LABIRINTI E CASEMATTE: August 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

失去的週末 (The Lost Weekend)

Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

CLASSICAL AND FISCHERANDOM CHESS
国际象棋和菲舍尔氏象棋

Any appearances to the contrary notwithstanding,
proudly
we don’t belong to any chess organisation!

三劍客

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) – Humpy Koneru
Sharjah; August 31, 2014
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 b6 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 0-0 7. e3 Bb7 8. Be2 Ne4 9. Qc2 f5 (9. ... Nbd7) 10. 0-0 d6 (10. ... Qe7) 11. b4 Rf6?! A compromising move! On 11. ... a5 12. Bb2 Nd7 13. d5 e5 14. Nd2 Nxd2 15. Qxd2 White holds a slight edge. Best is probably 11. ... Nd7!?, e.g. 12. Bb2 Qe8 13. d5 exd5 14. cxd5 Bxd5 15. Qxc7 (15. Rad1 c6 16. Nd4 Ne5 17. f3 Qg6 18. b5 Nc5∞) 15. ... Rc8 16. Qxa7 Ra8= (Ivanchuk’s analysis).

12. d5! Rg6. No better is 12. ... exd5 13. Bb2 Rg6 14. cxd5 Nd7 (else 14. ... Bxd5 15. Rfd1 Bb7 16. Ne5 Re6 17. f3 Nf6 18. Qxf5 with a powerful initiative) 15. Rac1 Rc8 16. Rfd1 with clear advantage to White, Ivanchuk – Moiseenko, Sochi 2005. 13. Nd4. White’s position is already imposing. 13. ... exd5 14. cxd5 Bxd5 15. f3 Ng5 16. Nxf5 Nd7 17. Bc4 Bxc4 18. Qxc4+ Nf7 19. f4 Qf6?? A palpable oversight. In any case, after 19. ... Nf6 20. Qc6 White holds the grip. 20. Qe4. The coup de grâce. White is threatening both Qe4xa8+ and Nf5-e7+. 20. ... Rd8. On 20. ... Qxa1 21. Qxa8+ Nf8 22. Ne7+ and mate next move. 21. Ne7+ Kf8 22. Nxg6+ hxg6 23. Ra2 Nh6 24. Qc6 1 : 0.

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) vs. Humpy Koneru
Sharjah; August 31, 2014
Photo: Maria AlekseevnaEmelianova

Anna Ushenina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Sharjah; August 31, 2014
Nimzo-Indian Defence E35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 c5 7. dxc5 h6 8. Bh4 0-0 9. e3 Be6 10. Nf3 Nbd7 11. Be2 Rc8 12. a3. A brilliant “stereotype” is 12. 0-0 Rxc5 13. Nd4 Qc8 14. Ndb5 Bxc3 15. Nxc3 Ne4 16. Be7 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Rxc3 18. Qa4 Re8 19. Bb4 Rc2 20. Bd3 Rc7 21. Qxa7 Ne5 22. Bb5 Bh3 23. Qd4 Nf3+ 24. gxf3 Re4 25. Qxd5 Rxb4 26. Rfd1 Rxb5 27. Qxb5 Rc5 28. Rd8+ Qxd8 29. Qxc5 Qf6 0 : 1 Matlakov – Eljanov, Saint Petersburg 2013. The text is not much better. 12. ... Bxc3+ 13. Qxc3 g5 14. Bg3 Nxc5 15. 0-0 Nfe4 16. Qc2 Bd7 17. a4. A careless move, which compromises White’s Queenside. Possibly better is 17. Rac1 Qe7 and White’s game appears tenable. 17. ... Qb6. Threatening ... Nc5-b3. 18. Qd1. After 18. a5 Qb4 19. Nd4 Na4 Black’s game is much easier. We cannot share, however, Anna’s decision to sacrifice a Pawn against a superb endgame player such as 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). White fails to demonstrate any compensation for the Pawn and slowly but surely the Women’s World Champion convert her advantage into a win.18. ... Qxb2 19. Be5 Qb3 20. Bb5 Qxd1 21. Rfxd1 Bc6 22. Bb2 Nb3 23. Rab1 Rfd8 24. Rd3 Nbc5 25. Ra3 a6 26. Bxc6 bxc6 27. Bd4 Rb8 28. Rd1 Nd7 29. h3 f6 30. Nh2 Kf7 31. Nf1 Nd6 32. Nd2 c5 33. Bc3 Ne5 34. Bxe5 fxe5 35. Rc1 c4 36. e4 Rb2 37. Nf3 Nxe4 38. Nxe5+ Ke6 39. Nc6 Rc8 40. Nd4+ Ke5 41. Nf3+ Kd6 42. Re3 Nxf2 43. Ne5 Ne4 44. Nxc4+ Rxc4 45. Rxc4 Rb1+ 46. Kh2 dxc4 47. Rxe4 Kd5 48. Re8 c3 49. Rc8 Kd4 50. Rc6 Rb4 0 : 1.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Alina l’Ami
Sharjah; August 31, 2014
King’s Indian Defence E62

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 c6 7. 0-0 Bf5 8. Ne1 Be6 9. b3 d5 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 cxd5 12. e3 Nc6 13. Nd3 Bf5 14. Nf4 e5 15. dxe5 Bxe5 16. Ba3 Re8 17. Nxd5 Qa5 18. Bd6 Rad8 19. b4 Qa3 20. Bxe5 Rxe5 21. b5 Rexd5 22. Bxd5 Ne5 23. Qb3 Qxb3 24. Bxb3 Nf3+ 25. Kg2 Be4 26. Rfd1 Nd2+ 27. Kg1 Nf3+ 28. Kf1 Nxh2+ 29. Ke1 Bd3 30. f4 Rd7 31. Bc4 Bf5 32. Rxd7 Bxd7 33. Rd1 Bf5 34. Be2 Kf8 35. Rd8+ Ke7 36. Ra8 Kd7 37. Rxa7 Kc7 38. Ra8 Ng4 39. Bxg4 Bxg4 40. Kd2 Bd7 41. Rf8 Be6 42. a4 b6 43. Kc3 h5 44. Kb4 Bd5 45. a5 bxa5+ 46. Kxa5 Kb7 47. b6 1 : 0.

偶然地

Artwork: tyhopho

遇见一个人并非偶然，而是他天生注定要因为某些原因与我们相遇。
Yùjiàn yīgè rén bìngfēi ǒurán, ér shì tā tiānshēng zhùdìng yào yīnwèi mǒu xiē yuányīn yǔ wǒmen xiāngyù.
We don’t meet people by accident, they are meant to cross our path for a reason.

Whatever gets you through your life

“Sense of Guilt”
IPA (International Photography Awards) 2014
Photo: Dongwook Lee (Republic of Korea)

做对的事永远都是时候。
Zuò duì de shì yǒngyuǎn dōu shì shíhòu.
The time is always right to do what is right.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

哈利·波特与混血王子

Brief notes by 綠野仙蹤

Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana
2nd Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 29, 2014
Bishop’s Opening C24

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4. The truth, as would say the aged exploiters of the Italian chess establishment. 2. ... Nf6 3. d3. An ultra-solid line. 3. ... c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bb3 Bb4+ 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bg5 dxe4 8. dxe4 h6 9. Bh4 Qe7 10. Nbd2 Nbd7 11. Bg3. If 11. Qe2 may follow 11. ... Nc5 12. Bc2 Bc7 13. Bg3 ½ : ½ Timoshchenko – Vera, Bayamo 1981. 11. ... Bc7 12. 0-0 Nh5 13. h3? An ugly and anti-positional move. Maybe Carlsen aimed to unbalance at most the position... 13. ... Nxg3 14. fxg3 Nc5. “He misplayed the opening”, Caruana said. “I played the risky move 14. ... Nc5. It wasn’t necessary but I thought the complications were better for me”. 15. Bxf7+!? “I was worse. I thought after 15. Bxf7+ I could make it interesting” – Carlsen. “I came back to the board and thought I had missed something” – Caruana. On 15. Bc2 a5 “And it is just better for Black” – Caruana. 15. ... Kxf7. Clearly not 15. ... Qxf7?? 16. Nxe5 and White wins. 16. Nxe5+ Kg8. On 16. ... Ke6?? 17. Qg4+ Kxe5 (else 16. ... Kd6 17. Ndc4 mate) 18. Nc4 mate. 17. Ng6 Qg5 18. Rf8+ Kh7 19. Nxh8 Bg4! 20. Qf1

20. ... Nd3! A flashy move! 21. Qxd3 Rxf8 22. hxg4 Qxg4 23. Nf3 Qxg3 24. e5+ Kxh8 25. e6 Bb6+ 26. Kh1 Qg4! 27. Qd6. 27. Re1?? is refuted by 27. ... Rxf3! 28. Qxf3 Qh4+. 27. ... Rd8! 28. Qe5 Rd5! 29. Qb8+ Kh7 30. e7 Qh5+ 31. Nh2?? A gross blunder, but also after 31. Qh2 Qe8 32. g4 (else 32. Re1 Bf2! and wins) 32. ... Rd7 White is doomed – since Black will win the e7-Pawn. 31. ... Rd1+ 32. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 33. Nf1 Qxf1+ 34. Kh2 Qg1+ 0 : 1. For after 35. Kh3 Qe3+ White’s e-Pawn falls.

Fabiano Caruana
Photo: U.S. Chess Champs

An antagonistic polyphony

Humpy Koneru – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 6th stage; Sharjah, August 28, 2014
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 d5 5. Qb3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. Bd2 0-0 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 Nxc5 11. Qc4 Qxd5 12. Qxd5 exd5 13. Rc1 b6 14. e3 Bf5 15. b4 Nd3+ 16. Bxd3 Bxd3 17. Nb3 Bc4 18. Kd2 a5 19. bxa5 bxa5 20. Rc2 Rfb8 21. Rhc1 h5 22. Nc5 Rb5 23. Nd3 Re8 24. h4 g6 25. Nf4 Kg7 26. f3 Rb4 27. e4 Ra4 28. Nxd5 Bxd5 29. exd5 Rd4+ 30. Kc3 Rxd5 31. Kc4 Red8 32. g3 Rd4+ 33. Kb3 Rb8+ 34. Ka3 Re8 35. Kb2 Rd3 36. Rc3 Re2+ 37. Kb3 a4+ 38. Ka3 Rxc3+ 39. Rxc3 Rg2 40. Rd3 Rxg3 41. Kxa4 Rh3

42. Kb3?? This blunder throws away the draw which was obtainable with 42. Kb5! Rxh4 43. a4.
42. ... Rxh4 43. a4 Rf4! That’s the point — White’s King is cut off from his passed Pawn.
44. a5 h4 45. a6 Rf6 46. a7 Ra6 47. Rd4 Rxa7 48. Rxh4

48. ... Rc7! Once again cutting the White King off.
49. Rf4 Rc1 50. Kb2 Rc5 51. Ra4 Kf6 52. Ra7 g5 53. Rb7 Kg6 54. Ra7 f6 55. Ra6 Kf5 56. Ra4 Re5 0 : 1.

Just pondering the thin line between friendship and rivalry. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.

Boleskine House

Expressly annotated by 尼斯湖水怪

Alina l’Ami – Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva
Sharjah; August 27, 2014
Nimzo-Indian Defence E56

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0. The most neutral development. 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 d5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. h3 Qe7 11. b3 Rd8 12. Bb2 Ne4 13. Ne2 Bd6. Tatiana tries incisive methods. Another try is 13. ... Nb4 14. Bb1 Bf5 as in the game Mkrtchian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Jermuk 2012. 14. Rc1 a6 15. Bb1 Be6 16. Ned4 Bd7 17. Qe2 f5 18. Rfe1 Rf8. Seeking a more favourable field of action. 19. Bd3 Rae8. Offering a Pawn. 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Bxa6 f4. Partly showing her cards. 22. exf4 Bxf4 23. Rcd1 Qf7. Intending ... Bf4-d6 or ... Qf7-g6 with excellent prospects of attack. 24. Qf1. Probably safer than 24. Bd3 Nc3 (24. ... Bxh3!?). 24. ... Qh5 25. Be2

25. ... Bxh3. A break-up sacrifice. 26. gxh3 Re6. Threatening ... Re6-g6+. 27. Ne5. A lemon would be 27. Kh1? on account of 27. ... Be3! and wins. 27. ... Qg5+ 28. Qg2? The crisis. Another blunder would be 28. Ng4? Nxf2! and Black wins. In view of her adversary’s threatening position Alina should, for better or for worse, have resigned herself to 28. Bg4!, after which White may hope to hold her own. For example: 28. ... Rxe5 29. Qg2 Re7 30. Ba3 c5 31. Bf3 Rf5 with roughly equal chances. Now the sequel is dramatic: 28. ... Qxg2+. Or 28. ... Bh2+ 29. Kxh2 Rxf2 and wins. 29. Kxg2 Bxe5 30. Bxe5 Rxf2+ 31. Kg1 Rxe5 32. a4 Rf8 33. Rc1 Rg5+ 34. Kh1 Ng3+ 35. Kh2 Rf2+ 0 : 1.

Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova

Friday, August 29, 2014

蜂后

V’è chi bacia tal mano che vorrebbe veder mozza.

Proverbio toscano

一万个舍不得 (Ten Thousand Reluctant)

一万个舍不得
庄心妍

不要追问对与错
毕竟我们深爱过
有你陪的日子里
我真的好快乐

你总是小心翼翼的
因为你怕我难过
而我却不能给你
给你想要的结果

一万个舍不得
不能回到从前了
爱你没有后悔过
只是应该结束了

一万个舍不得
我是永远爱你的
爱你我觉得值得
只是不能再爱了

不要追问对与错
毕竟我们深爱过
有你陪的日子里
我真的真的好快乐

你总是小心翼翼的
因为你怕我难过
而我却不能给你想要的结果
你永远都是最好的

分开了不代表不爱你了
我心里你永远都是最好的。

Ten Thousand Reluctant
莊心妍 (Zhuāng Xīnyán) a.k.a. Ada

Don’t ask whether it is right or wrong
After all, we loved each other
And in the days with you
I felt so much happy

You’re always so cautious
Because you are afraid I may feel sad
And I can’t
I can’t give you what you want

Ten thousand reluctant
I can’t go back to the past
But I’ll never regret loving you
No matter what happens

Ten thousand reluctant
I’ll love you forever
Loving you is worth it
I can’t love anyone but you

Don’t ask whether it is right or wrong
After all, we loved each other
And in the days with you
I felt so much happy

You’re always so cautious
Because you are afraid I may feel sad
And I can’t give you what you want
You’ll always be my one and only

Being parted from you doesn’t mean I no longer love you
In my heart you'll always be my one and only

Water Mirror

To quote Mehmet Murat İldan, “Not every lake dreams to be an ocean. Blessed are the ones who are happy with whom they are”. Photo: Mado Flynn.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

老鼠老师

Artwork: Pretty-As-A-Picture

1314

Artwork: pinkbutterflyofdeath

说你好只要几秒钟，说再见却要永远。
Shuō nǐ hǎo zhǐyào jǐ miǎo zhōng, shuō zàijiàn què yào yǒngyuǎn.
It takes a couple seconds to say Hello, but forever to say Goodbye.

索拉里斯星

秘密地方
Foto: Isadora Duncan

忒耳普西科瑞

秘密地方
Foto: 阿甘正传

奥尔维耶托主教座堂 (Orvieto Cathedral)

Façade of the Orvieto Cathedral (Duomo di Orvieto) in Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. Photo: Mado Flynn.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

我们 (We)

Sofia Nutini
Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

他们 (They)

凯撒的妻子

Hot Water

Bullicame hot springs, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy, August 2014. Photo: Mado Flynn.

Unlawful Entry

Il porco sogna ghiande.

Proverbio toscano

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

小費

Artwork: alkaline

很多时候你更需要的是改变自己，而不是换个环境。
Hěnduō shíhòu nǐ gèng xūyào de shì gǎibiàn zìjǐ, ér bùshì huàngè huánjìng.
Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene.