Sunday, December 31, 2017

Just toy balloons but make it fashion

Thousands of biodegradable balloons are released by members of the Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the New Year in São Paulo, Brazil. Photo: AFP/Miguel Schincariol.

Ticking Times

Arianna Settembrini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s end-of-year show on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Pray, Edna, don’t bang your chair against the wall should something go wrong

Near and far

Olga Calamai, a dancer of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, serving as a volunteer caregiver at the orphanage in Guilongou, a village situated in the capital of Oubritenga Province Ziniaré, Burkina Faso from December 1 to 19, 2017. Photos courtesy of her herself.

The Visible and the Invisible

Sofia performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s end-of-year show on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Oh, she’s angry and upset at how quickly her husband got out the door as soon as she was back home

Sometimes minorities make history

In the end only two players openly boycotted the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships in Saudi Arabia: a woman and a man. Namely, Anna Olehivna Muzychuk from Ukraine, and Hikaru Nakamura from United States. Others, of course, did not participate as well, but most of them preferred not to expose themselves to FIDE’s retort and apologised for having other commitments.
Nakamura rightly objected that FIDE shouldn’t have organised a World Chess Championship — however in fast format — in a country where not all peoples are welcomed due to racial and religious discrimination. Leonard Barden, in his The Guardian column, has explained quite well the reason for which FIDE sacrificed Israel to the Saudi Arabia money. For a very similar reason FIDE roughly sacrificed Armenia at the time of the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2016.
Anna Olehivna Muzychuk, the holder of the two titles, motivated her decision to give up both the medals and the (likely) prize money for first in more emotional words, making it a point of honour “not to play someone else’s game, not to wear a veil, not to be escorted around, and finally, not to feel myself as a child of a lesser God”.
Beyond the veils, however, it is quite manifest that the women’s chess circuit is suffering a systemic crisis due to the wrong choices made by FIDE in the past. The format of the Women’s World Chess Championship — centred on the “knockout audition” — is radically bad as it implies the criteria of the “best offer” by a potential challenger. Such a format is profitable for FIDE only, and — not by chance — the proposal to “accept the challenge of any player who can contribute to the prize fund and the costs of holding of the match”, was rejected by the General Assembly of FIDE. So it seems quite a contradiction to continue defend the indefensible. Just another too asymmetrical Women’s World Chess Championship match is no longer in anyone’s interest. And it certainly would not be in Anna Olehivna Muzychuk’s interest as she has all the rights and titles to become a challenger through a fair selection process — such as a Candidates Tournament — without having to pass through the “knockout audition” with the result, should she have the luck to win the lottery, of having to personally fund the purse.
Whatever it will be, Hikaru Nakamura, Anna Olehivna Muzychuk, and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk will participate, from January 21 to February 1, in the 16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival at Catalan Bay (La Caleta). So good luck to all three of them!

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo: Sergiy Karazy/Reuters/TT

Saturday, December 30, 2017

C’mon, Edna, don’t believe all the things they say about themselves!

Back to Before

Magnus Carlsen – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
King Salman World Blitz Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 30, 2017
Spanish Game C65

Magnus Carlsen became today World Blitz Chess Champion with an irresistible comeback, thus overcoming yesterday’s off-board “barriers”. The victory against Karjakin, in particular, tellingly showed what he is like when he is in good mood. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nc3 0-0 7. Be3. For 7. Nxe5 Qd4 8. Be3 Qxe5 9. d4 Qe7 10. dxc5 Nxe4 see Carlsen – Alekseev, 41st Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2008. 7. ... Bd6 8. Bg5!? If 8. h3 there might follow 8. ... Nd7 9. Ne2 c5 10. Ng3 Re8 11. Nf5 Nf8 12. Nd2 Qf6 13. Qf3 Bxf5 14. exf5 e4 with very unclear play, Karjakin – Malakhov, 67th Moscow Blitz Championship, Moscow 2013. 8. ... Re8 9. h3 c5!? 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. 0-0 h6 13. Be3 Nd7. Who knows, maybe 13. ... c4(!) was a most consistent policy. 14. Nd2! Nb8? Very sophisticated, but perhaps it was more prudent to head the opposite direction by 14. ... Nf8(!), giving priority to the King’s future. 15. f4 exf4 16. Rxf4 Nc6 17. Qh5 b6 18. Raf1. White’s attacking position looks quite scary to face, not only in a blitz game. 18. ... Rf8 19. Nf3!? Objectively best was 19. R4f3! (threatening both Rf3-g3 and Be3xh6) 19. ... Qe5 20. Qh4! retaining a tremendous attack, but also Magnus’s way will finally prove to be tricky enough for driving his opponent into panic.


19. ... Be6! Carlsen had prepared to meet 19. ... g5 by 20. Rh4! gxh4 21. Bxh6 with an explosive attack. 20. Rh4!? Oh, Be3xh6 is in the air. 20. ... f6 21. Qg6 Qf7? Probably this is the decisive mistake, as Her Majesty ends up exposed to the White Knight’s jumps on e5 or g5. Best was 21. ... Bf7(!) 22. Qg3 Kh7(!) with a robust defence. 22. Qg3 Nb4? After this Carlsen may produce an impressive finish: 23. Bxh6! Nxc2 24. Ne5! fxe5 25. Rxf7 Rxf7 26. Qg6 Bxa2 27. Bg5! Rff8 28. Rh7 Rf7 29. Bf6! 1 : 0. Mate in two follows.

One might even think that Magnus’s mood got better after he removed beard and glasses. Photo: Skjermdump/NRK.

Ariadne’s thread

Arianna Settembrini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s end-of-year show on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Artemis

Matilde performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s end-of-year show on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Spreading Wings

A peacock spreads its feathers at Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Photo: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters.

No one noticed you, Edna, just because you were so well disguised

Artwork © FuntiMememez2018

The Twenty-Per-Cent Solution

 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/29/vishy-anand-surprise-world-rapid-victory
Offboard, it remains unclear how the tournament’s well publicised problems will play out. Its $2m total prize fund is the largest in chess history outside matches for the classical world championship. FIDE, the global chess body, takes a 20% cut, meaning that if the rapid/blitz also takes place in Riyadh in 2018 and 2019 as contracted, FIDE will collect $1.2m, which for a cash-strapped organisation would be a gold mine.
However, FIDE’s statute 1.2 says unequivocally that its events must be open to all member federations. Players from Qatar have belatedly acquired visas and will compete in the blitz. Israelis, who remain barred, claim the tournament is illegal and will take their case to the FIDE’s next congress in autumn 2018 and possibly to the court of arbitration for sport in [Lausanne].
Is there a way out? One idea discussed informally between FIDE and the Saudis was for Israelis to play under the FIDE flag, as do individuals from countries like Bulgaria, whose membership is suspended. But this construction would only work for Israelis with a second passport. FIDE has promised a statement after the end of the current tournament as it seeks to escape what seems at the moment an insoluble impasse. [Read more].

Okay, Edna, His Majesty let you take all three medals, but I guess you cannot rely on the certainty that Máxima will be so generous as to make you treat him so badly again

Friday, December 29, 2017

Storm in a Teacup

Magnus Carlsen – Ernesto Kazbekovich Inarkiev
King Salman World Blitz Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 29, 2017
1r2r3/Rp3ppp/1k6/1B1n4/8/2P2P2/2K3PP/1R6 w - - 2 27

Position after 26. ... Kc6-b6

Today, on the first day of the King Salman World Blitz Chess Championship, Magnus Carlsen literally told the referee to fuck off. Everything started from the position of diagram: Carlsen – who was in a position to win – played 27. Rxb7+, and Inarkiev, as if nothing had happened, replied 27. ... Ne3+ leaving his own King in check. Now Magnus should have stopped the clock and claim the win. But no! Carlsen, on his turn, perhaps to repay Ernesto Kazbekovich in his own coin, played 28. Kd3, after which Inarkiev promptly called the referee claiming illegal move and the win. Quite arbitrarily the arbiter gave Inarkiev the win. And then all hell broke loose, as indeed Carlsen’s move could not be regarded as illegal. Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer illustrated the point better than others: “Magnus moved his King when it was in check. Of course he didn’t make an illegal move – it’s not illegal to miss out on claiming a win”. There were many lively exchanges of opinions, but finally the chief arbiter annulled his deputy’s decision and ruled that the game should be continued from the last legal move made (27. Rxb7+). Inarkiev refused and Carlsen was eventually given the win. 1 : 0.

Magnus’s fury. Photo: Ole Kristian Strøm/VG.

The Diary of a Young Girl

Let us agree that luckily in Italy we are not all like arms dealers. So above pictured is Olga Calamai, ballerina of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, along with her protégée, while serving as a volunteer caregiver – as well as a professional dancegiver – at the orphanage in Guilongou, a village situated in the capital of Oubritenga Province Ziniaré, Burkina Faso from 1 to 19 December 2017. Photos courtesy of her herself.

Searching for Jesse Owens

 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/world/middleeast/un-yemen-war.html
The New York Times of December 29, 2017 published a video report about the “cultural exchanges” between Italy and Saudi Arabia: “Italian Bombs, Yemeni Deaths: Tracking the Global Arms Trade” edited and reported by Malachy Browne, Barbara Marcolini and Ainara Tiefenthäler, who, in their summing up introduction, rhetorically ask: “We followed shipments of bombs from a holiday island in Italy to Saudi Arabia, then found those bombs at the scene of civilian deaths in Yemen. Is Italy capitalizing on a brutal conflict or just doing business?”. It’s hard to answer such a question, but yes, Italy is, since immemorable time, a key arms supplier to everyone, everywhere. Arms producers and manufacturers are neither moral nor ethical – not even in the United States. It would be rather more effective to neutralise once for all the “war neural network” – introduced by the U.S. at the time of the Gulf War – that has permeated the globosphere since then. But it won’t be easy, not even if you make love, not war. Just think of what might happen if you’d make love to the wife of a jealous husband. Or vice versa.

Time is Gold

A street vendor sells watches at a bus terminal in New Delhi, India. Photo: Saumya Khandelwal/Reuters.

Space, Time and Life

Arianna Settembrini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Sun, Moon and Stars

Chiara Angelini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Wind, Sand and Stars

Costanza Cioni performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Round-trip ticket

Here are some pictures taken by Olga Calamai, demi-soloist of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, who, from 1 to 19 December, served as a volunteer caregiver – as well as a professional dancegiver – at the orphanage in Guilongou, a village situated in the capital of Oubritenga Province Ziniaré, Burkina Faso.

So Olga’s finally come back to us, with her trademark Afro hairstyle.

Nuremberg trials

A Guest at the Feast

On the evening of December 31, 2017, starting at 19,30, 北京卫视 (Běijīng Television), 河北电视台 (Héběi Television), and 黑龙江电视台 (Hēilóngjiāng Television Station) will jointly broadcast live the Global New Year’s Eve Snow Festival, with a host of guest stars to appear, including Diving Queen 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá). Judging from the backstage rehearsals, she could sing a song. No matter the words. Photos: 圈师姐 (Circle of Sisters).

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Edna, you know I could never have missed your awarding ceremony!

Artwork © NatariSaru

One Only Medal

Take it easy, Mr. Incredible. Would you have preferred to lose to Edna?

Artwork © Genbaku

Collectible Barbies

So Magnus Carlsen was kicked off the King Salman World Rapid Chess Championship’s podium by Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand – on the other hand, acting as a “sandwich man” for FIDE’s macabre remake of the 1936 Olympiad could not bring good luck to anyone not even him.
The other half of sky, instead, was filled by the star of 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who, after an oblivion of months, has come back in the limelight as a worthy challenger – she is the No. 3 best female player in the world – of 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). But, indeed, there is nothing sure as to the date of the wedding and the location. I’d rather feel that FIDE, after sacrificing two Queens – namely, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Anna Muzychuk, who are, respectively, the No. 1 and No. 2 best players in the world – won’t resist the temptation to sacrifice the third Queen, too, so as to compose the podium of (their) World Witch-hunt Championship.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Nana Dzagnidze
King Salman World Women’s Rapid Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 28, 2017
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bd6 6. Bg2 0-0 7. 0-0 dxc4 8. Qc2 Nc6 9. Qxc4 e5 10. d5 Ne7 11. Nc3 h6 12. Rfd1 a6 13. a4. 13. e4 b5 14. Qe2 b4 15. Na4 Bd7 16. b3 Bb5 17. Qe1 Bxa4?! (17. ... a5 seems to offer better chances to equalise) 18. bxa4 a5 19. a3! may also give White an edge, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Dauletova, 14th Asian Continental Women’s Championship, al-’Ayn (Al Ain) 2015. The text, however, constitutes the most critical line. 13. ... c6 14. dxc6 Nxc6 15. Be3. The alternative was 15. Qh4 Bf5 16. Bxh6 gxh6 17. Qxh6 Qe7? (Vaganian – Zvjaginsev, 3rd Karpov Tournament, Poikovsky 2002)) and now 18. Nh4! Bh7 (or 18. ... Bc2 19. e4!) 19. Bh3! would have been terribly strong. It’s quite clear, however, that Black could have done better. 15. ... Be6 16. Qh4 Bb3 17. Rd2 Qe7 18. g4!? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) now takes another path from 18. Bxh6 gxh6 19. Qxh6 Ne8? 20. Nh4 Be6? (Krylov – R. Bagirov, Victory Day Chess Tournament, Moscow 2008) and now 21. Ne4! would have put Black on the cross. Even in this case, however, Black could have substantially improved his play. 18. ... e4? Dzagnidze doesn’t guess her lucky number. Probably she should have gone for 18. ... Nh7!? 19. g5! f5!? 20. gxh6 e4(!) with very unclear play.


19. g5! exf3 20. gxf6 Qxf6 21. Qxf6 gxf6 22. Rxd6 fxg2 23. Bxh6 Rfe8 24. Rxf6. White is to have two Pawns more – too much for Dzagnidze to bear. The rest is quite easy. 24. ... Rad8 25. Kxg2 Rd4 26. h3 Kh7 27. Be3 Rh4 28. Rf4 Rh5 29. Kh2 Be6 30. h4 Ne5 31. Ne4 Rh6 32. Rg1 Rg8 33. Ng5+ Rxg5 34. Rxg5 Ng6 35. Rd4 Nxh4 36. Rg7+ 1 : 0.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (pictured left) vs. Nana Dzagnidze (pictured right). Photo: Salah Malkawi/Getty Images.

Circles of Time

Giuditta Sottili and Costanza Cioni performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Yesterday and today, today and tomorrow, never and forever

Chiara Angelini and Olga Calamai performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see

From left: Arianna Settembrini, Chiara Ciocia Vida, Letizia Rogai, Sophia Menconi, and Serena Vinci performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s end-of-year show on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

😘

Thaida tam tenuem potuisti, Flacce, videre?
Tu, puto, quod non est, Flacce, videre potes.

Could you see Thais who is so thin, Flaccus?
You, I think, are able, Flaccus, to see what does not exist.

Tàide, così piccina, tu sei riuscito a vederla?
Tu riesci a vedere, Flacco, quel che non c’è.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 11, CI
English translation by Holden Caulfield
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

The Last Queening Square

Olga Zimina – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
King Salman World Women’s Rapid Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 26, 2017
English Opening A13

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) is playing very strong chess in Saudi Arabia. Since she wears glasses, everything seems to work wonderfully well for her! 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d4 5. 0-0 c5 6. d3 Nc6 7. e3 Bd6 8. exd4 cxd4 9. Na3 0-0 10. Nc2 e5 11. b4. After 11. Rb1 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. Re1 Re8 14. g4 Bg6 15. Bg5 a5 16. a3 a4 Black doesn’t seem to have any problems, Zimina – Markantonaki, 45th Greek Team Chess Championship, Achaea 2017. 11. ... Re8 12. c5 Bf8 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bxf6 Qxf6 15. Nd2 Be6 16. Re1 Rad8 17. Qe2 Bd5 18. Bxd5 Rxd5 19. Rab1 Rdd8 20. Na3 b6 21. cxb6? A blatant positional error, after which White falls into a difficult and unpleasant situation. Better was 21. Nb5 Qg6 22. Ne4 f5 23. Ned6 Re6 with approximate equality. 21. ... axb6 22. b5 Bxa3 23. bxc6 Qxc6 24. Nc4 Bc5 25. Qc2 Qf6. Threatening ... e5-e4, which, however, might have been played immediately with even stronger effect. 26. Re4 Re6 27. Qe2 Rde8 28. Re1 Qf5 29. Qb2 f6 30. Qb3 Kh7 31. Qb5 Qf3! After long preparation, Black feels ready to cash in her initiative. 32. Nd2 Qh5 33. Nb3? Zimina seems oblivious to her own discomfort. Now, or never more, 33. f4 was a mandatory imperative of survival. 33. ... f5 34. R4e2 f4! Now Black wins by force. 35. Kh1


35. ... fxg3? 35. ... e4! 36. dxe4 f3 seems much stronger. 36. fxg3 e4 37. Nxd4? White’s last chance was 37. dxe4, although after 37. ... Qf3+ 38. Kg1 Re5 Black should not meet great difficulties in exploiting the too many weaknesses in White’s field. 37. ... Re5! 38. Qd7 Rd5 39. g4 Rxd7 40. gxh5 Rxd4 41. dxe4 Bb4 0 : 1.

So far, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (pictured right) conceded only four draws out of ten games, and one of them was agreed with 16th Women’s World Chess Champion 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (pictured left), such as a wish for their upcoming Women’s World Chess Championship match. Photo: Salah Malkawi/Getty Images.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

A Masked Ball

Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand
6th World Rapid Chess Championship; Riyadh, December 27, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E49

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 c5 9. Nf3 Qc7 10. Be2 b6 11. Bb2 Bb7 12. 0-0 Nbd7 13. c4 Rac8 14. Rc1 Rfd8 15. Qb3 Ng4 16. g3 Ngf6. In Passerotti – Janjghava, 3rd Giornate Scacchistiche Romane, Rome 1990 was seen 16. ... Qc6 17. Rfd1 Ngf6 18. h3 (but 18. d5! must be the critical move) 18. ... h6 19. Ba1 Ba8 20. Qb2 Qe4 with a more comfortable game for Black. 17. Rfd1 Ne4 18. Ne1 Nd6 19. d5!? exd5 20. cxd5 c4! 21. Qc2 b5 22. Ng2 Nc5 23. Nf4 Qe7 24. Bg4 Rc7 25. Qc3 f5 26. Bf3 Rcd7 27. Qb4 Nb3 28. Ne6 Nxc1 29. Rxc1 Nc8! 30. Qxb5 Rxd5! 31. Bxd5 Rxd5 32. Qb4 Nd6. There is not much to say except that, after some skirmishes, the game seems now to be headed to a draw. But no!


33. Nc5?? An awesome blunder which loses right off. Correct was 33. Nf4! Rb5 34. Qc3 with a tense balance. 33. ... Rxc5! 34. Qxc5 Qe4 0 : 1. For after 35. Kf1 Qh1+ 36. Ke2 Bf3+ 37. Kd2 Ne4+ Black wins material.

Branding and Advertising

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – Andrey Esipenko
King Salman World Rapid Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 27, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B11

1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. d3 e6 7. Bd2 Qb6 8. 0-0-0 d4 9. Ne2 c5 10. e5 Nd5 11. Nf4?! A rather naive novelty. After 11. Qe4 Nc6 12. Kb1 0-0-0 13. g4 c4! 14. dxc4 Ba3 15. b3 Ne3! Black seized a volatile initiative which, however, soon resulted in quite a balanced game, Domínguez Pérez – Rodshtein, 30th European Chess Club Cup, Bilbao 2014. 11. ... Nb4! 12. Kb1 Nd7! 13. Qe4 Nc6 14. Nh5!? 0-0-0! If 14. ... Ndxe5 (idem to say 14. ... Ncxe5) White would have probably continued with f2-f4-f5. 15. f4? This move, which looks so natural, actually exposes itself to an impressive refutation, that I guess Esipenko had prepared for. 15. ... c4!! On the footsteps of Israeli Grandmaster Maxim Rodshtein, but under much favourable circumstances since the Black Queen’s Knight is on d7 rather than on c6. As a matter of fact, Black’s Pawn sacrifice is now devastating. 16. dxc4 Ba3! 17. Bc1. It doesn’t make any difference (for the better) 17. b3 Nc5 followed by ... d4-d3. 17. ... Nc5 18. Qf3 d3! A deadly interference. 19. cxd3. 19. c3 Na4 is all the same a tragedy. 19. ... Na4 20. Rd2 Nd4! 21. Qf2 Nc3+ 22. Ka1


22. ... Qb3! Esipenko’s Queen pseudo-sacrifice is as much spectacular as it is easy. 23. bxc3. Or 23. axb3 Nxb3 mate. 23. ... Qxc3+ 24. Bb2 Bxb2+ 25. Rxb2 Qc1+ 26. Rb1 Nc2+ 27. Qxc2 Qxc2 28. g3 b5! Black goes for the last detail of his long prepared line: the opening of the b-file sounds like an epitaph to White. 29. cxb5. If 29. Rxb5 then 29. ... Qc1+ 30. Rb1 Qc3+ 31. Rb2 Kc7 and the Black Rook enters the stage via the b-file. 29. ... Rd4! 0 : 1.

Edna, what have you done to him? He’s playing much worse than usual

Artwork © hyperbluechipmunk

Première

Gloucestershire, England: Sheep are driven to another field in the snowy Cotswolds. Photo: Ben Birchall/PA.