Not guilty and not proven

Mihaela Sandu – Antoaneta Stefanova
16th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Chakvi, May 25, 2015
Pirc Defence B08

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c6 4. Nc3 d6 5. Be2 Nf6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. a4 Qc7 8. h3 a5!? Improvisation? The theoretical line 8. ... e5 would lead to a Pirc tabiya. 9. Bf4 Nh5 10. Be3 e5 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Nd2 Nf4 13. Nc4 Be6 14. Nb6 Nxe2+ 15. Qxe2 Ra6 16. Nc4 b5 17. axb5 cxb5 18. Nd2 b4 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 f5 21. Nb3 f4 22. Bc5 f3 23. Qe3 fxg2 24. Rfd1 Rc8 25. d6 Qc6 26. Ba7 Nd7 27. Nxa5 Qb5?? A gross blunder. After 27. ... Qa8 28. Nb3 Rxa1 29. Rxa1 Qd5 Black is fine. 28. Qb3+ Kh8

29. c4! Her Majesty is trapped! 29. ... Qxa5 30. Rxa5 Rxa5 31. Be3. The rest is easy for White. 31. ... Rb8 32. c5 Rxc5 33. Bxc5 Nxc5 34. Qf7 Rg8 35. Qc4 Nb7 36. Qxb4 Nd8 37. Qc4 1 : 0.

Mihaela Sandu
Photo: GSP

感恩节

“At this moment I am in a terrible state, but I want to thank everyone who supported me. This supports means a lot to me and helped me cope with the worst situation I was ever in my life! I am down right now but I hope to come back one day even stronger”.

• Mihaela Sandu Thanks People for Their Support “In the Worst Time of My Life”, Chess-News.ru, May 31, 2015

雷曼系列

Artwork: PortraitOfaLife

有时候，你去保护一个不在乎你的人，殊不知有另外一个人在默默保护着你。 Yǒu shíhòu, nǐ qù bǎohù yīgè bùzàihū nǐ de rén, shūbùzhī yǒu lìngwài yīgè rén zài mòmò bǎohùzhe nǐ. Sometimes you want to protect someone who doesn’t care about you, while there’s another person quietly protecting you.

Dinner’s Ready

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and her mother 王茜 (Wáng Qiàn) having dinner in Florence, Italy on Thursday, February 6, 2014.

Deutsche Bank Pavilion (Due cuori e una capanna)

戰國風雲

• Vittorio Zucconi, Stati Uniti e Cina, la sfida tra due superpotenze nel mare dove transita la nuova ricchezza del mondo, R.it, 31 maggio 2015

Stella di Lago

Handmade by Mado Flynn

The Queen’s First Move

13th Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) modeling for the July 2015 issue of Vogue magazine. Photo: fashion.qq.com.

神秘园 (Secret Garden)

May 31, 2015
神秘园 (Secret Garden)

An exhibit by Mado Flynn

战舰波将金号

The Blair Witch Project

• Alexey Dreev: “In Sandu’s games, There is Not a Single Sign of ‘Intelligent Cheating’”, Chess-News.ru, May 30, 2015

John Saunders (@Johnchess)

From Romania with Love

Letter of support by the Romanian Chess Federation

Woman Grandmaster Mihaela Sandu

女為悅己者狂 (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios)

The two letters in which 15 players raised suspicions of cheating against Mihaela Sandu
Photo: Chess-News.ru

长篇大论

Arcovazzi de Torquemada

È meglio metter la mano in uno sterco di vacca, che nella borsa altrui. Proverbio italiano

Witch-hunt

• Dennis Monokroussos, A New Cheating Scandal, The Chess Mind, May 29, 2015
• Cheating at the European Women’s Championship?, chess24.com, May 29, 2015
• Romania Demands Observance of Ethics, Chess-News.ru, May 30, 2015
• Mihaela Sandu Responds to the Organising Committee in a Written Complaint, Chess-News.ru, May 30, 2015

Jan Gustafsson (@GMJanGustafsson)

Nigel David Short (@nigelshortchess)

Lawrence Adam Trent (@LawrenceTrentIM)

Mihaela Sandu
Photo: Chess-News.ru

Poisoned Pawn Variation

On the Shoulders of Giants

Artwork: chelx

不要让别人的无知，厌恶，剧本或负面情绪; 去影响你成为任何你想成为的人。 Bùyào ràng biérén de wúzhī, yànwù, jùběn huò fùmiàn qíngxù; qù yǐngxiǎng nǐ chéngwéi rènhé nǐ xiǎng chéngwéi de rén. Don’t let anyone’s ignorance, hate, drama or negativity stop you from being the person you can be.

Stopp’t-Clock Yard

卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi) – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
64th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), May 29, 2015
Sicilian Defence B30

1. Nc3 c5 2. e4 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. a3 e6 7. h4!? Naïve. The “book” line is 7. 0-0 Nge7 8. Ba2 0-0 9. Be3 Nd4 as in the game Zander – Schlage, 22nd DSB Kongress, Bad Oeynhausen 1922. 7. ... Nf6 8. Ba2 a6 9. Ne2 b5 10. Ng3 h6 11. c3 Bb7 12. d4 Qb6 13. 0-0 0-0-0? 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) imprudently castles on the opposite wing, when Black’s Kingside Pawns are a sitting target as well as His Majesty on the Queenside! It would have been safer to castle on the Kingside: 13. ... 0-0 as 14. h5 g5 15. d5!? leads to interesting complications. 14. a4 d5 15. axb5 axb5 16. e5 Ne4 17. Be3 Nxg3 18. fxg3 c4 19. Qd2 Kc7 20. Nh2 Rd7 21. Rae1 b4 22. Bb1 Kc8 23. Rf3 b3. Black’s King is now quite safe. 卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi) thus will break up Black’s Kingside. It should be noted that White’s Bishop pair is immensely stronger than Black’s one. 24. Ref1 Nd8 25. R3f2 Bc6 26. Ng4 h5 27. Bh6! A timely solution! 27. ... Bxh6 28. Nxh6 Rh7 29. Qg5 Ra7

30. g4! hxg4 31. h5! White plays the termination very energetically. 31. ... g3 32. Rf6 Be8 33. hxg6 fxg6 34. Rf8 Qc6 35. Ng8 Rhg7 36. Nf6 Rae7 37. Qh6! 1 : 0. 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) has been literally squeezed up!

卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi)
Photo: qipai.org.cn

La Femme à l’Éventail

请柬 舞蹈 学校 “Il Delta della Luna” 定于 2015年6月20日 (星期日) 时间 20:30时 在 Grassina (地址: Teatro della Casa del Popolo di Grassina – Piazza Umberto I，14 – 50015 Grassina) 举行 期末 舞蹈 表演。 Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

Repetita iuvant

DISCLAIMER: Please note that there is absolutely no connection whatsoever between me, viz. LABIRINTI e CASEMATTE, and any third-party chess organizations. It is a fact that some young chess players had attended our school of chess before, long enough to make some progress, but more important is the fact – as far as concerns my honourability – that there has never been absolutely no connection whatsoever between me and most of the managers involved in such third-party chess organizations. Finally, please note that there has never been no connection whatsoever between me and the so-called “education managers” of such third-party chess organizations, if not for the fact that they have systematically exploited my work. I proudly represents just myself and the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”. Thank you for your attention. Lorenzo Barsi

Giunchiglia Marina (Solo)
Artwork: ™ © Mado Flynn

Waiting for Godot

Bobby Fischer waiting for Godot. Photo © Keystone Pictures USA/Alamy Stock Photo.

Arcovazzi TVB “Easy-on”

La pesca di’ Giunti, acqua fino alle palle e pesci punti. Proverbio fiorentino

Desert Flower

• Armando Mombelli, L’oasi fiorita nel cuore di Budapest, swissinfo.ch, 4 dicembre 2006

Artwork: IrondoomDesign

King of the Ring

A King on the road: Robert James Fischer giving a simultaneous exhibition in 1964. Photo: Chess.com.

Arcovazzi Settebello

Can dell’ortolano, non mangia la lattuga, e non la lascia mangiare agli altri. Proverbio italiano

向日葵

请柬 舞蹈 学校 “Il Delta della Luna” 定于 2015年6月20日 (星期日) 时间 20:30时 在 Grassina (地址: Teatro della Casa del Popolo di Grassina – Piazza Umberto I，14 – 50015 Grassina) 举行 期末 舞蹈 表演。 Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

Penny Lane

Antoaneta Stefanova – Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya
16th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Chakvi, May 21, 2015
King’s Indian Defence A05

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. 0-0 c5 5. d4 0-0 6. dxc5 Na6 7. Be3 Ne4 8. Bd4 Nexc5 9. Bxg7 Kxg7 10. Qd4+. For 10. Nc3 Ne6 11. e4 d6 12. Qe2 Nac7 13. Rfd1 see Benkovic – Vombek, Portoroz 2005. 10. ... Kg8 11. Nc3 d6 12. Rfd1 Bd7 13. e4 Bc6 14. a3 Rc8 15. Qe3 Qb6 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. exd5 Qxb2 18. Qxe7. Antoaneta has been too hasty in regaining her Pawn. She ought to play 18. Nd4 (Δ Rd1-b1) first, and only after 18. ... Qb6 will the White Queen take the e7-Pawn. 18. ... Rfe8 19. Qxd6 Ne4. The position is now reversed, and Black will obtain a lasting initiative for the Pawn. 20. Qd7 Nac5 21. Qg4. “Something has gone wrong with the former Women’s World Champion’s opening and Stefanova now finds herself on the defensive. Probably she was now anticipating Black capturing the c-Pawn and after 22. Rd1-f1 try to get some counterplay based on her passed Pawn”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett said.

21. ... Nxf2! An intuitive sacrifice which forces the enemy King out into the open. 22. Kxf2 Ne4+ 23. Kg1 Rxc2 24. Qh3. 24. Bh1 is refuted by 24. ... Nf2! 25. Rdb1 (what else?) 25. ... Re1+!, e.g. 26. Rxe1 Nh3+! 27. Qxh3 Qb6+ and mate in three moves, while after 24. Bf1 is quite convincing 24. ... Qc3 (Δ ... Qc3-e3+) 25. Qf4 g5! (Spraggett’s analysis). 24. ... Qb6+ 25. Nd4. Obviously, 25. Rd4? Ng5! loses on the spot. 25. ... Rd2 26. Rxd2 Nxd2 27. Qg4 Re4!! Possibly the most difficult move in the game! “Black cleverly uses multiple tactical themes to created threats and make progress. If now 28. Bxe4 there would follow the forcing 28. ... Qxd4+ 29.Kg2 Qxa1 (threatening mate on f1) 30. Bd3!? Qe5 31. Qc8+ Kg7 32. Qxb7 Qd4! 33. Be2 Ne4! and the Queen and Knight duo are unstoppable”, Spraggett said. 28. Qc8+ Kg7 29. Qc3 Rxd4. “And now the simplest winning plan is to simplify with 29. ... Qxd4+ 30. Qxd4 Rxd4 31. Rd1 Kf6! when the ending offers no hope. (In the game Kashlinksaya played the less accurate 29. ... Rxd4, but won anyway in 64 moves”, Spraggett said. 30. Rd1 Kf8 31. Qc8+ Kg7 32. Qc3 f6 33. Kh1 Ne4 34. Qxd4 Nf2+ 35. Qxf2? The only chance was to defend the endgame a Pawn behind: 35. Kg1 Nxd1 36. Qxb6 axb6. 35. ... Qxf2 36. d6 Qe2 37. Ra1 Qd2 38. Bf3 Qxd6 39. Bxb7 Qb6 40. Bg2 Qb2 41. Rd1 Qxa3. Black’s preponderance of Pawns is decisive. The rest is a matter of technique, as they say. 42. Bd5 Qc3 43. Rg1 Qd3 44. Ba2 f5 45. Rg2 a5 46. Rf2 a4 47. Kg2 a3 48. h4 Qe3 49. Bb1 Qe1 50. Ba2 Qe4+ 51. Kg1 h6 52. Rf4 Qd3 53. Kg2 Kf6 54. Rf2 g5 55. hxg5+ Kxg5 56. Bf7 Qd6 57. Ba2 Kg4 58. Rf4+ Qxf4 59. gxf4 Kxf4 60. Kf2 h5 61. Bb1 h4 62. Ba2 Ke4 63. Bb1+ Kd4 64. Kg2 f4 0 : 1.

Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya
Photo: Chess-News.ru

Top Ten

The 7th “泰州 (Tàizhōu) Top Ten Outstanding Youth” — 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Report of May 6, 2015.

Arcovazzi “Durability, Reliability, and Excellence”

Altri hanno mangiato la candela, e tu smaltisci lo stoppino. Proverbio toscano

Lviv Pavilion

Vyshyvanka from Lviv
Photo: modoslav

A model wears an embroidered dress and a coat that resemble Ukrainian vyshyvanka and żupan at Valentino haute couture show on January 28, 2015 in Paris. Photo: KyivPost.

Longchamp Dubai Mall Pavilion

International Red Aid

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Chess-News.ru

• Титул чемпіонки світу Марія Музичук може захистити в Еміратах, vgolos.com.ua, May 27, 2015

United Arab Emirates intend to submit a bid to host the next match for Women’s World Chess Championship, according to Oleg Muzychuk, father and chess manager of actual Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk. “We hope Ukraine will submit a bid too”, he said.

The flowering side

“View in colour”, Spain, © Natxo Etxebarria

当我们正在为生活疲于奔波时,生活已离我们远去。 Dāng wǒmen zhèngzài wéi shēnghuó pí yú bēnbō shí, shēnghuó yǐ lí wǒmen yuǎn qù. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. 约翰·列侬 (John Lennon)

Bid–ask spread

Julia Oleksandrivna Gomelskaya: “Bagatelle”, for clarinet and piano. Performed by Zinovy Burkatsky (clarinet) and Nadezhda Gomelskaya (piano) in Odessa on November 12, 2014.

Dubai Outlet Mall Pavilion

Inshallah

• Титул чемпіонки світу Марія Музичук може захистити в Еміратах, galsports.com, May 27, 2015

Mariya Muzychuk with her sister Anna
Photo: wz.lviv.ua

United Arab Emirates intend to submit a bid to host the next match for Women’s World Chess Championship, according to Oleg Muzychuk, father and chess manager of actual Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk. “We hope Ukraine will submit a bid too”, he said.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Johnatan Rowson (@Jonathan_Rowson)

Artwork: Aaraujo