Contemporary Choreography

林丽丽 (Lín Lìlì)

La miglior vendetta? La felicità. Non c’è nulla che faccia più impazzire la gente che vederti felice. The best revenge? Happiness. Nothing drives people crazier than seeing you happy. Alda Merini

Dancing in the Grass

丽丽 (Lìlì) and Alessandra

丽丽 (Lìlì) and Alessandra

丽丽 (Lìlì) and Simone

To the Lighthouse

After the tour of Antinori vineyards and historical cellars, 丽丽 (Lìlì) (in the picture from above), Katie, and Simone invited us to a dinner at the restaurant “Rinuccio 1180” (dedicated to Rinuccio Antinori, forefather of the Antinori family), located on the rooftop of the winery, charmingly surrounded by olive groves and ancient churches. Needless to say, 丽丽 (Lìlì) choose the wine most suitable to her palate, such as Chianti Classico DOCG Reserve.

Pas de deux

Alessandra and 丽丽 (Lìlì)

基安蒂時裝 (Chianti Fashion)

Katie Lín

Caveau de dégustation

林丽丽 (Lín Lìlì) & Katie Lín tasting red wines

Alessandra & I toasting with white wine

侍酒師 (Sommelier)

Katie Lín posing as a sommelier

Simone and Katie toasting each other

New Words, Ancient Texts

The Antinori winery in Bargino, San Casciano Val di Pesa, Florence, Italy, inaugurated on October 25, 2012, reflects the Antinori family’s love for the beauty of the Tuscany landscape as well as their aim – to say it with their own words – “to reconcile both new discoveries yet to be made and the patrimony of Tuscan wine. A patrimony that includes, tradition, culture, agriculture, art and literature”.

Primum Familiae Vini

Today we’ve been guests of 林丽丽 (Lín Lìlì) and her family at the renowned Antinori winery in Bargino, San Casciano Val di Pesa, Florence, Italy.

Princess Anna of Marchesini

Anna Rita Marchesini †
(Orvieto, November 19, 1953 – Orvieto, July 30, 2016)

I’ve already spotted a display case in the meeting room with inside a small green-coloured porcelain box – I believe. I think it’s perfect to hold my ashes. It’s a wish that little by little I’ll find the courage to bring to light. And that is a strange thing to say about a small heap of ashes. I can try... What if they reject me again? What if, then, the Academy moves away? What if, during the moving, the green-coloured box gets broken? Oh no! Being wiped out by the Academy – no – never more. Anna

Playing It By Ear

Dmitry Vladimirovich Andreikin – Anton Sergeyevich Korobov
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 30, 2016
French Defence C09

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Nb3 Bb6 9. Bg5. Formally a novelty. The reference book contemplated 9. 0-0 Nge7 10. Re1 0-0 11. Be3 Bf5 12. Bd3 d4 13. Bg5 ½ : ½ Adorjan – Hübner, Bad Lauterberg 1980 match game 4. 9. ... Nge7 10. Qe2 Qd6 11. Be3 0-0 12. 0-0 Bg4 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. h3 Bh5 15. Rfe1. Indeed Andreikin appears to be scientifically adopting a kind of Karpovian strategy – directly from the 1970s. 15. ... Qf6 16. g4 Bg6 17. c3 Be4 18. Nbd2 Bg6 19. Qe3

19. ... Nc8. This Knight manoeuvre will prove insufficient to provide enough counterplay to compensate for the structural weakness of the d5-Pawn. Black should probably have preferred 19. ... h5(!) keeping White busy on the Kingside. 20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. Qxe5 Qh4 22. Bf1 Na7 23. Nf3 Qd8 24. Rad1. The d5-Pawn is finally doomed. 24. ... Nc6 25. Qxd5 Qf6 26. Bg2 Ra5 27. Qd7 h5 28. Re8 Rxe8 29. Qxe8+ Kh7 30. Qe3 hxg4 31. hxg4 Bc2 32. Rd2 Bb1 33. a3 Ne5 34. Ng5+ Kg6. After 34. ... Qxg5 35. Qxg5 Nf3+ 36. Bxf3 Rxg5 37. Kg2 White has a Pawn more and a far superior (almost winning) ending. 35. Ne4 Nxg4 36. Nxf6. Even stronger might be 36. Qg3 Qf5 37. Rd4 (with the threat of Ne4-d6), but also the “simplifying” leads to a technically won ending. 36. ... Nxe3 37. fxe3 Kxf6 38. Rd6+ Ke5 39. Rxb6 Be4 40. b4 Rd5 41. Bxe4 Kxe4 42. Rxb7 f5 43. Kf2 Rd2+ 44. Kg3 Ra2 45. Re7+ Kd3 46. Kf4 Kxc3 47. Kxf5 Rxa3 48. Rxg7 Kxb4 49. e4 Kc5 50. Rd7. Cutting off His Majesty. 50. ... Kc6 51. Rd1 Rh3 52. e5 Rh5+ 53. Kf6 Rh6+ 54. Kf7 Rh7+ 55. Kg6 Rh2 56. e6 Kc7 57. e7 Rg2+ 58. Kf7 Rf2+ 59. Ke8 Re2 60. Rc1+ Kb7 61. Rf1 1 : 0.

Dmitry Vladimirovich Andreikin
Photo: papinchess.ru

Paypress

Josip Asik (‏@JosipAsik)

Nunc pro tunc

We want just to let you know in advance that the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” will participate with its own stand through which it will promote both classical and Fischerandom chess in the annual Festa dello Sport traditionally staged at the Giardini del Campo di Marte in Florence, Italy, from Monday, September 5 to Friday, September 9 2016, starting everyday at 16,30 and ending at 19,00. The event is promoted by the Quartiere 2 Campo di Marte and organized by the UISP Comitato Territoriale Firenze. The entrance is free.

Brown Spider

Madrid, Spain: A brown bear waits for food at the zoo. Photo: Jorge Sanz/Pacific Press/SIP/Rex/Shutterstock.

Flashy Flash

Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko – Viorel Antonovich Bologan
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 30, 2016
Queen’s Indian Defence E12

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. a3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5 9. e4 Nc6 10. Bd3 Rc8? Maybe it’s not so wrong, but 10. ... Be7 seem much safer and more suitable, and even 10. ... g6 is worth considering: 11. Bg5 Be7 12. Bh6 Bf8 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Bh6 Bf8 ½ : ½ Browne – Sosonko, Tilburg 1982.

11. d5! A very powerful Pawn sacrifice and a novelty as well. The old 11. Qe2 is not so good, but still not bad: 11. ... cxd4 12. cxd4 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Bb2 Qd8 15. 0-0 Qg5 16. h4! Qxh4? 17. Bb5+ Bc6 18. Bxc6+ Rxc6 19. Qb5 Qxe4 20. Rac1 Kd7 21. Rfd1+ Bd6 22. Be5 Ke7 23. Bxd6+ Rxd6 24. Rc7+ Kd8 25. Rd7+ 1 : 0 I. Faragó – Podlesnik, 20th International Open, Bled 1999. 11. ... exd5 12. exd5 Qxd5 13. 0-0 Be7 14. Rd1 Rd8? This turns out to be the decisive mistake as it loses material. However, we aren’t able to give any good advice and, as a matter of fact, Black’s position appears already compromised by his bad opening play. 15. Bg5 Qd6. If 15. ... Bxg5 then 16. Bb5 and wins. 16. Bb5! Qc7 17. Rxd8+ Kxd8 18. Rd1+ Ke8 19. Qe4 f6 20. Bf4 Qc8 21. Rd6! A pretty finish. 1 : 0.

Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
Photo: papinchess.ru

Half Moon Way

Jakub Garbowski – Zhansaya Danïyarqızı Abdumalik
16th MetLife Warsaw Najdorf Chess Festival; Warsaw, July 8, 2016
2r1rbk1/1bqn1p1p/pn1p1Pp1/1p2p1P1/3NP3/1P2Q1N1/P1P3BP/4RRBK w - - 0 24

The position in the diagram (after 23. ... e6-e5) represents the ideal position of a Scheveningen Variation from the point of view of Black. Garbowski, understandably worried about Black’s central Pawn push ... d6-d5, tries to fish in muddy waters through an ingenious Knight sacrifice: 24. Ndf5!? d5! Blessed is the young who does not go astray! White was obviously hoping for 24. ... gxf5? 25. Nxf5 which would have given him a powerful attack. 25. Nh6+ Bxh6 26. gxh6 dxe4 27. Qg5 Nd5 28. Bxe4 Nf4 29. Be3 Nh5! Another bitter pill to swallow! 30. Bg1. If 30. Nxh5 then 30. ... Bxe4+ 31. Kg1 Qb7 with overwhelming effect. 30. ... Nxg3+ 31. hxg3 Bxe4+ 32. Rxe4 Qc6 33. Qh4 Re6 34. Kh2 Nxf6 35. Re2 Nd5 36. Rd2 g5! Abdumalik concludes elegantly. 37. Qe4. Or 37. Qxg5+ Rg6 followed by the taking of the h6-Pawn. 37. ... Rxh6+ 38. Kg2 Ne3+ 0 : 1.

Zhansaya Danïyarqızı Abdumalik
Photo credit: vesti.kz

Condemned to Live

Virineya Bayros (‏@Virineya)

The goddess of beauty will be beautiful forever; The offense of grey-haired time is no terror to her. She is not a mortal person. Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, To a Painter English translation by William E. Brown

Right of Asylum

Tiger Christopher Robin Hillarp-Persson – Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich
60th European Go Congress; match game 4; Saint Petersburg, July 27, 2016
Réti Opening A09

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 g5!? Great praise to Morozevich’s red violin caprice! He has had a fantastic idea by asking political asylum to both the European Go Federation and the Russian Go Federation, and maybe he’s found out the only way to save chess and keep it alive with all the other noble mind games! 4. e3!? After 4. Nxg5 e5 5. d3 Bxb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxg5 7. Bxb4 Nc6 8. Ba3 h5 Black has more than equalised, Bocharov – Morozevich, 37th Rashid Gibiatovich Nezhmetdinov Rapid Cup, Kazan 2015. The text, however, won’t bring Hillarp-Persson better luck. 4. ... e5! 5. exd4. 5. Nxe5 Bg7 only helps Black’s development – it looks like L. Paulsen – P. C. Morphy, New York, November 3, 1857. 5. ... exd4. 5. ... g4 6. Nxe5 Qxd4 7. Nd3 Qxa1 8. Bb2 would be easier to play as White. 6. Qe2+ Ne7 7. Nxg5 Bg7 8. Qh5 Ng6 9. d3 Qe7+ 10. Be2 Nd7 11. 0-0 Nf6 12. Qf3 h6. Black has very good compensation for the Pawn, but there is no certainty of winning yet. 13. Nh3 Bxh3 14. gxh3 Nh4 15. Qxb7!? Probably White’s best defence, or maybe not.

15. ... Qxe2!! Why not? Stockfish’s first line 15. ... 0-0 16. Bd1 Rab8 is not bad, but neither is it great. 16. Qxa8+ Kd7 17. Qh1. Notwithstanding any appearances to the contrary, White is dead and buried. If 17. Qxa7 then 17. ... Nf3+ 18. Kg2 Rg8! with a mating attack, while 17. Qb7 is met by the astonishing 17. ... Rb8!! 18. Qxa7 (or 18. Qxb8 Qf3 19. Qb5+ Kc8 20. Qa6+ Kb8 21. Qb5+ Ka8 and White can resign) 18. ... Nf3+ 19. Kg2 Rg8! idem like before. 17. ... Nf3+ 18. Kg2 Rg8 19. Bf4 Nh5 0 : 1. For after 20. Bg3 Be5 mate is unstoppable.

Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich (left) vs. Tiger Christopher Robin Hillarp-Persson (right). Photo: egc2016.ru.

Hedgehog Tattoo

Nigel David Short – Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami
1st Stars Cup; Bandar-e Anzali, July 18, 2016
English Opening A17

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 b6 4. e4 Bb7 5. d3 d6 6. g3 Be7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. 0-0 c5 9. Re1 a6 10. b3 Nbd7 11. d4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Qc7 13. Bb2 Rac8. Else 13. ... Rfe8 14. Qd2 Bf8 15. Rad1 Rad8 16. h3 Qb8 17. Ba1 Qa8 18. Kh2 Nc5 19. Qc2 Rc8 20. Qb1 Red8 21. Re3 g6 22. f4 Bg7 23. Nde2 ½ : ½ Kasparov – Gipslis, 7th Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, Moscow 1979. 14. Qd2 g6? Iranian Grandmaster evidently underestimates the danger, otherwise he would have followed the sound example set him by Aivars Gipslis (... Rf8-e8 followed by ... Be7-f8). 15. Bh3! Nc5 16. b4 Rcd8!? Making a virtue of necessity, for if 16. ... Ncd7 then 17. Nxe6! fxe6 18. Bxe6+ Kg7 19. f4! with a very powerful attack. 17. Rac1! Bc8 18. Bg2! Ncd7

19. Nd5! This thematic sacrifice must have not been too difficult for Short – almost like a youth’s memory. 19. ... exd5 20. cxd5 Qb7 21. Nc6 Rfe8. “Perhaps it was better 21. ... Rde8, but Black stood badly anyway”, writes Leontxo García in his notes for El País, July 27, 2016. White would have probably played 22. Qf4 imposing his opponent heavy burdens and fines. 22. f4 Nh5 23. e5! Short conducts the attack by autopilot. 23. ... Nb8 24. Nxd8 Rxd8 25. e6! Nf6 26. f5! b5 27. Bd4! Rf8 28. Qh6 fxe6 29. dxe6 d5 30. fxg6 Nc6 31. Rxc6! 1 : 0. For if 31. ... Qxc6 then 32. Bxf6 Bc5+ 33. Kh1 Rxf6 34. Qxh7+ Kf8 35. e7+ Ke8 36. Qg8+ and mate in two moves.

Solaris

“Solaris” ™ © Mado Flynn

Handmade in Italy by Mado Flynn

生日會 (Birthday Party)

广州 (Guǎngzhōu), China: Giant panda triplets 萌萌 (Méngméng), 帅帅 (Shuàishuài) and 酷酷 (Kùkù) eat bamboo shoots and carrots at their second birthday party. Photo: 新华通讯社 (Xīnhuá News Agency)/Rex/Shutterstock.

The Spectacular Now

Anton Sergeyevich Korobov – Emil Davidovich Sutovsky
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 29, 2016
Grünfeld Defence D74

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 c5 8. e4 Nf6 9. e5 Nd5 10. dxc5 Nc6 11. Qa4. Let’s take a look at one of Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik’s training games before playing David Ionovich Bronstein in the 1951 World Chess Championship match: 11. Qe2 Qa5 12. Nbd2 Qxc5 13. Nb3 Qb6 14. Rd1 e6 15. h4 Qc7 16. Re1 b6 17. Bd2 a5 18. Rac1 Qd7 19. a3 Ba6 20. Qe4 Rac8 21. h5 Rfe8 22. hxg6 hxg6 23. Bg5 Nce7 24. Nbd4 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Rc8 26. Rxc8+ Qxc8 27. Qh4 Nc6 28. Nxc6 Qxc6 29. Bh6 Bf8 30. Bxf8 Kxf8 31. Ng5 Qc1+ 32. Kh2 Ke8 33. Bxd5 exd5 34. Qh8+ Kd7 35. Nxf7 Qd1 36. Qd8+ Kc6 37. Qa8+ Kb5 38. Nd6+ 1 : 0 Botvinnik – Ragozin, Nikolina Gora 1951. 11. ... Qc7 12. Rd1 Be6 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Rfd8. After 14. ... Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. Rb1 White keeps an edge, but it was probably the best Black could have obtained. 15. Bf4 Na5. If 15. ... Qa5 then 16. Qxa5 Nxa5 17. Nd4 with advantage to White. The text doesn’t look any better. 16. Ng5 Qxc5 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Rd7! Korobov very elegantly takes possession of the d-file. 18. ... Rxd7. Both 18. ... Qxc3?? 19. Rc1 and 18. ... Bxe5?? 19. Be3 would now lose heavy material, while 18. ... Kf7 19. Rad1 could well transpose into the game. 19. Qxd7 Kf7 20. Rd1 Bxe5? Too late – this should be the losing move. After 20. ... Re8 the flashy 21. Rd6 would be answered by 21. ... Qc8, but 21. h4! maintains White’s powerful grip on Black’s position.

21. Rd5! A very spectacular Exchange sacrifice! 21. ... exd5 22. Bxd5+ Kf8. Not 22. ... Kf6 23. Qe6+ Kg7 24. Qxe5+ Kf8 25. Qh8 mate. If, instead, 22. ... Kg7 then 23. Bxe5+ Kf8 24. Qe6 Ke8 25. Bf4 with an irresistible attack. 23. Qe6. Black is absolutely helpless in the face of the coming cyclone. The rest does not require comments. 23. ... Ke8 24. Bxe5 Kd8 25. c4 Qb4 26. Qg8+ Kd7 27. Qxa8 e6 28. Bf6 exd5 29. Qd8+ Ke6 30. cxd5+ Kf7 31. h4 Nc4 32. Bd4 Qd6 33. Qh8 h5 34. Qg7+ Ke8 35. Qxb7 Qd7 36. Qa8+ Ke7 37. Bc5+ Kf6 38. Qf8+ 1 : 0.

Anton Sergeyevich Korobov
Photo: papinchess.ru

Emil Davidovich Sutovsky
Photo: papinchess.ru

Kind Hearts and Coronets

没有泥，就没有莲花。
Méiyǒu ní, jiù méiyǒu liánhuā.
No mud, no lotus.

A bee collects honey from a lotus flower in 洛阳 (Luòyáng), China. The lotus flower has many symbolic associations across Asia. Photo: 新华通讯社 (Xīnhuá News Agency)/Landov/Barcroft Media.

Backheel

Atlas

As reports Peter Doggers at Chess.com, 14th World Chess Champion Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik has had to withdraw from the 4th Sinquefield Cup, which starts next week in Saint Louis, United States, due to a resurgence of the rheumatoid arthritis that afflicted him for a long time. Apparently, Grandmaster Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler will replace him, provided that no complications arise to get a U.S. visa.

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
Photo: Natalia Andreevna Pogonina (@Pogonina)

Solaris

“Solaris” ™ © Mado Flynn

Handmade in Italy by Mado Flynn

Tablescapes

Ilya Yulievich Smirin – Anton Sergeyevich Korobov
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 28, 2016
Sicilian Defence B93

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 Qc7 7. a4 g6 8. Be2 Bg7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Kh1 e6. For 10. ... e5 11. Nf3 b6 12. f5 see Filipowicz – Kavalek, 2nd Rubinstein Memorial, Polanica-Zdrój 1964. 11. f5 Nc6 12. fxg6 hxg6 13. Nxc6. There is nothing wrong yet, but Black will strengthen his own centre nearly for free. 13. ... bxc6 14. Bf4 e5 15. Bg5 Nh7 16. Be3 Be6 17. a5 f5 18. Qd3 Nf6 19. Bb6 Qe7 20. Qg3 Kf7 21. exf5 gxf5 22. Bd3 e4 23. Be2 Rh8 24. Rad1 d5 25. Na4 Nd7 26. Bc7 Rag8 27. Bd6 Qf6. 27. ... Qxd6 28. Qxd6 Be5 is quite interesting, but, rightly enough, Korobov prefers to keep as many pieces as possible on the board. 28. Bf4 Bf8 29. Qe3 Bh6 30. Bxa6. Such a courage will be bitterly rewarded. 30. ... Qh4. Black’s attack will son become overwhelming. 31. h3 Bxf4.

31. ... Bxf4. Exitus acta probat, but here 31. ... Rg4! was quicker and stronger. 32. Rxf4 Qg5 33. Bf1 Nf6 34. Kg1 Rxh3. Black regains his Pawn without ceding anything. 35. Qxh3 Qxf4 36. a6 Rg3 37. Qh2 Qe3+ 38. Kh1 Rg7 39. Ra1 Rh7 40. Qxh7+ Nxh7 41. Nb6 Nf6 42. Ra3 Qe1 0 : 1. A pretty attacking game.

Both Ilya Yulievich Smirin (standing) and Anton Sergeyevich Korobov (seated) like playing on more tables. Photo: papinchess.ru.

Nightmares & Fairy Tales

Back to January 30, 2013 in Kiev, when the then President of Ukraine Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych awarded Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina and presented her the second class order of Princess Olga for winning the Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament in 2012. Furthermore, he solemnly promised — in FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov’s presence — to provide her an apartment. But instead, as often is the case for a “quasi promise”, after three years of fast and loose, the issue ended up in Court, while 14th Women’s World Chess Champion keeps living together with her mother and grandmother in the same house of her birth. It must be a very good news for 15th Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk too, since Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko renewed the same promise of his great predecessor to her. It’s clear that something must be rotten — and not only in Denmark.

The making of the Royal House. Photo: Експрес (Expres).

Yanukovych awarding Ushenina. Photo: ForUm.

Arcovazzia Currency

诚实是项非常昂贵的礼物，别期待从低价的人身上得到。 Chéngshí shì xiàng fēicháng ángguì de lǐwù, bié qídài cóng dī jià de rén shēnshang dédào. Honesty is a very expensive gift. Don’t expect it from cheap people.