去九法 (Casting out nines)

Arkadij Mikhailovich Naiditsch – Ankit Rajpara
1st Qatar Masters Open; Doha, November 26, 2014
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Ne7 6. 0-0 Bg6 7. Nbd2 Nf5 8. c4 Be7. If 8. ... Nd7 there might follow 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nb3 as in the game Zhigalko – Dreev, International Chess Festival “Baku Open”, Baku 2013. 9. g4 Nh6. The strategic alternative was 9. ... Nh4 10. Nxh4 Bxh4 11. f4 f5!? with chances for both sides. 10. h3 Ng8. A truly undeveloping manoeuvre. 11. Ne1 h5 12. Ng2 hxg4 13. hxg4 dxc4 14. Nxc4 Be4 15. f3 Bd5 16. Nce3 c5 17. Nf4 Bc6 18. d5 exd5 19. Nfxd5 Bh4. Intending ... Bh4-g3. 20. Kg2. In order to stop ... Bh4-g3, but there is a terrible shock coming. Simply 20. Nf4 (Δ e5-e6) would have ensured White a distinct advantage.


20. ... Bg3!! Anyway! 21. Kxg3? Bad judgment. The casting out nines was 21. Nf6+! gxf6 22. Qxd8+ Kxd8 23. Kxg3 with some edge for White. 21. ... Qh4+ 22. Kf4 Qh2+ 23. Ke4 Nd7. Intending both ... Nd7xe5 and ... 0-0-0. 24. Kd3. After 24. f4? 0-0-0 White is doomed. 24. ... 0-0-0 25. Kc2 Nxe5 26. Qd2? The only chance to defend was 26. a3 Kb8. The text exposes His Majesty to a furious assault. 26. ... Nf6 27. Ne7+ Kb8 28. Nxc6+ Nxc6 29. Bd3 Nb4+ 30. Kb1 Qc7 31. g5 Rxd3 32. Qe1 Nfd5 33. Ng4 Nb6 34. Qe5 Qxe5 35. Nxe5 Rd4 36. Nxf7. This loses instantly. On 36. Be3 Rd5 Black stands much better. 36. ... Rh2 37. Be3. Equally hopeless was 37. a3 Nd3. 37. ... Nd3 38. Bc1 Nc4. 38. ... Rc4! was an even quicker way to win, threatening 39. ... Rxc1+ 40. Rxc1 Rxb2 mate. 39. Rd1 Nxc1 0 : 1.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Reculer pour mieux sauter

Yevgeny Anan’evich Khaldei, Raising a Flag over the Reichstag, Berlin, May 2, 1945. Photo: Yevgeny Anan’evich Khaldei.

Capitan Marvel


Il lupo mangia ogni carne e lecca la sua.

Proverbio italiano

Lose to Win


Just two lines by Gyro Gearloose


Boris Vasilievich Spassky – Yasser Seirawan
Candidates Tournament; Montpellier, October 12, 1985
King’s Gambit C34

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Ne7. Not so popular. Its main purpose is to avoid the well-known theoretical variations. 4. d4. For 4. Bc4 d5 see Spassky – Averbakh, 22th USSR Championship, Moscow 1955. 4. ... d5. 4. ... Ng6? is bad due to 5. h4 Be7 6. h5 Nh4 7. Bxf4 d5 8. Nxh4 Bxh4+ 9. g3 (analysis by Kortschnoi and Zak). 5. Nc3. Another try is 5. e5 Ng6 6. Bd3 Nh4 7. 0-0 Nxf3+ 8. Qxf3 g5 9. g3 (Levenfish). 5. ... dxe4 6. Nxe4 Ng6 7. h4! More energetic than 7. Bc4 Be7 8. h4 Nxh4 9. Ne5 Nc6 10. Bxf7+ Kf8 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bb3 Bf5 13. 0-0 f3 14. gxf3 Qe8 15. Kf2 h6 with chances for both colors, Spassky – Novopashin, 30th USSR Championship, Yerevan 1962. 7. ... Qe7!? Seirawan tries to improve on the game 7. ... Be7 8. h5 Nh4 9. Bxf4 Bg4 10. h6! 0-0 11. hxg7 Re8 12. Kf2 with with great advantage for White, Kuznetsov – Boch-Osmolovsky, Moscow 1964.


8. Kf2!! This appears to be White’s best move. 8. ... Bg4. On 8. ... Qxe4 9. Bb5+ c6 (or 9. ... Kd8 10. Re1) 10. Re1 Qxe1+ 11. Qxe1+ wins. 9. h5 Nh4 10. Bxf4 Nc6 11. Bb5! 0-0-0 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Qd3 Nxf3 14. gxf3 Bf5 15. Qa6+ Kb8 16. Nc5 Bc8 17. Qxc6 Rxd4. The only way to struggle on, since White was threatening Ra1-e1-e3-b3+. 18. Rae1! Rxf4. Clearly not 18. ... Qxc5?? on account of 19. Bxc7 mate nor 18. ... Qd8 in view of 19. Re8! winning. 19. Qb5+ Ka8 20. Qc6+ Kb8 21. Rxe7 Bxe7 22. Rd1 Rf6 23. Nd7+ Bxd7 24. Qxd7 Rd8 25. Qb5+ Kc8 26. Rxd8+ Bxd8 27. Qa4! g5 28. Qxa7 Rf4 29. Qa6+ Kb8 30. Qd3 Be7 31. Qxh7 g4 32. Kg3! 1 : 0.

Boris Vasilievich Spassky vs. Robert James Fischer
Reykjavík, 1972

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Necronomicon


Just two lines by Fethry Duck


Stelios Halkias – Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
Qatar Masters; Doha, November 26, 2014
Evans Gambit C51

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4!? The second time of Kramnik in an open tournament – after about twenty years – and the first against the Evans Gambit! 4. ... Bxb4 5. c3 Be7. Trendy! 6. d4 Na5 7. Bd3!? Nigel David Short’s favourite. 7. ... d6 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Nxe5 Nf6 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Qc2 Nd7. For the more “scientific” 11. ... c5 12. f4 c4 see Short – Bruzon, Poikovsky 2012. 12. Nxd7 Qxd7 13. e5 g6 14. Nd2 b6 15. Nf3 Bb7 16. Be4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Qc6 18. Qg4 Rad8 19. Bg5 Qc5 20. Qh4 Nc6 21. Rae1. Threatening Qh4-h6. The immediate 21. Qh6? was wrong due to 21. ... Nxe5. 21. ... h5 22. Re4. Possibly sharper was 22. e6! Rd5 23. Bxe7 Qxe7 24. exf7+ Qxf7 25. Qe4 retaining an edge. 22. ... Rd3 23. Rc4 Qd5. Loses a valuable Pawn. On 23. ... Bxg5 24. Nxg5 Qd5 25. Ne4 White’s position looks nearly winning, but after 25. ... f5! 26. Qf6! Ne7! 27. Qxe7 fxe4 28. Rxc7 Qf7 Black should survive. 24. Bxe7 Nxe7 25. Rxc7 Nf5


26. Qc4. White forces an endgame in which his extra Pawn will be worthless. If 26. Qf6 then 26. ... Rd1 27. h3 Rxf1+ 28. Kxf1 Qd1+ 29. Ne1 Qa4 30. e6! Qf4! 31. exf7+ Kh7 32. Rc6 Ng3+! 33. Kg1 Ne2+ 34. Kh1 Qxf6 35. Rxf6 Kg7 36. Rc6 Rxf7 with equality. However, both 26. Qf4 and 26. Qa4 would probably have allowed White to retain his positional and material advantage. 26. ... Qxc4 27. Rxc4 Re8 28. Re1 Rd5 29. h3 Kf8 30. g4 hxg4 31. hxg4 Ng7 32. Rc7 Re7 33. Rc8+ Re8 34. Rc7 Re7 35. Rc8+ Re8 ½ : ½.

C92


Thursday, November 27, 2014
17,00 – 21,30

Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”
Viale De Amicis, 99/A · 50137 Firenze


CHOCOLATE PARTY


免费入场
“人皆生而平等”

砲灰 (Chair à canon)



卡珊德拉的主意
(Da un’idea di Cassandra)

老鼠老师


A chi vuol far del male, non gli manca mai occasione.

Proverbio italiano

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

巧克力派对

Artwork: danadabby

Thursday, November 27, 2014
17,00 – 21,30

Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”
Viale De Amicis, 99/A · 50137 Firenze


CHOCOLATE PARTY


免费入场
“人皆生而平等”

公开密钥加密

Levon Grigori Aronian – Hikaru Nakamura
Showdown in Saint Louis; match game 2; Saint Louis, November 22, 2014
Catalan Opening E05

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d4 dxc4 7. Ne5 Nc6 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Na3 c5 12. dxc5 Qxc5 13. Be3 Qb4 14. Qc1. For 14. Qd4 Ba6 see 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, Sharjah 2014. 14. ... Ba6 15. Bd4 Rfd8 16. Rd1 Rac8 17. Qc3 Qa4. Aronian then said he did not expect this move, after which White gets nothing. 18. Qc2 Qxc2 19. Nxc2 c3! Elegant and dynamic play by Nakamura! 20. Bxc3 Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Bxe2 22. Re1 Bc4. Even stronger looks 22. ... Bf3!, but also the text is sufficient to survive. 23. Ne3 Nd5 24. Nxc4 Rxc4 25. Bd2 Kf8 26. Rc1 Rxc1+ 27. Bxc1. Ulhumbrus says: “White has a powerful Bishop against a Knight and an asymmetrical Pawn structure which includes a Queenside Pawn majority”. Not so much, but it's better than nothing. 27. ... Ke7 28. Kf1 e5 29. Ke2 e4 30. Kd2 f5 31. Kc2 Nb4+?! More to the point was 31. ... Kd6 32. Kb3 Kc5 with roughly equal chances. 32. Kb3 Nd3 33. Be3 a6 34. Kc3 Kd6 35. h4. Now Black’s Kingside Pawn majority is stuck, whereas White’s Queenside Pawn majority is not. As originally noted by Ulhumbrus the endgame is reminiscent of a vintage background Capablanca – Corzo, Habana 1901, match game 9. 35. ... g6 36. b4 Kd5. The computer move 36. ... Kc6 could perhaps work better, but, objectively speaking, it has anything human. 37. a4 Ne5 38. b5


38. ... a5? A serious mistake instead of which he should have played 38. ... axb5 39. axb5 Nd3! after which the smooth 40. Kb3 (intending Kb3-a4-a5) is nullified by 40. ... h6! 41. Kc3 g5 42. b6 Kc6 43. hxg5 hxg5=. 39. Bb6 Nc4 40. Bd8! Kc5 41. Bc7! h5 42. Kc2 Kd5 43. Kb3 Nd2+ 44. Kc3 e3. On 44. ... Nb1+ 45. Kc2 Na3+ 46. Kb3 Nc4 47. b6 simply wins. 45. fxe3 Ne4+ 46. Kb2 Nc5 47. Bxa5 Nxa4+ 48. Ka3 Nc5 49. Bb4 Nb7 50. Ka4 1 : 0. Black is in Zugzwang. If the Knight moves, White’s King advances and soon “Queens” the passed Pawn. If instead the King moves, White plays b5-b6 and the King breaks in via the b5-square.

平方根



卡珊德拉的心血结晶
(Da un’idea di Cassandra)

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

俄罗斯卢布

Sochi: Vladimir [Vladimirovich] Putin congratulates Magnus Carlsen in person.
Photo: Chess-News.ru

As expected, the closing ceremony of the World Championship match has been attended by President of Russia Vladimir [Vladimirovich] Putin. The action took place at the Pushkin Hall which had been used by Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand for playing. After the chief arbiter of the match Andrzej Filipowicz declared the result of the match, President of Russia went on the stage. [Read more].

国际消除对妇女的暴力日

Artwork: 黃永玉 (Huáng Yǒngyù)

MNAO (Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”)
Roma, giovedì 27 novembre 2014, ore 17,00
INCONTRO CON IL MAESTRO 黃永玉 (HUÁNG YŎNGYÙ)


免费入场
“人皆生而平等”

银河系

Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

SCUOLA DI DANZA
舞蹈学校
SCACCHI CLASSICI E SCACCHI DI FISCHER
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 organization!

Fame affoga fama


Non c’è puttana che non muoia di fame.

Proverbio italiano

Notes of A Dirty Old Man


Dice il porco dammi dammi, né mi contar mesi né anni.

Proverbio toscano

寂寞拍賣師

Artwork: 黃永玉 (Huáng Yǒngyù)

MNAO (Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”)
Roma, giovedì 27 novembre 2014, ore 17,00
INCONTRO CON IL MAESTRO 黃永玉 (HUÁNG YŎNGYÙ)

化圓為方

Artwork: vladstudio

果有选择,那就选择最好的;如果没有选择,那就努力做到最好。
Guǒ yǒu xuǎnzé, nà jiù xuǎnzé zuì hǎo de; rúguǒ méiyǒu xuǎnzé, nà jiù nǔlì zuò dào zuì hǎo.
If you have choices, choose the best. If you have no choice, do the best.

明日之後

A not-so-sad Anand said in the press conference, “His nerves held up better, he was at the end superior”.
A reporter asked the all important question which many Indians were eagerly waiting for to be answered.
Reporter: Are you considering leaving chess?
Anand: No!
This was followed by a huge round of applause from the crowd which had gathered for the press conference.
Whether he will play again in the candidates tournament to come back as a challenger next year, only time will tell.
But he is not finished yet! Vishy vows a return. [Read more].

永恒轮回

DON CHISCIOTTE

Il cavaliere dell’eterna gioventù
seguì, verso la cinquantina,
la legge che batteva nel suo cuore.
Partì un bel mattino di luglio
per conquistare il bello, il vero, il giusto.
Davanti a lui c’era il mondo
coi suoi giganti assurdi e abbietti
sotto di lui Ronzinante
triste ed eroico.

Lo so
quando si è presi da questa passione
e il cuore ha un peso rispettabile
non c’è niente da fare, Don Chisciotte,
    niente da fare
è necessario battersi
    contro i mulini a vento.

Hai ragione tu, Dulcinea
è la donna più bella del mondo
certo
    bisognava gridarlo in faccia
    ai bottegai
certo
    dovevano buttartisi addosso
    e coprirti di botte

ma tu sei il cavaliere invincibile degli assetati
tu continuerai a vivere come una fiamma
nel tuo pesante guscio di ferro
    e Dulcinea
sarà ogni giorno più bella.


堂吉诃德 (Don Chisciotte)

在五十岁时不朽的青春骑士
跟随敲打他内心的法则
他出发在一个七月的美好早上征服
善良,真理,公道。
他面对整个世界的愚蠢,傲慢。
他骑着悲伤,英勇的劳驰男德 (Ronzinante)。

我知道当他被这条法则牵引,
他有沉重的重担时,
他什么也不能做,堂吉诃德,
什么也不能做,
需要和风车战斗。

堂吉诃德,你总是对的,
杜尔西内亚 (Dulcinea)是世界上最美的女人,
需要当着惟利是图者的面
大喊她是最美的女人。

他们应该会打你,但你是不可钲服的骑士,
你会继续像火焰一样生活在沉重盔甲下。
杜尔西内亚,她会变得更美。


Traduzione di 唐利仿 (Táng Lìfǎng)

Artwork by Albert Dubout for “L’Ingenieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche” (1938)

職業特工隊

Artwork by Albert Dubout for “L’Ingenieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche” (1938)

Sunday, November 23, 2014

:-)

Artwork: mibou

如果你必须走,就帶着笑走吧!
Rúguǒ nǐ bìxū zǒu, jiù dàizhe xiào zǒu ba!
If you gotta go, then go with a smile.

Cupio dissolvi


Just two lines by Miss Lonelyhearts


Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand
World Chess Championship; match game 11; Sochi, November 23, 2014
Spanish C67

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. h3 Bd7 10. Nc3 h6 11. b3 Kc8 12. Bb2 c5. For 12. ... b6 see Anand – Nakamura, London 2010. 13. Rad1 b6 14. Rfe1. For the immediate 14. Nd5 see Kokarev – Lékó, Loo 2014. 14. ... Be6 15. Nd5 g5 16. c4. A novelty. For 16. Nh2 Kb7 see Zhidkov – Vitoshinskiy, Dubna 2001. 16. ... Kb7 17. Kh2. “I defer to the experts, but I guess White wants g2-g4, Kh2-g3 and h3-h4, followed by rolling his kingside, if poss.”, Nigel Short tweeted. 17. ... a5 18. a4 Ne7 19. g4 Ng6 20. Kg3 Be7 21. Nd2 Rhd8 22. Ne4 Bf8 23. Nef6. “I would take Black more than ever after 23. ... b5”, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave enthusiastically said.


23. ... b5! 隨便。 “Anand played 23. ... b5 right away. It is tactically OK but a bit risky. Safer is 23. ... c6. This is a clear Pawn sac”, Zsuzsa Polgár said. 24. Bc3. Now 24. cxb5 c6! drops the b-Pawn, whereas if 24. axb5 then 24. ... a4! with excellent compensation for the Pawn. 24. ... bxa4 25. bxa4 Kc6. “Very strange decisions by Carlsen from the very start up to allowing the ... b6-b5 break. Now he will need a world of cleverness to save the day”, Vachier-Lagrave said. 26. Kf3 Rdb8. “Anand played 26. ... Rdb8. Not a blunder but not as strong as 26. ... Be7”, Polgár said. 27. Ke4. Now “There is the interesting exchange sac 27. ... Rb3 28. Rb1 Ra3 29. Ra1 Rxc3 30. Nxc3 Bxc4 but I would be surprised to see it happen”, Erwin l’Ami said. Instead... 27. ... Rb4!??? A cryptic Exchange sacrifice – it reminds me Henrique Mecking’s 37. ... Rb4 against 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in Wijk aan Zee 2009. “... Rb8-b4 seems rather strange. ... Bf8-e7xf6 seemed better as Nepo suggested. Unfortunately, I think Carlsen is going to wrap up the match now”, Hikaru Nakamura said. 28. Bxb4 cxb4? “I am still stunned of Anand’s series of decision to play 26. ... Rdb8, 27. ... Rb4 then 28. ... cxb4 instead of the ... Bf8-e7 idea”, Polgár cried. Nolens volens, the consistent 28. ... axb4(!) 29. Ra1 Bg7 was compulsory. 29. Nh5 Kb7 30. f4 gxf4 31. Nhxf4 Nxf4. After 31. ... c6 32. Nxg6 fxg6 33. Nf4 White stands much better, but the text is even worse. 32. Nxf4 Bxc4 33. Rd7. Game over. 33. ... Ra6 34. Nd5 Rc6 35. Rxf7 Bc5 36. Rxc7+ Rxc7 37. Nxc7 Kc6 38. Nb5 Bxb5 39. axb5+ Kxb5 40. e6 b3 41. Kd3 Be7 42. h4 a4 43. g5 hxg5 44. hxg5 a3 45. Kc3 1 : 0.

Viswanathan Anand
Photo: Chess-News.ru (@Chess_News)

Not Like Everyone Else

Boris Vasilievich Spassky – Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Candidates Final; match game 7; Kiev, September 19, 1968
King’s Indian Defence E83

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nge2 a6 8. Nc1 e5 9. d5 Nd4 10. Nb3 Nxb3 11. Qxb3 c5 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. 0-0-0! Be6? Leaving to his adversary the supremacy on both wings. More to the point was 13. ... Qe7! 14. Qb6 Bb7!, e.g. 15. g4 Rab8 16. h4 Rfc8 17. h5 Nd5! 18. exd5 cxd5 19. Rxd5 Bxd5 20. Nxd5 Qe6 21. Qa7 Ra8 22. Qb7 Rab8 23. Qa7 Ra8 24. Qb7 ½ : ½ Timman – Kasparov, Interzonal Tournament, Moscow 1981. 14. Qa3 Ne8 15. h4! f6? Jan van Reek rightly prefers 15. ... f5 16. h5 gxh5 17. Rxh5 Qc7 18. exf5 Bxf5. 16. c5 Rf7 17. Qa4 Qc7 18. Bc4 Bxc4 19. Qxc4 Bf8 20. h5! Striving for the initiative! 20. ... dxc5 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. Qe6 Rd8 23. Rxd8 Qxd8 24. Rd1 Qe7 25. Qxc6 Nc7 26. Qb6!! The most celebrated “creeping move” in the History of Chess! Kortschnoi was probably hoping for 26. Nd5 Qe6! defending all his weaknesses. After the text, instead, 25. ... Qe6 would be simply met by 26. Bxc5. 26. ... Kg7 27. Nd5 Qe6 28. Bxc5 Bxc5 29. Qxc5 Nb5 30. Qe3 Qc6+ 31. Kb1 Nd4 32. Rc1 Qb5 33. Nc7 Qe2? Bad, but also after 33. ... Qb6 34. Ne8+ Kf8 35. Rc8 Ke7 36. Nc7 Kd7 37. Nd5 White’s attack is irresistible. 34. Ne6+! Kh7? Thanks to Kortschnoi for allowing a beautiful end! In any case, after 34. ... Kg8 35. Rc8+ Kh7 36. Qxe2 Nxe2 37. Ra8 Black’s endgame is hopeless.


35. Qh6+! 1 : 0. For after 35. ... Kg8 (or 35. ... Kxh6 36. Rh1 mate) 36. Rc8+ White mates next move. It should be noted that the “mirror variation” 35. Rh1+? Kg8 36. Qh6?? loses to 36. ... Qd3+! 37. Ka1 Nc2+ 38. Kb1 Na3++ 39. Ka1 Qb1+ 40. Rxb1 Nc2 mate.

Boris Vasilievich Spassky. Leningrad, 1949.

Mean Mr. Mustard & Polythene Pam

Artwork: Arnumdrusk
Polythene Pam – She’s so good looking but she looks like a man

Artwork: Arnumdrusk
Mean Mr. Mustard – Such a mean old man

Recusatio non petita, copulatio manifesta.

考迪罗


Non sempre ride la moglie del ladro.

Proverbio italiano

宗教皈依


Un c’è puttana né ladrone che nun abbia divozione: quando nissuno li vòl più, si dàn tutti al bòn Gesù.

Proverbio toscano

卡美拉對大惡獸基龍

Viswanathan Anand – Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championship; match game 10; Sochi, November 21, 2014
Grünfeld D97

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3. In the first game of the match Anand preferred 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2, but after 5. ... Bg7 6. e4 Nxc3 7. Bxc3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Nf3 Bg4 Black equalized. 4. ... Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 0-0 7. e4 Na6 8. Be2 c5 9. d5 e6 10. 0-0 exd5 11. exd5 Re8 12. Bg5. If 12. Rd1 (Δ d5-d6) may follow 12. ... Qb6 13. d6 Be6 14. Qh4 Qb4 15. Bg5 Nd7 16. Be7 Qxh4 17. Bxh4 Nb4 and Black has more than equalized, Jones – Nakamura, London 2012. More usual is 12. Bf4 Bf5 13. Rad1 Ne4 14. Nb5 (14. Bd3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 b5 16. Qxb5 Nxc3 17. Qxa6 Bxd3 18. Qxd3 Ne2+ 19. Kh1 Nxf4) 14. ... Qf6 15. d6 Bd7 16. g3 g5 17. Be3 h6 18. Nc7 Nxc7 19. dxc7 Bc6 20. Nd2 Rac8 21. Nxe4 Rxe4 22. Qxc5 Rxc7 23. Rd6 b6 24. Rxf6 bxc5 25. Rxc6 Rxc6 26. Bf3 Rxe3 ½ : ½ Beliavsky – Kasparov, Moscow 1987. 12. ... h6 13. Be3 Bf5 14. Rad1 Ne4. A novelty. On 14. ... Qb6 15. b3 Rad8 16. Rd2 (possibly better moves are 16. Nh4 and 16. h3) 16. ... Ng4 17. Bf4 Qa5 Black grabbed the initiative, Wojtaszek – Ponomariov, Poikovsky 2012. 15. Nxe4 Bxe4 16. Qc1 Qf6 17. Bxh6 Qxb2. “17. ... Bxd5 18. Rxd5 Rxe2 19. Rd7 still looks a bit unpleasant for Black, e.g. 19. ... Qxb2 20. Bxg7 Qxc1 21. Rxc1 Kxg7 22. Rxb7”, Erwin l’Ami tweeted. 18. Qxb2. “Vishy has to resist the tempting 18. Bxg7 Qxc1 19. Rxc1 Kxg7 20. Bxa6 bxa6 21. Rxc5 Red8, seems to lead to a draw”, Jan Gustafsson said. 18. ... Bxb2


19. Ng5. “The position after 19. Ng5 is strange on a number of fronts. Bh6 is weird, echoed by Na6; Bb2 is exiled; Be4 stranded in centre”, tweeted Jonathan Rowson. 19. ... Bd4 20. Nxe4. “20. Bb5 wins an Exchange, but Black seems OK after 20. ... Bxd5. 20. Nxe4 Rxe4 21. Bf3 is the way to go in”, Gustafsson said. 20. ... Rxe4 21. Bf3 Re7 22. d6 Rd7 23. Bf4 Nb4 24. Rd2. Vishy said afterwards: “Perhaps, 24. Rfe1 was slightly better than 24. Rd2”. 24. ... Re8 25. Rc1 Re6 26. h4 Be5 27. Bxe5 Rxe5 28. Bxb7 Rxb7 29. d7 Nc6 30. d8=Q+. “Very strange decision by Anand, 30. f4 instead of 30. d8=Q+ would at least be a small try!”, Teimour Radjabov tweeted. 30. ... Nxd8 31. Rxd8+ Kg7 32. Rd2 ½ : ½.

Giada

梦霞 (Mèng Xiá) teaching her class at Associazione Culturale Linguistica Italo-Cinese (ACLIC ARCI) in Prato, Italy.

Über-Ich


Se tu fossi alto quanto tu sè bischero tu berresti alle grondaie.

Proverbio fiorentino

消化不良


Le puttane hanno più trappole che topi.

Proverbio italiano

Eye of the Madras Tiger

Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand
World Chess Championship match game 9; Sochi, November 20, 2014
Spanish Game C67

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. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Ne2. Departing from 11. Bf4 as in Carlsen – Anand, Sochi 2014, World Chess Championship match game 7. 11. ... b6 12. Rd1 Ba6 13. Nf4 Bb7! “Vishy’s Bishop manoeuvre is a bit mysterious to this Neanderthal, but I am sure he knows what he is doing”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short tweeted. If, instead 13. ... Rd8 then 14. Bd2 Nd4 15. Nxd4 Rxd4 16. a4! Bc8 (16. ... g5!?) 17. a5 a6 (17. ... Bf5!?) 18. Be3 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 b5 20. Nd3! with an edge for White, Domínguez Pérez – Ponomariov, 25th Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez “Ciudad de León”, León 2012. 14. e6. After 16 minutes of thinking. 14. ... Bd6


15. exf7+ Kxf7 16. Ng5+ Kf6 17. Ne4+ Kf7 18. Ng5+ Kf6 19. Ne4+ Kf7 20. Ng5+ ½ : ½. “Today’s result is slightly in Vishy’s favour. 3 games is enough to level the score but it is now time to sharpen the struggle”, Short said.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

速寫

Position from a game played by S. Dubois (Black).

N. N. – Serafino Dubois
r1b1k2N/ppp3pp/3p4/4p3/2BbP1n1/3P2qP/PPP1Q3/R1B2K1R b q - 0 1


Black to play and mate in five moves.

1. ... Nh2+ 2. Qxh2 Bxh3+ 3. Ke2 Bg4+ 4. Kf1 Qf3+ 5. Ke1 Qd1 mate. (Neue Berliner Schachzeitung, 1865, pages 246, 348).