clarice Benini (pag. 77)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) per Clarice Benini (pag. 76)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) per Clarice Benini (pag. 75)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) per Clarice Benini (pag. 74)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) per Clarice Benini (pag. 73)

Renaissance Muse

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Marie Sebag
i Torneo Internazionale; Hángzhōu, 15 luglio 2011
Siciliana B53

Commentano Xŭ Yùhua e Lou Yiping. Nostro il corsivo.

1. e4 c5 2. Cf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Dxd4 Cc6 5. Ab5 Ad7 6. Axc6 Axc6 7. Cc3 Cf6 8. Ag5 e6 9. Dd3 Ae7 10. Cd4 Da5 11. Ad2 Dc7 12. 0-0-0 0-0.L’alternativa è 12. ... a6 13. f4 b5 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Cd7 16. Cxc6 Dxc6 17. Dg3 g6 18. Ag5 Axg5+ 19. Dxg5 b4 20. Ce2 Tc8 21. Cd4 Dc4 22. Rb1 0-0 23. h4 f6! 24. exf6 e5 25. Cf3 Cxf6 26. Tc1 e4 27. Cd2! De6= Kasimdzhanov– Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999. 13. f4 Tab8 14. f5 Ad7 15. g4 Tfc8 16. g5 Cg4 17. Thf1 Dc4 18. Dh3 Ce5 (18. ... Dxd4 19. Dxg4 exf5 20. Df4 lascerebbe una posizione alquanto oscura) 19. Cf3? (19. Af4) 19. ... b5? 19. ... exf5 20. Cxe5 (20. exf5 Cd3+!! 21. cxd3 Dxa2) 20. ... dxe5 21. exf5 b5 con l’iniziativa al Nero. O più graziosamente: 19. ... Cd3+ 20. Rb1 (20. cxd3 Dxa2∓) 20. ... Cxb2 21. Rxb2 b5 22. Ra1 b4=/+. 20. f6 Af8? 21. g6!! fxg6 (21. ... Cxg6 22. Cg5 h6 23. fxg7 Axg7 24. Cxf7+-) 22. Cxe5 dxe5 23. f7+ Rh8 24. Tf3 h6 25. Axh6 gxh6 26. Dg4 g5 (26. ... Rg7 27. Tg1 g5 28. Dh5+-) 27. Dh5 Rg7 28. Th3 Rf6 29. Txd7 b4

30. Dxh6+!! Axh6 31. Txh6+ Rg7 32. f8=D+! 1 : 0. In conseguenza di 32. ... Rxf8 33. Th8 matto.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Hairpin Loop

Erwin l’Ami – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
71st Corus Chess Tournament (B Group); Wijk aan Zee, February 2, 2009
Queen’s Indian Defence E12

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxf6 Bxf6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Qa4+ c6 10. g3 0-0 11. Bg2 Na6 12. 0-0 c5 13. Rfd1 Qe7 (13. ... Nc7 14. dxc5 bxc5 15. e4 d4 16. e5 Bxf3 17. Bxf3 Rb8 18. exf6 Qxf6 19. Nd5 Qxf3 20. Nxc7 Rxb2 21. Rf1 Qb7 22. Qd7 d3 23. Rae1 h6 24. Re8 Rxe8 25. Qxe8+ Kh7 26. Qxf7 Rb1 27. Qf5+ Kh8 28. Rxb1 Qxb1+ 29. Kg2 Qb7+ 30. Nd5 d2 31. Qf8+ Kh7 32. Qf3 Qb1 33. Nc3 Qc1 34. a4 Qxc3 35. Qxc3 d1=Q 36. Qxc5 Qxa4 37. Qf5+ ½ : ½ A. I. Kuzmin – Korotylev, 36th Meisterturnier MTO, Biel/Bienne 2003)
14. e3 Nc7 15. Rac1 Rfd8 16. dxc5 bxc5 17. Ne1 h6 18. Qa5

18. ... Rab8! 19. Qxa7 d4 20. exd4 (20. Bxb7 dxc3)
20. ... Bxg2 21. Kxg2 cxd4 22. Na4 Qe4+ 23. Kg1 Ne6 24. Nc5 Nxc5 25. Qxc5

25. ... d3 26. Qc6 Qe2 27. Qf3 Qxf3 28. Nxf3 Rxb2 29. Rb1 Rxb1 30. Rxb1 d2 31. Rd1 Rd3 32. Kg2 Bc3 33. a4 g5 34. h3 f5 35. Nh2 Rd4 36. Nf3 Rd3 37. Nh2 h5

38. Nf1 f4 39. gxf4 gxf4 40. f3 Rd4 41. Kf2 Rxa4 42. Nxd2 Bxd2 43. Rxd2 Kf7 44. Rd5 Kg6 45. h4 Ra2+ 46. Kg1 Ra1+ 47. Kg2 Ra2+ 48. Kh3 Ra3 49. Rg5+ Kf6 50. Rxh5 Rxf3+ 51. Kg4 Rf1 52. Rf5+ Kg7 53. Rxf4 Rxf4+ ½ : ½.

It was a draw, at last. Photo: Corus Chess.

Renaissance Girl

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Humpy Koneru

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 1; Antakya, December 16, 2010

Spanish Game C67

Notes by Grandmaster Pál Charles Benkö, Chess Life, November 2012, p. 42.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Ke8

This is the basic position of the main line of the Berlin Defense — after only nine moves we are already in an endgame. Against the White Kingside Pawn majority and Black’s loss of castling rights, Black has the Bishop pair.
10. Ne2. An uncommon continuation that presumably targets the usual ... Bc8-e6 setup.
10. ... Be7. Also possible is 10. ... Bc5.
11. b3 a5 12. a4 Be6 13. Bb2 h5 14. Nfd4 Nxd4 15. Nxd4 Rd8 16. Nxe6 fxe6. Black gives up the Bishop pair intentionally with the hope of blockading the White Pawn majority.
17. Rad1 Kf7 18. g3 Bb4. Possibly 18. ... g6.
19. Kg2 Bd2 20. Kf3 Rd5 21. Ke2 Rhd8 22. c4 R5d7 23. Bc1 Bc3. The Rook ending may have been a better choice for Black. Usually any trade of pieces brings White closer to her own strategic aim.
24. Rxd7+ Rxd7 25. f4 g6? Interesting is 25. ... Kg6!?.
(RR 25. ... Kg6! 26. h3 Kf5 27. Ke3 c5 — Anish Giri)
26. Rf3 Bb4 (RR 26. ... Bd4 27. Rd3 Δ Bc1-e3, Ke2-f3-e4)
27. Rd3 Rxd3 28. Kxd3 Be7. This avoids the Pawn-ending that would have appeared after 29. Bd2, but in any case Black was too optimistic about her chances in the Bishop ending.
29. Be3 c5 30. Ke4 b6 31. Kf3 Bf8 [RR 31. ... Bd8!? 32. Kg2!! (32. Bf2 g5!; 32. g4 Bh4!) 32. ... Be7 33. Kh3! Ke8 34. g4+− — Giri]
32. g4! Be7 33. Kg3 c6 34. Kh3! Bd8 35. Bf2 Bc7 36. Bh4 hxg4+ 37. Kxg4 Kg7 38. Bf6+ Kf7 39. Bh4 Kg7 40. Bf6+ Kf7 41. Kg5 b5. Temporarily helping the passive Bishop since after 42. axb5 cxb5 43. cxb5 Bb6, ... c5-c4 is on the horizon.
42. Kh6 bxa4 43. bxa4 Bb6

44. Be7. This idea could work, but it must be prepared via 44. h3 Bc7 45. h4 Bb6, while 44. h4! Bc7 45. Kg5 Bb6 46. f5! exf5 47. h5 gxh5 48. Kxf5 Ke8 49. Kg6 etc. was a possible winning breakthrough.
44. ... Bc7? Misses an escape chance. Better to ask for proof than endure torture. 44. ... Kxe7 45. Kxg6 Bd8 46. h4 Kf8 47. h5 Kg8 48. h6 Bh4 49. h7+ Kh8 50. Kf7 Kxh7 51. Kxe6. At this point we can see that White would win with the extra tempo (44. h4) if she could play 51. Kf7, but now after 51. ... Kg7 Black has good drawing chances.
45. Bxc5 Bd8 46. Bf2 Be7 47. c5 Bf8+ 48. Kg5 Be7+ 49. Kg4 Ke8 50. Be1 Bxc5 51. Bxa5 Be7 52. Kf3. Or 52. h4.
52. ... Kd7 53. Ke4 c5 54. Kd3 Kc6 55. Kc4 Bh4 56. Bd2 Bf2 57. h3 Bg1 58. Bc1 Bf2 59. Bd2 Bg1 60. Kd3. Better is 60. a5!.
60. ... Bf2 61. Be3 Be1 62. Kc4 Bb4 63. Bf2 Kb6 64. Be3 Kc6 65. Bg1 Kb6 66. Bf2 Kc6 67. Bh4 Bd2 68. Bg5 Be1 69. Be7 Bf2 70. a5! Be3 71. Bg5 Bf2. No other move could have helped since a5-a6 is coming sooner or later.
72. h4 Bg3 73. a6 Bf2 74. h5! At long last! This Bishop ending took longer than was necessary.
74. ... gxh5 75. f5 exf5 76. e6 Bg3 77. e7 Kd7 78. a7 1 : 0.

The Hour of the Star

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Henrique da Costa Mecking
71st Corus Chess Tournament (B Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 23, 2009
Spanish Game C86

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Qe2 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d6 9. Rd1 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. d5 Bd7 13. Nbd2 Nh5 14. Nf1 g6 15. b3 Ng7!? The uninfluential alternative is 15. ... Bf6 16. g3 Bg7 ½ : ½ Tomić – Blagojević, 6th Bosnia and Herzegovina Team Chess Championship, Vogošća 2007.
16. Bh6 Rfb8. Theory provides a not-too-probing variation in theme: 16. ... f6 17. h3 Nb7 18. a4 Rfb8 19. Ne3 ½ : ½ Matikozian – A. Stein, IBAR Invitational, Santa Monica 2005.
17. h3 Nb7 18. g4 a5 19. Bd3 Nd8 20. Ng3 f6 21. Be3 Nf7 22. Kh2

22. ... b4 (22. ... a4 23. b4)
23. a4 Kh8 (23. ... bxc3 24. Qc2 Qb6 25. Rab1)
24. Rac1 bxc3 25. Rxc3 Qc8 26. Nd2 Ne8 27. Nc4 Nc7 28. Bd2 Ne8 29. Bc2 Bd8 30. Qf1 Be7 31. Re3 Qc7 32. Bc3 Bc8 33. Qe1 Bd8 34. Nf1 Kg8 35. Rg3 Qa7 36. Nfe3 Qc7 37. Rb1 Rb4? Black’s Exchange sacrifice is of no avail at all, but even without it, in the long run, he could not avoid to pay a material price for his strategic Zugzwang.
38. Bxb4 axb4 39. Bd3 Qb8 40. Qe2 Ra7 41. Ra1 Nc7 42. Rgg1 Bd7 43. Qf1 Be8 44. h4 Be7 45. f4 Qd8 46. Rd1 Na8 47. Qf2 Nb6 48. Nxb6 Qxb6 49. Nc4 Qd8 50. fxe5 fxe5 51. g5 h6 52. gxh6 Nxh6 53. Rdf1 Kh7 54. Qg2 Bxh4 55. Ne3 Bf6 56. Bb5 Bf7 57. Rf3 Kg7 58. Rh3 Ng8 59. Nf5+ Kf8 60. Nh6 Nxh6 61. Rxh6 Bg7 62. Rh3 Bf6 63. Qg4 Bg7 64. Rf1 Kg8 65. Qg3 Bf6 66. Rg1 Bg7 67. Be2 Bf6 68. Qe3 Be8 69. Qh6 Bg7 70. Qe3 Bf6 71. Bg4 Rh7 72. Be6+ Kg7 73. Rxh7+ Kxh7 74. Qh3+ Bh4 75. a5 Kg7 76. a6 Bf2 77. Rf1 Bd4 78. a7 Qa5 79. Qf3 Kh6 80. Qf8+ Kh5 81. Qh8+ Kg5 82. Qf6+ Kh6 83. Kg3 1 : 0. “[...] I played badly against the Chinese. The game was good for me. There were people that criticised my game, my Spanish Opening. There’s nothing to do with it, I was in a good position. I was tired, exhausted, worried about my defeats. I feared losing 25 points and get the last position at the tournament. When the situation is not good, you have to avoid losing points”, Mecking will tell Rádio Xadrez about a year later.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) played a textbook Ruy López, systematically increasing the pressure all over the board. Photo: Corus Chess.

From Soup to Nuts

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is the special guest at a gala dinner offered by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Tirana, Albania on November 18, 2011.

Emotional Inertia

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Rustam Mashrukovich Kasimdzhanov
71st Corus Chess Tournament (Group B); Wijk aan Zee, January 17, 2009
Spanish Game C92

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Re8 10. d4 Bb7 11. Ng5 Rf8 12. Nf3 Re8 13. Ng5 Rf8 14. Nf3 Re8 15. a4 h6 16. Nbd2 Bf8 17. Bc2 exd4 18. cxd4 Nb4 19. Bb1 c5 20. d5 Nd7 21. Ra3 c4 22. Nd4 Qf6 23. N2f3 Nc5. Or 23. ... Nd3 24. Bxd3 b4! 21. Bxc4 bxa3 22. b3 Nc5 23. Qc2 Qg6 24. Nh4 Qf6 25. Nhf3 Qg6 26. Nh4 Qf6 ½–½ Anand – Kamsky, PCA 1994–95 Candidates Tournament Final, Las Palmas 1995, match game 5.
24. axb5 axb5 25. Nxb5 Rxa3 26. Nxa3 Ba6 27. Re3 Rb8 28. Rc3 Nbd3 29. Bxd3 cxd3 30. Be3 Nxe4 (30. ... Qg6!?)
31. Rc6 Ra8!

32. Qa4. White forces simplification in search of a laborious balance. More advisable may be 32. Rb6 Qf5 with approximate dynamic equality, Blomqvist – Brynell, 29th Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 2007 (32. ... Qd8 also deserves consideration).
32. ... d2! 33. Nxd2 Nxd2 34. Rxa6 Qxb2 35. Bxd2 (35. Rxa8?? Qc1+ 36. Kh2 Nf1+ 37. Kg1 Nxe3+ 38. Kh2 Nf1+ 39. Kg1 Ng3+ 40. Kh2 Ne2−+)
35. ... Rxa6 36. Qxa6 Qxd2 37. Qc4 Qd1+!? And finally comes the novelty! 37. ... g6 38. g3 h5 39. Kg2 Bg7 40. Qe4 Bd4 41. Qf3 Qa2 42. Nb5 Bxf2 41. Nc3 Qc2 42. Ne2 Bd4 43. g4 hxg4 44. hxg4 Be5 45. Kf1 Kg7 46. Ng1 Qc1+ 47. Kg2 Qd2+ 48. Kf1 Qc2 49. Nh3 Qb1+ 50. Kg2 Qa2+ 51. Kf1 Qa1+ 52. Kg2 Qa2+ 53. Kf1 Qa1+ 54. Kg2 Qb2+ 55. Kf1 Qb1+ 56. Kg2 Qb2+ 57. Kf1 Qc1+ 58. Kg2 Qd2+ 59. Kf1 Bd4 60. Nf4 Qe3 61. Qxe3 Bxe3 62. Ng2 Bc1 63. Ne1 f5 64. gxf5 g5 65. Nd3 Bf4 66. Kg2 Kf6 67. Nb4 Kxf5 68. Nc6 Ke4 69. Ne7 Be5 0–1 Anand – Timoshchenko, International Tournament, Frunze 1987.
38. Kh2 Qe1. In line of principle the ending is quite balanced, but from a practical standpoint it is far easier to play Black’s side.

39. Qd4 g6 40. Nc4 Qe2 41. Nd2 Bg7 42. Qe3 Qd1 43. g3 Kh7 44. Qf4 Kg8 45. Qe3 h5 46. h4 Be5 47. Qg5 Kg7 48. Qe3 Bf6 49. Qf4 Be5 50. Qe3 Kf8 51. Qg5 Kg8

52. Ne4? It is likely that due to the proximity to the goal 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) fell into an incorrect assumptions about the inevitability of a draw. 52. Kg2 was one of the plausible routes to destination.
52. ... Qd4! Black now wins a Pawn by force. 52. ... Qxd5?? 53. Nf6+! (winning the Queen) was what White had superficially considered.
53. Qe3 (53. f3 Qd3−+)
53. ... Qxd5 54. Ng5 Kg7 55. Nf3 Bf6 56. Kg2 Qc6 57. Qd3 d5 58. Kf1 Kf8 59. Qa3+ Kg7 60. Qd3 Qc5 61. Ne1 Qc4 62. Ke2 Bd4 63. Qxc4 dxc4 64. Nf3 Ba7 65. Nd2 c3 66. Ne4 c2 67. Kd2 f5 68. Nc3 Bxf2 69. Ne2 f4 70. gxf4 Kf6 71. Kxc2 Kf5 72. Kd3 Kg4 73. Ke4 Bxh4 74. Nd4 Bf2 75. Nf3 h4 76. Ne5+ Kg3 77. f5 h3 0–1.

Black & White

Sofia (high heel 12 cm) & Isabel backstage at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”.

2013年4月25日 (April 25, 2013)

The Fab Four of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, namely, from left to right: Chiara Angelini, Sofia Nutini, Olga Calamai, and Silvia Bertini give a dance display of Fischerandom style! Thursday, April 25, 2013 16,00 5th FISCHERANDOM KAOS Fischerandom simultaneous exhibition by Simone De Filomeno c/o Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” Viale Edmondo De Amicis 99/A, 50137 Florence, Italy The entrance is free, though the deadline for pre-registration will be Sunday, April 21.

Renaissance Madonna

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Csaba Balogh
5th György Marx Memorial; Paks, August 6, 2007
Sicilian Defence B83

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Nf6 7. 0-0 Ae7 8. Be3 Bd7 9. Nb3 a6 10. a4 Na5 11. Nd2. If 11. Nd4 then 11. ... Nc6 with equality. 11. ... 0-0 12. f4 Bc6. The alternative is 12. ... Qc7 in order to answer 13. Qe1 by 13. ... b5. 13. Qe1!? A novelty by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). If 13. Bd3 then 13. ... d5 14. e5 d4 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Nde4 Be7 (Nisipeanu – Rublevsky, 1st Aerosvit Chess Tournament, Foros 2006) 17. Bd2 dxc3 18. Bxc3 Nc4= (Rublevsky’s analysis). 13. ... d5. That’s a strategic goal for Black! 14. Rd1 Bb4 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Qxd5? After 16. ... exd5 Black’s position was at least more tenable, if not more balanced. 17. Qf2. White has a very powerful initiative force, which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will soon turn into an overwhelming attack. 17. ... b5 18. Nb3 Qf5 19. Nd4 Qg6 20. c3 Be7 21. b4 e5 22. fxe5 Nb7 23. Nxc6 Qxc6 24. Qf3 Qc7 25. axb5 axb5 26. Bxb5 Ra3 27. Rd7 Qxe5 28. Bd4! Qxb5 29. Rxe7 Nd8

And here is the “clou”: 30. Bxg7! Kxg7 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Re5 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (left) vs. Csaba Balogh (right).

给切迪查诺 (AD CAEDICIANUM)

Miraris, quare dormitum non eat Afer? Accumbat cum qua, Caediciane, vides. Why never goes Afrus to bed till dawn? You see his wife, Caedicianus — I say no more. 你觉得奇怪吗？阿弗罗从来不去睡觉。 切迪查诺你没看到吗？他身边那个 女人是什么摸样。

Martial, Epigrams, Book 10, LXXXIV
English translation by Holden Caulfield
Chinese translation by 莫东科 (Mò Dōngkē)

Anonymous Sender

Come si chiamava (di nome) il Generale Moore, già avversario di Serafino Dubois illo tempore, e più volte citato urbi et orbi... anche da noi? Se lo è chiesto (retoricamente) nientemeno che lo storico per antonomasia Edward Winter dallo scranno delle sue Chess Notes. Ebbene, una mezza risposta giace su un libro di B. Blake, “First Steps in Chess”, edito a Londra nel 1863, da cui testualmente citiamo: “General Sir W. More”. Sic et simpliciter. Generale nonché Sir W. More.

L’inflessibile Winter mi perdonerà – auspico e spero – l’omissione dell’indirizzo di casa in accompagnamento alla presente noticina.

我没有手机号码，但我不是一个陌生人。

The Peacock Princess of China

杨丽萍 (Yáng Lìpíng)
The Peacock Princess of China

Debate

体会 (Tǐhuì)

Padania Libre

Kim Hyun-a – “Don’t fall apart”

中国女孩 (China Girl)

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
5th György Marx Memorial; Paks, August 11, 2007
Catalan Opening E06

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 e6 3. Bg2 d5 4. 0-0 Be7 5. d4 0-0 6. c4 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4 b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 Be4 11. Qc1 Bb7 12. Bf4 Bd6 13. Nbd2 Nbd7. The alternative is 13. ... Nd5 14. Be5 Nd7 15. Nb3 a5 16. Nc5 Bxc5 17. dxc5 Ra6 18. Rd1 Qe7 19. e4 N5f6 20. Bxf6 (20. Bxc7 Nxc5) 20. ... Nxf6 21. Nd2 e5 22. a4 bxa4 23. Rxa4 Bc6 24. Ra1 Raa8 25. Qc2 a4 26. b4 axb3 27. Nxb3 Ba4 28. Ra3 Nd7 29. Rc1 Rfb8 30. Qc3 Bxb3 31. Rxa8 Rxa8 32. Qxb3 Rb8 33. Qa4 Nf8 34. Bh3 g6 35. c6 Rb2 36. Qa7 Qd6 37. Qc5 ½ : ½ P. H. Nielsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yifán), 4th NH Chess Tournament, Rising Stars vs. Experience, Amsterdam 2009. 14. Nb3 Bd5 15. Rd1 (15. Nc5 Qe7 16. Nxd7 Nxd7=) 15. ... Qe7 16. Ne5 Bxg2. Not 16. ... Rfc8 because of 17. Nc6 Qe8 18. Nba5 and Black’s game is cramped. 17. Kxg2 Nd5 (17. ... Bxe5? 18. dxe5 Nd5 19. Bg5±) 18. Nc6. If 18. Nxd7 then 18. ... Qxd7 (18. ... Nxf4+ 19. gxf4 Qxd7 20. e4 f5 21. e5 Be7) 19. Bd2 f5 with a dynamic balance (Kramnik’s analysis). 18. ... Nxf4+! Copyright and puntuaction by Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik. Both 18. ... Qf6 19. Bxd6 cxd6 20. e4 [20. Qd2 Qg6 21. Rac1 f5 22. Nb4 N7f6 23. Nxd5 Nxd5= Lastin – 赵骏 (Zhào Jún), 4th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2005] 20. ... N5b6 21. Nba5 and 18. ... Qe8 19. e4 Nxf4+ 20. gxf4 give White a sligt edge. 19. Qxf4. Not 19. gxf4? on account of Qh4 with the initiative. 19. ... Qe8 20. Qf3. Both 20. Qe3 and 20. Qd2 are equally answered by 20. ... f5. 20. ... f5! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s novelty! The historic reference was 20. ... e5? 21. dxe5 Nxe5 22. Nxe5 Qxe5 23. Rd2 Rae8! 24. e3 Re6! (Kasparov – Kramnik, London 2000, Classical World Chess Championship match game 15) and now, according to Kramnik, both 25. Rc1!? and 25. Qd5 should give White a slight but lasting advange. 21. Rac1. Neither 21. e3 g5! nor 21. Nba5 Nf6 would cause Black any worries. 21. ... Nf6 22. Kh1 Kh8 23. Nba5 Qg6 24. Ne5 Bxe5 25. dxe5 Ng4 26. h3. If 26. Rxc7 then 26. ... Qh5 27. Qg2 (not 27. h4? because of 27. ... f4 with powerful attack) 27. ... Nxe5 with equality. 26. ... Nxe5 27. Qe3 Qf6 28. Rxc7 h6. If 28. ... f4 then 29. Qxf4 Qxf4 30. gxf4 Rxf4 31. Ra7 Raf8 32. Rxa6 (32. f3 Ra4) 32. ... Rxf2 (or 32. ... Ra4 33. Rxe6) 33. Rxe6 with an edge for White. Also after 28. ... Rf7 29. Qc3 White stands a bit better. 29. f4 Nf7 30. Rdd7 Rad8 31. Qc3! Rxd7 32. Rxd7 Qxc3 33. bxc3. The ending is slightly favourable to White. 33. ... e5 34. e3 exf4 35. exf4 g5 36. Nc6 gxf4 37. gxf4 Rc8 38. Na7 Rf8 39. Kg2 Kg7 40. Nc6 Kf6 41. Ra7 Nd6 42. Rxa6 Ke6 43. Kf3 Rg8 44. Rb6 Rc8 45. Ke2 Ra8 46. Nd4+ Kd5 47. Nxb5 Rxa2+ 48. Kd3 Ne4 49. Nd4 Rd2+? (49. ... Ra3 50. Nb5 Ra1 51. Rxh6 Rd1+ 52. Ke2 Rg1!=) 50. Ke3 Rh2 51. Rxh6 Nd6 52. Kf3 Rd2 53. Rf6? (53. c4+! Nxc4 54. Nxf5+−) 53. ... Rd3+! 54. Kg2 Rd2+ (54. ... Rxc3?? 55. Rxd6+!+−) 55. Kf1

55. ... Ne4!!= 56. Rxf5+ Kc4 57. Kg1 Nxc3 58. Nf3 Ra2 59. Rf8 Ne2+ 60. Kf2 Nd4+ 61. Kg3 Ra3 62. Rc8+ Kb5 63. Kg4 Rxf3 64. Rd8 Rxf4+ 65. Kxf4 Ne6+ 66. Ke5 Nxd8 67. Kf6 Kc6 68. h4 Kd7 ½ : ½.

A Class in Geometry

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
5th György Marx Memorial; Paks, August 5, 2007
Spanish Game C80

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. Be3 Bc5 10. Bxc5 Nxc5 11. Nd4 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Nb7 13. c3 c5TN (13. ... 0-0 14. Nd2 c5 15. Qf4 Na5 16. Bc2 Nc6 17. Ne4 Nxe5 18. Nxc5 Nd7 19. Nb3 Qf6 20. Qxf6 Nxf6 21. Rfe1 Rfc8 22. Nd4 b4 23. cxb4 Rc4 24. Rad1 Rxb4 25. b3 Rc8 26. Bb1 Bd7 27. f3 Kf8 28. Kf2 a5 29. a3 Rb7 30. Rc1 Rbc7 31. Rxc7 Rxc7 32. a4 h6 33. Bd3 Ne8 34. Bb5 Bxb5 35. axb5 Rb7 36. Ra1 Nc7 37. Rxa5 Ke7 38. Ke3 g6 39. Kd3 Kd6 40. Kc3 Kc5 41. g4 h5 42. gxh5 gxh5 43. f4 Ne6 44. f5 Nc7 45. b6+ Kxb6 46. b4 Rb8 47. Rc5 Re8 48. Rc6+ Kb7 49. Rf6 Re3+ 50. Kd2 Rh3 51. Rxf7 Rxh2+ 52. Ke3 Kc8 53. f6 Rh4 54. Rxc7+ Kxc7 55. f7 Re4+ 56. Kd3 1 : 0 Nisipeanu – Šimáček, 8th European Individual Chess Championship, Dresden 2007) 14. Qf4. White almost imperceptibly slips into a quicksand. Here 14. Qe3 (keeping an eye on c5) seems a better arrangement. 14. ... Na5 15. Bc2 h6!

16. Nd2?! The idea to allow Black to exchange Queens proves to be not a good one. Now 16. h4 g5! 17. Qh2 gxh4 18. Nd2 Rg8 may be playable, but it looks quite dangerous for White. Maybe 16. h3 should have been considered. 16. ... Qg5 17. Qxg5 hxg5 18. Nb3?! (18. f4!? gxf4 19. Rxf4 Ke7⩱) 18. ... Nxb3 19. axb3 Kd7 20. Rfd1 Kc7

21. b4? (21. Rd3 a5 22. Rg3 g4∓) 21. ... cxb4 22. cxb4 Rh4 23. Bb3 Rxb4 24. Bxd5 Bxd5 25. Rxd5 Rxb2−+ 26. Rc1+ Kb6 27. Rd6+ Ka5 28. Rd7 b4 29. Ra1+ Kb6 30. h4 Ra7 31. Rd6+ Kb5 32. hxg5 a5 33. Rd5+ Kc4 34. Rdxa5 Rxa5 35. Rxa5 b3 36. Ra7 Re2 37. Rc7+ Kd5 38. Rb7 b2 39. Kh2 Rxf2 40. Kg3 Re2 41. g6 fxg6 42. Kf4 g5+ 43. Kf5 Rf2+ 44. Kg6 Rxg2 45. Rb5+ Ke6 0 : 1.

As the years come and go, they do not pass in vain.

奧斯卡金像獎 (Academy Award)

Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was once again awarded the Best non-Olympic Athlete of the Year Award at the 2011 CCTV Sports Personality Awarding Ceremony held in 北京 (Běijīng), China on January 15, 2012. Photos: 全体育传媒 (OSports Photo Agency).

Échec et Mat: 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Échec et Mat N° 7 Hóu Yìfán
Lega Corsa di Scacchi

Nun te reggae più

Insonnia

AD CAEDICIANUM Miraris, quare dormitum non eat Afer? Accumbat cum qua, Caediciane, vides. A CEDICIANO Ti meravigli che Afro non vada mai a dormire? Tu vedi, Cediciano, che donna gli sta allato.

Marco Valerio Marziale, Epigrammi, Lib. X, 84

中华人民共和国宪法 (Constitution of the People's Republic of China)

Constitution of the People's Republic of China (1975) Constitution of the People's Republic of China (1982)

RedChinaCn.net

ASAP (As Sustainable As Possible)

When asked by Anastasia Valeryevna Karlovich what music she liked, two-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) answered: “Mostly I listen to Chinese pop music. In recent years I also listen to some English songs. For example, I like the band called Groove Coverage. God Is a Girl is one of their most famous songs”. Cover art courtesy of Zeitgeist (Universal)/Suprime:Music.

No Copyright

Serafino Dubois – Rev. W. Wayte
Londra, 1862
Gioco Piano C56

Il virgolettato è di Johann Jacob Löwenthal, The Chess Player’s Magazine, Volume 2, 1865, pp. 167-168.

“Una ben disputata partita giocata un po’ di tempo fa fra il Rev. W. Wayte e il Signor Dubois”.

1. e4 e5 2. Cf3 Cc6 3. Ac4 Ac5 4. 0-0 d6. 4. ... Cf6 5. d3 d6 6. Ag5? h6! 7. Ah4? g5! 8. Ag3 h5! con l’iniziativa, Dubois – Steinitz, Londra 1862. 5. c3. Controproducente 5. h3 Cf6 6. d3 Ae6 7. Ab3 Dd7 8. Rh2 h6! 9. Ae3 g5! 10. Axc5 dxc5 11. Aa4 0-0-0 12. Axc6 bxc6 13. g4? h5! 14. Cxe5 Dd6 15. f4 gxf4 16. g5 Cg4+! 0 : 1 Messemersten – Dubois, Gouda 1864. 5. ... Cf6. Interessante è 5. ... Df6 6. d3 h6∞ (analisi di Jussupow). 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Ab6 8. d5. Più solita è 8. Cc3 da cui, per esempio, 8. ... Ag4 9. Ae3 De7!? 10. Ab5!?∞ (analisi di Honfi). 8. ... Ce5 9. Cxe5 dxe5 10. Cc3 0-0. Se 10. ... h6 allora 11. De2 0-0 12. Ae3 Axe3 13. Dxe3 De7 14. Tac1 Ad7 15. Ab5 a6 16. Axd7 Dxd7 17. b3 Dd6 18. Ca4 con preferenza per il Bianco, Gyimesi – Acs, Budapest 1996. 11. h3 h6 12. Rh1 Ad4 13. Ad3 a6 14. f4 Dd6 15. fxe5 Axe5 16. Ce2 Ch5 17. g4 Cg3+ 18. Cxg3 Axg3 19. Df3 Ae5 20. Af4. “La mossa appropriata, che rende il giuoco perfettamente pari”. 20. ... Ad7 21. Tad1 Ab5 22. Axb5 axb5 23. a3 Ta4 24. Td2 Axf4 25. Dxf4 Dxf4 26. Txf4. “Questi scambi semplificano notevolmente le combinazioni, e naturalmente conducono alla patta”. 26. ... g5 27. Tf6 Txe4 28. Txh6 Rg7 29. Th5 f6 30. d6 Td8 31. d7. “Se 31. dxc7 Txd2 ecc.”. 31. ... Te7. L’intermedia 31. ... Rg6! 32. Rg2 Te7 è a nostro avviso più vantaggiosa per il Nero. 32. h4 gxh4 33. Txb5 b6 34. Tbd5 ½ : ½.

The Chess Player’s Magazine, Volume 2, 1865, pp. 167-168

Wuthering Heights

Kate Bush – “Wuthering Heights”

v Fischerandom Kaos (25 aprile)

The Fab Four dell’Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”: Chiara (t-shirt bianca), Olga (pantaloncini grigi), Silvia (minigonna rossa) e Sofia (pantaloncini rosa). A real sample of Fischerandom Style!

Labirinti e Casematte Channel

Giovedì 25 Aprile 2013

v Fischerandom Kaos

Simultanea di scacchi960 (Fischerandom Chess)

con Simone De Filomeno
c/o Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

La partecipazione è libera
Le preiscrizioni saranno accettate entro e non oltre domenica 21 aprile

慢慢来……

给克拉丽斯：
(Per Clarice:)

• Lorenzo Barsi Italia
• Mauro Berni Italia
• Renzo Cambi† Italia
• 中国国际象棋协会 (CCA) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• Mirsad Crnic Repubblica di Serbia
• Renato Di Vincenzi† Italia
• Marco Faggiani Italia
• Giorgio Gioulis Italia
• 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• Alessandra Innocenti Italia
• Jan Kalendovský Repubblica Ceca
• Giuseppe Laco Italia
• Igor Laco Italia
• Mario Leoncini Italia
• 林丽丽 (Lín Lìlì) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• Giovanni Lucci Italia
• 莫东科 (Mò Dōngkē) Repubblica Popolare Cinese
• L. M. Italia
• Janet L. Newton Stati Uniti
• Massimiliano Orsi Italia
• Fiorentino Palmiotto Italia
• Rafael Santana Venezuela
• Claudio Sericano Italia
• Zdeněk Závodný Repubblica Ceca

Memorabilia

Serafino Dubois – Gozzano

8/1pk5/2pp4/5Rp1/3rq1Pp/2Q4K/7P/8

Il virgolettato è di Howard Staunton, The Chess Player’s Chronicle, Vol. iii, nuova serie, 1855, p. 73 e p. 110.

“Il Bianco muove e patta. Questa posizione è capitata in una partita tra il Signor Dubois e il Signor Pozzano [sic]”. 1. Da5+ Rd7. “La migliore”. 2. Tf7+ Re6. “Oppure 2. ... Re8 3. Da8+ Rxf7 [4. Df8+! – N.d.R.] giuoco pari”. 3. Te7+! Rxe7 4. Dd8+! Re6. “Se 4. ... Rf7 allora 5. Df8+”. 5. Dxd6+! “e la partita è patta, che il Bianco prenda o meno la Donna”. ½ : ½.

Ricorda Serafino Dubois nei suoi “Quarant’anni di Vita Scacchistica” (Roma, Aetas Multimedia, 2007, p. 89): “I fratelli Healey erano allora due giovanotti di buonissima pasta. Francesco, il primo, è quel famoso problemista che tutti sanno e come giuocatore assai gagliardo, ricevendo da Harrwitz e da Löwenthal non più di Pedone e tratto; con lui feci poche partite del pari, 4 o 5 al più, che vinsi tutte. Edoardo, il fratello minore, poi redattore del Chess Player’s Magazine, era allora di bellissime disposizioni naturali e insieme studiosissimo, e ben lo mostrò l’andamento spiritoso e scientifico da lui dato al giornale. A quel tempo io lo vinceva a Pedone e 2 tratti, più tardi un tal partito sarebbe stato impossibile”.

Edoard Healey – Serafino Dubois

Londra, 22 marzo 1863

rnbqkbnr/ppppp1pp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR

(Handicap: Pf7 e due tratti)

1. e4 ... 2. d4 g6 3. Ad3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. f4 Ag7 6. Cf3 Ag4 7. h3 Axf3 8. Dxf3 Cd7 9. Cc3 Cgf6 10. h4 0-0 11. g4 h5!? 12. g5? Era più nell’interesse del Bianco aprire colonne e diagonali con 12. gxh5. 12. ... Cg4 13. Ad2 Cge5? Espone il Re all’attacco avversario. Era di prammatica 13. ... Cde5 ove se 14. Dh3 allora 14. ... Cxd3+ 15. Dxd3 (ovvero 15. cxd3) 15. ... Db6 (15. ... b5!?) con approssimativo equilibrio. 14. Dh3 Cxd3+ 15. cxd3 Tf7 16. f5!? Perché non arroccare lungo? 16. ... gxf5 17. exf5. A 17. g6 il Nero risponderebbe in extremis con 17. ... Tf8 18. Df3 fxe4! 19. Dxh5 Cf6. 17. ... Ce5 18. Ce4 Dd7 19. Tf1 Db5 20. Re2 c4 21. Ac3? Catastrofe. Dopo 21. g6! cxd3+ 22. Re1 la situazione è ancora controversa. 21. ... cxd3+-+ 22. Rf2 Dxd5 23. Axe5 Axe5 24. Cg3 Ad4+ 25. Re1 De5+ 26. Rd1 Axb2 27. Tb1 Tc8 28. Tf2 Tc2! (Δ ... De5-c3) 29. Dg2 (29. Txc2 dxc2+ 30. Rxc2 Dc3+ 31. Rd1 Dd3+-+) 29. ... Ac3 (Δ ... De5-e1 matto) 30. Dg1 De3 0 : 1.

The Queen of Antakya

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 诸宸 (Zhū Chén)

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; 8th finals; match game 1; Antakya, December 10, 2010

French Defence C10

Comments in quotation marks by Grandmaster Anish Giri. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Nbd7 6. Nf3 h6 7. Nxf6+ Nxf6 8. Be3. 8. Bh4 c5 9. Bc4 cxd4 10. 0-0 Be7 11. Qe2 0-0 12. Rad1 Qb6 13. Nxd4 Qxb2 14. Nf5 exf5! (14. ... Bd8!?) 15. Qxe7 Be6 (15. ... g5? 16. Rd8+−) 16. Bxe6 (16. Rb1 Qe5 17. Bxe6 Qxe6 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 19. Qxf6 gxf6 20. Rxb7 Rfc8 21. Rb2 Rc7= Bruzón Bautista – Nogueiras Santiago, 37th Capablanca Memorial, Havana 2002) 16. ... fxe6 17. Qxe6+ (17. Rb1 Qxa2 18. Rxb7 Nh5) 17. ... Kh8 18. Qxf5 Qxa2 19. Rd6 Ng8 20. Qe4 Qf7 (20. ... Rf7=) 21. f3 Qf4 22. Rd7 Qxe4 23. fxe4 Rxf1+ 24. Kxf1 Re8 25. Rxb7 Rxe4 26. Bf2 Rc4 27. Rb2 a5 28. Ke2 Rg4 29. Kf3 Rc4 30. Be1 a4 31. Ke3 Rg4 32. g3 Ne7 33. Kd3 Nc6 34. Bc3 h5? (A Pawn doomed to end up on White’s menu; 34. ... Kg8 35. Rb6 Rg6 seems better) 35. Rb6 Rg6 36. Rb5 Rh6? (the defence of the Pawn is not worth such a mortification of the Rook; 36. ... Kg8 37. Rxh5 Ne7 38. Ra5 Rd6+ 39. Ke2 Rh6 40. h4 Rc6 offered probably more opportunity for resisting) 37. Rg5 Rh7 38. h4 Kg8 39. Kc4 Nd8 40. Ra5 Ne6 41. Rxa4 g5 42. Ra8+ Kf7 43. Ra7+ Kg6 44. Rxh7 Kxh7 45. Kd5 gxh4 46. gxh4 Nf4+ 47. Ke4 Ng2 48. Bf6 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 诸宸 (Zhū Chén), Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament, Antakya 2010, 8th finals, tie-break game 2. 8. ... Bd6 9. Bd3 0-0 10. Qd2 Nd5 11. 0-0-0 b6 12. Kb1 Qe7 13. Rhe1 Bb7 14. Ne5 Bxe5 15. dxe5 Nxe3 16. Qxe3 Rfd8 17. f4 Rd7 18. Rd2 Rad8 19. Red1 Kf8 20. g3

20. ... Qc5? “A big mistake by 诸宸 (Zhū Chén). She must have missed the key idea in the Bishop ending”. Apparently 20. ... Qb4(!) seems to be okay for Black. 21. Qxc5+ bxc5 22. Kc1 Bf3 23. Be2 Rxd2 24. Rxd2 Rxd2 25. Kxd2 Bd5. “Pawn ending wasn’t an option – 25. ... Bxe2 26. Kxe2 Ke7 27. Kd3 Kd7 28. Kc4 Kc6 29. a4 Kb6 (29. ... a5 30. c3! followed by b2-b4, creating the passed a-Pawn wins) 30. a5+ Kc6 and White easily puts Black into a Zugzwang”. Yes, by 31. g4. 26. Kc3! “Suddenly Hóu is going for the Queenside Pawns with her King! Exactly the same motive as in the game Nepomniachtchi – Svidler”. 26. ... Ke7 27. Bc4 Bc6 28. Bb3 Bb5 29. Bc4 Bc6 30. Kb3! And finally, after a two-fold repetition, the King penetrates on the Queenside. 30. ... Kd7 31. Bd3! “Now King goes to either c4 or a4. Both threats are deadly”. 31. ... Bd5+ 32. Ka4 Kc6 33. c4! Bf3 34. Ka5. “Ka5-a6 is a threat and it’s over”. 34. ... Kb7 35. Kb5 g6 36. Kxc5 h5 37. Bc2 Bc6 38. b4 a6 39. a3 1 : 0.

The coronation of 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: wwcc2010.tsf.org.tr.

给拉比诺 (Gěi Lābǐnuò)

DE LABIENO Heredem Fabius Labienum ex asse reliquit;      plus meruisse tamen se Labienus ait. SU LABIENO Fabio lasciò Labieno suo erede universale;      pure Labieno afferma che meritava di più. 给拉比诺 法比奥把所有的财产都留给了他的继承人拉比诺；      但拉比诺却抱怨自己得到的太少了。

Marco Valerio Marziale, Epigrammi, vii

[Traduzione di 莫东科 (Mò Dōngkē)]

我没有手机号码，但我不是一个陌生人!

[Event "XVIII Campionato Italiano UISP"]
[Site "Montecatini Terme"]
[Date "1997.12.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Pastorini, Mario"]
[Black "Barsi, Lorenzo"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "62"]

1.c4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 c6 5.O-O d5 6.b3 Bd6 7.Bb2 Qe7 8.d3 O-O 9.Nc3 dxc4 10.dxc4 e5 11.e3 Nbd7 12.Qc2 e4 13.Nd4 Ne5 14.Nde2 g5 15.Rfd1 Bc7 16.Na4 Nd3 17.Nc1 Nxb2 18.Nxb2 Ng4 19.c5 Be6 20.Ne2 Ne5 21.Nd4 Bd5 22.b4 Qf7 23.a3 Qh5 24.Bf1 Rf6 25.Qe2 Qh6 26.Qc2 f4 27.exf4 gxf4 28.Nc4 Nd3 29.Rxd3 exd3 30.Qxd3 fxg3 31.fxg3 Bxg3 0-1

Catulli Carmina

V Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus, rumoresque senum severiorum omnes unius aestimemus assis. Soles occidere et redire possunt: nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, nox est perpetua una dormienda. Da mi basia mille, deinde centum, dein mille altera, dein secunda centum, deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum. Dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus, aut ne quis malus invidere possit, cum tantum sciat esse biasiorum. 5 Let us live, my Lesbia, and love, And value all the talk of stricter Old men at a single penny. Suns can set and rise again; For us, once our brief light has set, There’s one unending night for sleeping. Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred, Then another thousand, then a second hundred, Then still another thousand, then a hundred; Then, when we’ve made many thousands, We’ll muddle them, so as not to know, Or lest some villain overlook us Knowing the total of our kisses. Catullus, Catullus 5

Auguste Rodin, Eternal Springtime, c. 1884. Courtesy of WikiArt.

Juvenilia

Simone De Filomeno – Antonio Manconi

xiv Campionato Italiano Under 20; Bratto, 21 agosto 2006

Siciliana B26

1. e4 c5 2. Cc3 Cc6 3. g3 g6 4. Ag2 Ag7 5. d3 d6 6. Ae3. Interessante è 6. Cd5!? (la Variante Zichichi); per esempio: 6. ... e6 7. Ce3 Cge7 8. Ce2 0-0 9. 0-0 d5 10. exd5 exd5 11. Cf4 d4 12. Cc4 b6 13. Te1 Ab7 14. Te2 Dd7 15. Df1!? Tae8 16. a4 Cc8 17. Ad2 Txe2 18. Dxe2 Te8!? 19. Df1 Cd6 20. Cxd6 Dxd6 21. Te1 Tb8 22. Ae4 Ce5 23. Dg2 Axe4 24. Dxe4 f5 25. Dg2 Rf7 26. h4 Tc8 27. b3 Dc6 28. Dxc6 Txc6 ½ : ½ Zichichi – Polugajevskij, xviii Olimpiade, Lugano 1968. 6. ... Cd4 7. Dd2 Da5 8. f4 Ch6. Se 8. ... e6 allora 9. Cf3 Ce7 10. 0-0 Cec6 11. e5!? dxe5 12. Cxe5 0-0 13. Tae1 f5!? 14. Axc6 Cxc6 15. Cxc6 bxc6 16. Cd1! con preferenza per il Bianco, Short – Kasparov, Wijk aan Zee 2000. 9. h3 f5 10. Cf3 Tb8 11. Axd4 cxd4 12. Cd5 Dxd2+ 13. Rxd2 b5? Compromettente. Dopo 13. ... fxe4 14. dxe4 Ad7 la posizione è più equilibrata. 14. e5 e6 15. Cf6+! Axf6 16. exf6 Ab7 17. Tae1 Axf3 18. Axf3 Rf7

19. g4! Cg8? Il Nero iberna la Th8. Era di prammatica 19. ... Thc8 20. g5 Cg8, sebbene dopo 21. h4 h5 22. c3 il Bianco serbi un distinto vantaggio. 20. g5 Tc8 21. h4 Cxf6! Disperazione, probabilmente per tema di h4-h5xg6+ ove se ... Rxf7xg6 allora Af3-h5 matto! 22. gxf6 h6 23. Th2 Tc7? (23. ... Rxf6 24. c3±) 24. The2 Thc8 25. Rd1. E non 25. Txe6?? Txc2+ 26. Rd1 Tc1+ 27. Re2 (27. Rd2?? T8c2 matto) 27. ... Rxe6-+. 25. ... e5 26. fxe5 dxe5 27. Txe5 Txc2 28. Te7+ Rf8 29. Te8+! Tecnica elegante! Un altro modus operandi era 29. Ad5 (Δ 30. Tf7+ Rg8 31. Tc7+) 29. ... Tc1+ 30. Re2 Txe1+ 31. Rxe1 Td8 32. Af7 Td6 33. Te6+-. 29. ... Txe8 30. Txe8+ Rxe8 31. Rxc2 Rf7 32. b4 g5 33. hxg5 hxg5 34. Rd2 Rxf6 35. Re2 Re5 36. Ac6 Rf4 37. Rf2 a6 38. Ad7 g4 39. Ac8 g3+ 40. Rg2 Rg4 41. Axa6 f4 42. Ac8+ Rh4 43. Rf3 Rg5 44. Ad7 Rh4 45. a3 1 : 0.

Serenata Rap

Amor, ch’a nullo amato amar perdona Dante, Inferno, Canto v, v. 103

Lorenzo Jovanotti Cherubini – “Serenata Rap”

Priority Mail (not for business!)

你是有多漂亮是用话言无法表达出来的！

觸技曲 (Toccata)

Olga Zimina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
xv European Women’s Chess Club Cup; Plovdiv, October 19, 2010
French Defence C04

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6. The Guimard Variation.
4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Bb5. “This move is effective, if played under other circumstances; for example after 6. Nb3 Be7”, International Master Giorgio Porreca wrote in his book “La Difesa Francese”, Mursia, Milano, 1977–1984, p. 41.
6. ... a6! “In the game Jiménez – Suetin, Havana 1968, there followed 6. ... Ncb8?! 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Re1 b6 9. c3 Ba6 10. Ba4? Bd3! and Black unexpectedly developed his Queen’s bishop beyond the Pawn barrier!”. (Porreca, ibidem).
7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. Nb3. 8. 0-0 c5 9. c3 a5 10. Re1 Ba6 does not worry Black, Villarroel – Ivkov, International Tournament, Caracas 1970.
8. ... c5 9. Bg5 (9. Na5 c6! Δ 10. Nxc6? Qb6−+)
9. ... Be7 10. Na5 Nb8 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. c4! And not 12. dxc5? Qxc5 13. Qd2 0-0 14. 0-0 Nd7 15. b4?! Qb6 16. c4 dxc4 17. Rac1 Qb5! 18. Rfe1 Rb8 19. Rxc4 Bb7 20. Ng5? (20. Nd4 Qd5) 20. ... Nxe5⩱ 21. Rxc7 (21. Rc5 Qd3!) 21. ... Ba8 22. a3 Nd3! 23. Rd1 Rbd8 24. Rc3? Nf4!!−+ R. Cappello – Mednis, 16th New Year’s International Tournament, Reggio Emilia 1974. White should consider instead 12. c3 0-0 13. 0-0 c4 14. b4 cxb3 15. axb3 c5 16. Qc1!? Ra7 17. Qe3 Rc7 18. Rfc1⩲ Yemelin – Riazantsev, Saint Petersburg 1996.
12. ... 0-0 13. 0-0! A good novelty by Zimina! After 13. Qc2 cxd4 14. c5?! f6! Black is fine, Alemán Dovo – Guimard, Havana 1952.
13. ... Rd8 14. Rc1 dxc4 15. Rxc4 cxd4 16. Nxd4 Rd5 17. Qf3 Nd7 18. Nac6 Qf8 19. Nf5! White’s attack is vehement. 19. ... Kh8

20. Rh4!? With the flashy threat of 21. Rxh7+! Kxh7 22. Nce7! followed by mate in three. International Master Zoram Stamenković, however, recommends 20. Ne3! Rc5 21. Rd1 Bb7 (21. ... Rxc4 22. Nxc4+−) 22. Rxd7 Bxc6 23. Rxf7+− with winning advantage.
20. ... h6 21. Nb4? But that is Zimina’s mistake! Consistent was 21. Nce7! Nxe5 22. Qg3 (Δ 23. Nxh6 gxh6 24. Rxh6+ Qxh6 25. Qg8#) 22. ... exf5 23. Nxd5 with material and positional advantage.
21. ... Nxe5 22. Qe4 (22. Qh3 Rb5 24. Nxh6 Ng6 25. Nxf7++ Kg8−+)
22. ... Ng6 23. Rh3 c6 24. Nxd5? Disaster! 24. Nh4 was called for.
24. ... cxd5 25. Qd4 e5 26. Qg4 Ne7 27. Rh5 Bxf5 28. Rxf5 Qc8 0 : 1.

Fonetizzazione

Cinitiliano

一个个慢慢来
calcio in culo prenderai


Fonetizzazione

yígègè mànmàn lái
calcio in culo prenderai

一个个 (Yígègè)

虚假神话一个个到下……

I falsi miti cadono uno dopo l’altro...

Incontentabilità

DE LABIENO Heredem Fabius Labienum ex asse reliquit;      plus meruisse tamen se Labienus ait. SU LABIENO Fabio lasciò Labieno suo erede universale;      pure Labieno afferma che meritava di più.

Marco Valerio Marziale, Epigrammi, vii

Simone 在 Prato

Simone De Filomeno – Tor Botheim
22th World Youth Chess Championship (Under-12); Antalya, November 21, 2007
Spanish Game C77

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3. In the footsteps of Adolf Anderssen and Wilhelm Steinitz... 5. ... b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 0-0. The critical alternative is 7. ... d5 8. exd5 (8. Qe2 0-0 9. Bg5 dxe4 10. dxe4 Qe7 11. Nbd2 Rb8 12. Nf1 h6 13. Bh4 Na5 14. Bc2 b4 15. a3 b3 16. Bd3 Rb6 17. h3 Rd8 18. g4 Rbd6 19. Rd1 Nc4 20. Nd4 exd4 21. Bxc4 dxc3 22. Rxd6 Qxd6 23. bxc3 b2 24. Ba2 Nxe4 25. Bg3 Qe6 26. Bb1 Nxc3 27. Qxe6 Rd1 mate, Mason – Pollock, New York 1889) 8. ... Nxd5 9. Qe2 0-0 10. Qe4 Be6 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Qxe5 Nb4 13. 0-0 Nxd3 14. Qh5 Bxb3 15. axb3 Re8 16. Nd2 Qe7 17. b4 Bxf2+ 18. Kh1 Qe1 19. h3 Nxc1 20. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 21. Kh2 Bg1+ 22. Kg3 Re3+ 23. Kg4 Ne2 24. Nf1 g6 25. Qd5 h5+ 26. Kg5 Kg7 27. Nxe3 f6+ 28. Kh4 Bf2+ 29. g3 Bxg3 matto, Weiss – Pollock, New York 1889. 8. Nbd2 d6 9. Nf1 Be6. Or 9. ... h6 10. Ng3 Ne7 11. 0-0 Ng6 12. d4 Bb6 13. Be3 Rb8 14. Qc2 c5 with roughly even chances, Burn – Baird, New York 1889. 10. Ng3 Qd7 11. 0-0 Bb6 12. Nh4 g6 13. Bg5 Bxb3

14. Qf3!? The charm of the zwischenzug! In any case, both 14. axb3 Be6 and 14. Qxb3 Be6 would lead nowhere. 14. ... Be6 15. Qxf6. Clearly not 15. Bxf6?? on account of 15. ... Bg4 and the Queen is trapped. Now, however, Black commits “suicide by hallucination”: 15. ... Bg4?? 1 : 0. And Black resigned at the same time, because of 16. Bh6 with unavoidable mate. It appears to us that Black can put up a tough resistance by 15. ... Qd8! (and if 16. Qxe6 then 16. ... Qxg5).