Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Untrumped

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/31/people-detained-airports-trump-travel-ban
Following the president’s executive order, at least 109 people were held at airports en route to seeing family, moving to the U.S. or just coming home. [Read more].
A protester holds a sign at San Francisco International Airport during demonstrations against the executive order. Photo: Márcio José Sánchez/AP.

祝你生日快乐 (Happy Birthday to You)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 31, 2017
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qd2 0-0 9. dxc5 Nxc5 10. 0-0-0 a6 11. Qf2 b6 12. Nd4 Qc7 13. g3!? Trying something new. If 13. Kb1 there might follow 13. ... Bb7 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 15. Bd4 Bb7 16. Bd3 b5 17. Ne2 b4 18. Ng3 Rac8 19. f5 f6 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Bxc5 Qxc5 22. Qxc5 Rxc5 23. fxe6 Re8 24. Rde1 g6 25. Rhf1 Kg7 26. Rf4 a5 27. Rg4 Kh8 28. Bxg6 hxg6 29. Rxg6 Be7 30. Nf5 d4 31. g4 a4 32. b3 a3 33. Rh6+ Kg8 34. Rg6+ Kh8 35. Rh6+ Kg8 36. Rg6+ ½ : ½ So – Nakamura, 60th U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis 2016.
13. ... Bb7 14. Bg2 Na5 15. f5!? White’s aggressive Pawn sacrifice leads to a very double-edged game.
15. ... Qxe5 16. Bf4 Qf6 17. h4 e5! In cold blood mood!
18. Nxd5! Bxd5 19. Bg5 Qd6 20. Bxe7 Qxe7 21. Bxd5 exd4 22. Bxa8 Rxa8 23. Rhe1. If 23. Qxd4 then 23. ... Rc8 (threatening ... Na5-b3+ as well as ... Nc5-b3+) 24. Kb1 Nc6 and Black stands better.
23. ... Qc7 24. b4 Nc6 25. bxc5 bxc5. After the skirmish ended, Black finds herself an Exchange down for only one Pawn, but she can rely on a more than sufficient dynamic compensation due to the open b-file.
26. Qf4! Qb6 27. Qd6! h5! Would you accept a draw on your birthday day?
28. Re5!? Very committal, though not yet fatal. More consistent looks 28. Qd7! which after 28. ... Nb4!! 29. Re8+ Kh7 30. Rxa8 Nxa2+ 31. Kd2 Qb4+ 32. Ke2 Qc4+ 33. Kf3 Qc3+ 34. Rd3 (34. Kf4?? Qe3#) 34. ... Qxc2 35. Qxf7 Qxd3+ 36. Kg2 Qe2+ 37. Kg1 Qe1+ leads to a draw by perpetual check.
28. ... c4! “The moment she played 28. Re5 after I played 28. ... c4 I knew I could win”, then 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) said.
29. Rde1! c3! 30. Re8+ Rxe8 31. Rxe8+ Kh7 32. Qd5?? Maybe 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) wanted to present her gift to her opponent, who just turned 26 today! After 32. f6! (Δ Re8-h8+!!) 32. ... Qb2+ 33. Kd1 Qb1+ 34. Ke2 Qxc2+ the game would have most likely ended with a draw by perpetual check.


32. ... d3!! 33. Qxd3. Not 33. cxd3?? Qb2+ 34. Kd1 Qd2#.
33. ... Nb4! 34. Qe4 Qg1+ 35. Qe1 Qg2! 36. Qe4. Neither 36. Re2 Qd5 nor 36. Qe2 Qh1+ 37. Qe1 Qb7 38. Re7 Nd3+! would have saved the day.
36. ... Qd2+ 0 : 1. And so Happy Birthday to 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)!

A 3-D birthday party. Photo: Sophie Triay.

The Earth is Round


After her retirement from the Atlantis Queendom, Olympic Goddess 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá)’s earthly life is splitted between 北京 (Běijīng) and 上海 (Shànghǎi), and her precious free time is devoted to the care of her parents, her boyfriend, and, last but not least, her beloved petfriend Candy.

Syzygy

Neil Armstrong walks near the gold-foil-wrapped foot of the lunar landing module on July 21, 1969. Photo: NASA/Swann Auction Galleries.

Moon and Moods

Does Arcovazzi know it’s Tuesday? I just wonder if Wednesday he will still be able to get a seat to hide himself in the bottom of the hall. As for you, instead of dying by listening all his rabid platitudes, you would do better to jump right now on the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s carpet-dance and fly to the moon!

Arianna Settembrini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo © Rapid Foto Center.

Broadcast delay

“You can prearrange games now at unbelievably fast speeds. It used to be a very tedious hard process to prearrange a realistic looking game. Now you can prearrange a game I think in a matter of minutes. They can prearrange a whole tournament I think in a few hours or days now with this high-tech computer technology”.

Excerpt from the fifth Bombo Radyo interview to 11th World Chess Champion Robert James Fischer in Manila, Philippines on March 10, 1999

A King in New York: 11th World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer is honoured by the then Mayor John Vliet Lindsay at City hall on September 22, 1972. Photo by Anthony Calvacca/New York Post Archives/© NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images.

Roll Over Beethoven

Washington state files lawsuit against Trump travel ban

The Governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, announced on Monday his state is to file a legal challenge against Trump’s travel ban executive order, the first state to do so.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Mutiny on the Bounty

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/customs-border-protection-agents-trump-muslim-country-travel-ban
Demonstrators jam the international arrivals area at San Francisco International Airport. Photo: UPI/Barcroft Images.

Arcovazzi’s Great Ancestors

 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/30/huge-mouth-and-no-anus-earliest-known-ancestor-saccorhytus-coronarious-evolution
Thought to have lived 540 million years ago, the discovery of Saccorhytus coronarious fossils sheds light on the early stages of evolution. [Read more].
An artist’s reconstruction of Saccorhytus coronarius, based on the original fossil finds. The actual creature was probably no more than a millimetre in size. Illustration: University of Cambridge/PA Wire.

Earth’s Call

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/30/travel-ban-donald-trump-protest-chuck-schumer
Thousands of protesters rally at the Philadelphia International Airport to demonstrate against the travel ban. Photo: Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock.

Closing credits


The last moments of the 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament. For Evgeny Surov’s breathtaking photoreportage, see http://chess-news.ru/node/22694.

Forget-me-not

Happiness is Overrated

10th World Chess Champion Boris Vasilievich Spassky (pictured above), on the eve of his 80th birthday, gave a very personal interview to Elena Milchanovska for Moskovskij Komsomolets, in which he recalled his younger days and speaked with open heart about his daily “perimeter” defence against illness. Just a lifetime “frenemy” – Robert James “Bobby” Fischer – and only one regret: “The title of World Chess Champion didn’t bring me any happiness”. Photo: Elena Milchanovska.

The Five Seasons

春节 (Spring Festival) Eve in the 上海 (Shànghǎi) sub-venue: a time for parades, family, and friends. Pictured, from left, are 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá)’s parents, 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá), the Mandopop’s star 韩雪 (Hán Xuě), and 韩雪 (Hán Xuě)’s mother (who on the occasion dressed in a cheongsam). Photo: news.6park.com.

I’m Only Sleeping


Not at his ease. Don’t miss for nothing in the world Evgeny Anatolyevich Surov’s final photographic review of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament: http://chess-news.ru/node/22694.

Passing Time

I cannot believe, it’s already Monday! I have a specific question for Arcovazzi, but I will ask it him in the next few days, provided he manages to keep his seat until then – it’s not sure at all. Well, I told you all the bad news first, just to remind you not the only, but one of the most important reasons to live: as every Monday from the early afternoon to the late evening the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s carpet-dance is wide open!

Viola Rocchini and Silvia Bertini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo © Rapid Foto Center.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Sting Like a Bee

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/28/federal-judge-stays-deportations-trump-muslim-executive-order
A federal judge has granted a stay on deportations for people who arrived in the U.S. with valid visas but were detained on entry, following President Donald Trump’s executive order to halt travel from seven Muslim-majority countries.
The stay is only a partial block to the broader executive order, with the judge stopping short of a broader ruling on its constitutionality. Nevertheless, it was an early, significant blow to the new administration. [Read more].

I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize, but get used to me. Black, confident, cocky – my name, not yours. My religion, not yours. My goals, my own. Get used to me.

Muhammad Ali

The Beatles (from left: Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney) spar up to Muhammad Ali while visiting the heavyweight contender at his training camp in Miami Beach, Florida, United States on February 18, 1964. Photo: AP.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

A young girl with protesters in Los Angeles to denounce the travel ban from Muslim-majority countries. Photo: Eugene García/EPA.

A mass protest at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. Photo: Andrew Kelly/Reuters.

People protest at Washington Dulles International Airport. Photo: Reuters.

Quietly

Nino Batsiashvili – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 28, 2017
English Opening A10

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 b6 3. e4 Bb7 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 Bxc3 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nh3 c5 8. 0-0 Nbc6 9. d3 d6 10. f4 Qd7 11. Qh5 h6 12. Be3. Even stronger might be 12. f5! g6 13. Qe2 with perhaps better prospects for initiative. 12. ... g6 13. Qe2 f5 14. Nf2 Na5 15. Rfe1 Rh7 16. Rad1 Qa4


17. d4! An interesting Pawn sacrifice. Also worth considering was 17. exf5 exf5 18. Bxc5! dxc5 19. Qe6 with good compensation. 17. ... Qxc4? A little too daring. Castling was much safer. 18. Qxc4? Luckily for mankind, Batsiashvili misses 18. Qb2! (threatening to trap the Queen with Bg2-f1) 18. ... Qa4 19. dxc5 dxc5 20. Bf1 which appears to give White. 19. ... Nxc4 19. exf5? This makes it easy for Black to win the endgame. Instead 19. Bc1! could give a tough fight. 19. ... Nxf5 20. Bc1 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 cxd4 22. cxd4 Kd7 23. d5 exd5 24. Rxd5 Re7 25. Rxe7+ Nxe7 26. Rd1 Rc8 27. g4 Rc5 28. Re1 Ra5 29. Re2 Nd5 30. f5 gxf5 31. Bxh6 f4!


32. Re4 Nce3+ 33. Kf3 Ra3 34. Bxf4 Nd1+ 35. Kg2 Nxf4+ 36. Rxf4 Rxa2 37. h4 Ke6 38. h5 Rxf2+! 39. Rxf2 Nxf2 40. h6 (40. Kxf2 Kf6−+) 40. ... Nd3 0 : 1.

Things went smooth enough, but this was only the quiet before the storm. Photo © John Saunders.

Trout Pout

Leicester, United Kingdom: Artworks exhibited at Leicester’s Attenborough Arts by Emma Fay challenge derogatory terms used to describe the human body. Photo: Emma Fay/Barcroft.

The Queen Alone

Mrs. Mystery

Custodes das, Polla, viro, non accipis ipsa.
Hoc est uxorem ducere, Polla, virum.

You set spies on your husband, while you lead a free life:
That’s taking, dear Polla, a husband to wife.

Custodi dài al marito, o Polla, ma tu non li vuoi.
Ciò significa, o Polla, prender per moglie il marito.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 10, LXIX
English translation by John Patrick Sullivan
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

Artwork © Carcharadon

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Once Upon a Time in America

Donald Trump’s executive order to close America’s borders to refugees and immigrants coming from his blacklist of Muslim-majority countries caused chaos on Saturday, as people who had flown to the U.S. were held at airports, regardless that they were green card holders or they hold valid visas. Photo: ZUMA/Rex/Shutterstock.

A Persian Tale

Aryan Tari – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
79th Tata Steel Challengers Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 28, 2017
Russian Defence C42

Aryan Tari (آریـن طاری) is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and the 2015 Norwegian Chess Champion. He is from Lierskogen near Drammen and is the child of Iranian immigrants. 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) is a U.S. chess Grandmaster. He is an American-born person of Chinese parents. His Chinese name is 熊奕韬 (Xióng Yìtāo). 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 Nf6 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. Re1 Nb4 11. cxd5 Nbxd5 12. Qb3 c6 13. Bg5 Nc7!? A novelty, but hardly an improvement on 13. ... h6 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Bh4 Rb8 16. Ne5 Qb6 17. Qxb6 axb6 18. Ng6 fxg6 19. Rxe7 Bf5 20. Bxf5 gxf5 21. Bg3 Rfe8 22. Kf1 Rxe7 23. Bxb8 Re8 24. Bc7 Rc8 25. Rc1 Ne8 26. Bf4 Rxc1+ 27. Bxc1 Nc7 28. Bf4 Ne6 29. Be5 Kf7 30. a4 Ke7 31. b4 b5 32. axb5 h5 33. Ke2 g6 34. Kd3 Kd7 35. Kc3 Nc7 36. Kb3 Nxb5 37. Ka4 Kc6 38. f3 Nc3+ 39. Kb3 Nb5 40. Ka4 Nc3+ 41. Kb3 Nb5 42. h3 Na7 43. Ka4 ½ : ½ Kupreichik – T. Balogh, Prešov 2001. Even there, however, one feels that White could have played better. 14. Rad1 Rb8 15. Bc4 Bg4 16. d5! Tari avoids the tempting (but rather unclear) 16. Ne5!? in favour of the text, which ensures him a definite positional edge. 16. ... b5 17. dxc6 bxc4 18. Qxc4 Rb4 19. Qe2 Bd6 20. Bxf6 Qxf6 21. Ne4 Rxe4 22. Qxe4 Bxf3 23. Qxf3 Qxf3 24. gxf3 Rd8 25. Kf1 Kf8. Black would desperately need to stop the advance of the White Pawns on the Queenside, but there ain’t no use in 25. ... a5 as after 26. Re5 the Pawn is doomed. 26. b4 Ne6 27. b5 Bxh2 28. Rxd8+ Nxd8 29. Rd1 Bc7. 29. ... Ne6 30. a4 Bc7 31. Rd7 Ke8 32. a5! transposes into the game. 30. Rd7 Ne6 31. a4 Ke8


32. a5! Bxa5 33. Rxa7 Bd8 34. Rb7 Nd4 35. f4 g6 36. f3 h5 37. Kf2 Ba5 38. Ke3 Nf5+. 38. ... Ne6 39. b6 h4 appears to offer more scope for resistance; for instance: 40. Kf2 Kd8 41. Rb8+ Ke7 42. c7? (well, okay, just a bit of cooperation!) 42. ... Bxb6+! 43. Rxb6 Nxc7 with a draw in sight. 39. Kd3 h4 40. Ra7 Bb6 41. Ra6 Bd8. Or 41. ... Bc7 42. b6 Bxb6 43. Rxb6 Ke7 44. Rb7+ Kd6 45. Rxf7 Kxc6 46. Rf6+ with a relatively easy win. 42. Ra8 1 : 0.

Aryan Tari (right) vs. 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) (left). Photo: Tarjei J. Svensen/Matt & Patt.

The American Nightmare

New York, United States: Protesters at a rally against Donald Trump in Washington Square Park after he ordered a crackdown on Muslims visiting the U.S. He daringly described his ban as “extreme vetting” speciously intended to “keep terrorists out”. Photo: Andres Kudacki/AP.

The Goddess’s Blessing

Olympic Goddess 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) was radiantly happy to celebrate the 春节 (Spring Festival) Eve with her Mom and Dad in the 上海 (Shànghǎi) sub-venue, and – through her 新浪微博 (Wēibó) account – did not forget to give everyone her blessing for a happy New Year. Today, Saturday, January 28 is indeed the first day of the Chinese New Year, initiating the year of the Rooster. All photos: weibo.com/wuminxia.

Standing ovation


On occasion of the second edition of the ballet festival “Le ali della danza”, staged at the Teatro Aurora in Scandicci, Florence on January 27, 2017 the Lions Club Fiesole gave a special mention to Serena Vinci, young superstar of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, for the ability with which she performed in overcoming deafness through dance.

Friday, January 27, 2017

A Gift to Last

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Samuel L. Shankland
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 27, 2017
1r4k1/4qp2/3p2pp/p1pP4/2P1P1r1/2Q2NB1/P4K2/4R3 b - e3 0 36

Position after 36. e2-e4

As you’ll have understood by now, the only and one non-knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament is to be held here (and now) in Gibraltar! Today, the current World Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) very convincingly won, once and again, against her Ukrainian frenemy Mariya Muzychuk, but... two variables may yet make her royal status uncertain: the English Grandmaster Nigel David Short (who today played with transcendental brilliancy) and her countrygirl 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who, even today, was able to induce her opponent to give her an unexpected gift: 36. ... Rxe4?? A non-gallant ambitious peasant would have certainly played 36. ... f6, but no! The American dream cannot die so miserably. 37. Bxd6! Qxd6 38. Rxe4 g5 39. Qe5 Qf8 40. Re2 Rd8 41. Nxg5 hxg5 42. Qxg5+ Kh7 43. Re4 1 : 0. It’s just mate.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) vs. Samuel L. Shankland
Photo: Sophie Triay

Live Another Day?

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 25, 2017
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. Nxe5 d5 8. d4 Bb6 9. 0-0 dxe4 10. Bg5 c5 11. Nd2 cxd4? A new idea which doesn’t make good impression. Better seems 11. ... Bb7 12. dxc5 Bxc5 13. Nb3 Bb6 14. c4 Qd6 as in C. Balogh – Naiditsch, 12th European Chess Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 12. Nxe4 dxc3 13. Qf3 Bb7 14. Bxf6 Bxe4 15. Qxe4 Qxf6. Karjakin didn’t like 15. ... gxf6, and probably with good reasons (16. Ng4), but the decision to give up the Exchange can hardly justify his previous (bad) idea. 16. Nd7 Qg6 17. Qxg6 hxg6 18. Nxf8 cxb2 19. Rab1 Kxf8


20. Rfd1. The endgame will simply prove to be unsustainable for Black. 20. ... Ke7 21. Rxb2 g5 22. Rbd2 Rh8 23. g3 Rh5 24. Kg2 Kf6 25. h3 Rh6 26. Rd8 Ke7 27. R1d7+ Ke6 28. Rd2 Rf6 29. Rg8 Rg6 30. Re8+ Kf6 31. Rd7 1 : 0. Black is virtually in zugzwang, for instance after 31. ... Rh6 32. Ree7. Again an amazing game by 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)!

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) vs. Karjakin. Photo: Alina l’Ami/Tata Steel Chess.

Hic sunt leones

From left: Chiara, Arianna, Letizia, and Serena performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo © Rapid Foto Center.

Standing on the Moon

Sofia performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s end-of-year show at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo © Rapid Foto Center.

Axial tilt

Arianna Settembrini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo © Rapid Foto Center.

Orbit of the Moon

We remind that today, starting at 20,45, the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” will participate in the second edition of the ballet festival “Le ali della danza”, staged at the Teatro Aurora, Via San Bartolo in Tuto, 1, 50018 Scandicci, Florence.
The event is organised by Lions Club Fiesole under the patronage of the Comune di Scandicci.
As usual proceeds will be donated to support a school of massotherapy for hypo-blind.

You Again?

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2017
English Opening A12

Notes by Grandmaster Raymond Dennis Keene, The Spectator, February 18, 2017.

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. b3 Nf6 4. Bb2 Bg4 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Be2 e6 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nc3 Bd6 9. d3 h6 10. a3 0-0. White’s opening looks harmless but once Black has committed the whereabouts of her King White is given an opportunity to strike. 11. g4 Bg6 12. Rg1. This kind of attack, utilising the force of White’s fianchettoed Queen’s Bishop, combined with an advance of the Kingside Pawns, was pioneered by Nimzowitsch in the 1920s. 12. ... e5 13. h4 dxc4 14. dxc4 Nc5 15. g5 e4 16. Nd2 hxg5 17. hxg5 Nh7


18. Ndxe4. A horrible shock for Black who clearly overlooked this tactical possibility. 18. ... Nxe4 19. Nxe4 Be7. Abject retreat but 19. ... Bxe4 fails outright to 20. Qd4 forking g7 and e4. 20. Bd3 Bxg5. Regaining the Pawn but also opening further lines for White on the Kingside. 21. Qc2 Qe7 22. Nxg5 Nxg5 23. Bxg6 Nf3+ 24. Ke2 Nxg1+ 25. Rxg1 fxg6 26. Qxg6


White has given up the Exchange but the pressure against g7 is overwhelming. 26. ... Rf7 27. Rh1 Qe8 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Rh4 Qc8 30. Re4 1 : 0.

You again? Photo: John Saunders.