Friday, March 31, 2017

Non Serviam

May as well enjoy your sunny Saturday of spring, but please don’t forget tomorrow afternoon to pay a visit at the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s Fischerandom chess meeting!

On November 13, 1998 Azerbaijan Post issued a stamp series featuring Disney characters for commemorating the World Rapid Chess Championship at Disneyland Paris. Imagine courtesy of colorofstamp.com.

熱天午後 (Dog Day Afternoon)

Dog day afternoon – a chihuahua poses in a photo booth at the 東京国際展示場 (Tokyo International Exhibition Centre). Photo: Franck Robichon/EPA.

Right to Equality

http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/969512
FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov told Sovetsky Sport why the four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) refused to take part in the Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournalment at Tehran, Iran, ended in the early days of March.

– You spoke with 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Why did she not play in Tehran?
– She has chosen to play the men’s chess circuit; she has her own plans. The Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship was not in her schedule. She has already joined the Grand Prix 2017 and played the first stage in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. And soon she will play the second one, which will be held in Moscow, Russia next May.

– But after refusing to play the Knockout World Championship, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) lost the crown.
– Yes, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) is now the new Women’s World Chess Champion.

– Did 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) not tell you why she turned to men’s circuit? Perhaps, does she aim for the men’s title?
– Perhaps [laughs]. No, I wouldn't say so. It’s just that at the moment she is more interested in men’s chess circuit.

Translator’s Note: I’m so sorry for my translation! However, I do not understand why the reporter did not ask FIDE President the reasons why he has refused to take in consideration 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s request to equate men’s and women’s World Chess Championship systems. The men’s Grand Prix shall be (perhaps) a sufficient compensation for Miss 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s helpers, but Mr. Ilyumzhinov owes – I believe – an answer on such issue to everyone else.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi


The participants in the Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament will receive their money prizes in the next few days.

Photo © David Llada

Virtual Reality Headset

广州 (Guǎngzhōu), China: Passersby look at a giant King Kong statue in 太古汇 (Tàigǔ Huì). The 16ft likeness was built to promote the film Kong: Skull Island. Photo: VCG/Getty Images.

Blonde Hair

Kateřina Němcová – Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze
57th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 30, 2017
Sicilian Defence B50

“Nazí slowly built her advantage after a successful opening and never let go. Her Bishop pair was swiftly revived when she blasted the center open with her powerful 21. ... f5!. It was all downhill for White after that, and Nazí claimed her first win of her U.S. Women’s Championship return”, reads the U.S. Chess Champs web site report. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 g6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. Re1 0-0 7. d3 Nc6 8. h3 a6 9. Be3 e5 10. Qd2 b5 11. Na3 Rb8 12. Bf1 Qc7 13. Nc2 Ne7 14. Bg5 Bb7 15. Rad1 Rbd8 16. Qe2 Nh5 17. g4. It will turn out to be particularly inspiring for Paikidze’s next steps! 17. ... Nf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. d4 Rde8. With the powerful positional threat of ... f7-f5. 20. Bg2 Nc8 21. Nh2


21. ... f5! 22. gxf5 gxf5 23. f3 Qf7 24. b3 b4 25. cxb4 d5 26. e5 cxd4 27. e6 Qc7 28. Nxd4 Ne7 29. Kh1 Nc6 30. Nxc6 Qxc6 31. Rc1 Qd6 32. b5 Re7 33. Bf1 axb5 34. Qxb5 Bd4 35. Rcd1 Bf2 36. Re2 Ba6. Paikidze will show that even without Queens Black’s initiative against the White King can be devastating due to the presence of opposite-colour Bishops. 37. Rxd5 Bxb5 38. Rxd6 Bxe2 39. Bxe2 Rg7. Threatening mate in one. 40. Rd1 Kh8 41. e7 Rfg8 42. e8=Q Rxe8 43. Bc4 h5 44. a4 Ree7 45. a5 h4 46. a6 Rg5 47. b4 Rd7! The ordeal continues, and White must suffer (too) heavy losses. 48. Rf1 Be3 49. b5 Rdg7 50. Ng4 fxg4 51. hxg4 Rc7 52. Bd3 Rd5 0 : 1.

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze. Photo © Lennart Ootes.

Sirius Matters

On March 28, at the Central House of Chess in Moscow, Russia, Russian Chess Federation President and FIDE Vice President Andrey Vasilievich Filatov (pictured above on the right) and RATM Holding President Eduard Anatolyevich Taran (pictured above on the left) signed a partnership convention to finance scholarships for deserving and gifted young students at the Sirius Educational Centre in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.

Upon the Altar of the Nation

In the ongoing FIDE’s Greek tragedy, of course, it could not miss a principled stance by the President of European Chess Union (ECU) Zurab Azmaiparashvili:

Live Another Day

Samuel L. Shankland – Wesley So
61th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 30, 2017
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nf5 8. Nf3 0-0 9. d4 d5 10. c3 Bd6 11. Bd3 Re8 12. Rxe8+ Qxe8 13. Qc2 Nce7 14. Nbd2 f6. Similar consequences arise from 14. ... c6 15. Nf1 f6 16. Ng3 g6 17. Bd2 Qf7 18. Re1 Ng7 19. h3 Bxg3 20. fxg3 Bf5 21. Bxf5 Nexf5 22. g4 Nd6 23. g5 Re8 24. gxf6 Rxe1+ 25. Bxe1 Qxf6 26. Bg3 Ngf5 27. Be5 Qe7 28. Qe2 Ng3 29. Qc2 Ngf5 30. Qe2 Ng3 ½ : ½ Robson – Nakamura, 60th U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis 2016. 15. Nf1 g6 16. Bd2 Be6!? A new half move. For 16. ... b6 17. Re1 c5 see Shomoev – Pridorozhni, 38th Nezhmetdinov Memorial, Kazan 2016. 17. Re1 Qd7 18. Ng3 Ng7 19. Nh4 c6 20. Bh6 Re8 21. Re3 Kf7 22. Kf1 Bxg3 23. hxg3 Ngf5 24. Nxf5 Nxf5. 24. ... Bxf5 might be better from a strategic viewpoint, but hardly implementable. 25. Bxf5 Bxf5 26. Qe2 Rg8 27. f3 g5 28. g4 Bb1


29. Qd1! Bxa2 30. Kf2! After b2-b3 both Bishops would be trapped, and very likely that was another way to draw. However, Shankland did it much more neatly (and prettily as well). 30. ... Rg6 31. Qh1! Intending Bh6xg5 followed by Qh1xh7+ with a perpetual check. 31. ... Qd6. Alternatively, 31. ... Kg8 32. Qe1! Rxh6 33. Re7 Qd6 34. Re6 Qd7 35. Re7 draws by repetition. 32. g3 Qd7. Now Black cannot avoid perpetual check: 33. Bxg5 Rxg5 34. Qxh7+ Rg7 35. Qh5+ Rg6 36. Qh7+ Rg7 37. Qh5+ ½ : ½. Wesley lived another day, thus compiling a 58-game unbeaten streak.

Samuel L. Shankland vs. Wesley So
Photo: Lennart Ootes (Flickr)

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Raging Bull

 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/mar/30/tyrannosaurus-rex-was-a-sensitive-lover-new-dinosaur-discovery-suggests
Well preserved T rex fossils have revealed new insights into the dinosaurs’ sex lives. Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

Bitter to Better


“Every time I do something bad”

Yesterday at the supermarket
I stole toothpaste
The day before I plugged with chewing gum
My neighbour’s keyhole
Last week at the entrance door
I kicked the row of trash cans
One by one
Every time I do something bad
It feels like
Life is getting a little better

任航 (Rèn Háng), March 23, 2015

Blue Hair

Tatev Abrahamyan – Apurva Virkud
57th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 29, 2017
Sicilian Defence B80

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. g4 Nb6 10. a4 Nc4 11. Bxc4 bxc4 12. a5 Bb7 13. Na4 Qc7. The critical alternative is 13. ... Rc8 14. Qc3 Nd7 15. 0-0-0 Be7 16. h4 Bxh4 17. Ne2 Bf6 18. Bd4 e5 19. Be3 Be7 20. Kb1 Qc7 21. Nb6 Nxb6 22. axb6 Qd7 23. Rh5 f6 24. Ng3 g6 25. Rh2 0-0 26. Rhd2 ½ : ½ Lékó – Kasparov, 22nd Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez, Linares 2005. 14. Nb6 Rb8. For 14. ... Rd8 15. 0-0-0 Be7 16. g5 Nd7 17. Ne2 0-0 18. Nc3 Qc6 19. h4 see Spoelman – van Assendelft, 12th HZ Open Chess Tournament, Vlissingen 2008. 15. Ra4!? d5!? Both players are probably playing by ear. 16. g5 Nd7 17. exd5 Nxb6? One cannot afford such carelessness when playing the Sicilian. Correct was 17. ... Bxd5 (18. Nxd5 exd5). 18. axb6 Qd7. If 18. ... Qxb6? then 19. Nxe6! Qxb2 20. Nc7+ Kd7 21. 0-0! Kxc7 22. Rxc4+ Kd7 23. d6! with a crushing attack. 19. Rxc4 Qxd5 20. Rc7 Bd6? This leads to a disaster, but also after the comparatively better 20. ... Qd6 (Stockfish) 21. Kf2! Qxb6 22. Nxe6 Qxe6 23. Re1 Black is doomed.


21. c4 Qe5 22. Rxb7! Rxb7 23. Nc6 Qf5. Desperation, as after 23. ... Bb4 25. Nxe5 Bxd2+ 26. Kxd2 White’s two united passers are irresistible. 24. Qxd6 f6 25. 0-0. Or 25. Qd8+ Kf7 26. Qxh8 Qb1+ 27. Kf2 Qxh1 28. Nd8+ Ke7 29. Bc5+ Kd7 30. Qxg7+ Ke8 31. Qf8+ Kd7 32. Qe7+ Kc8 33. Qxb7+ Kxd8 34. Qc7+ and mate next move. 25. ... Rf8 26. Nd4 Qd3 27. Qxe6+ Re7 28. Qc6+ Kf7 29. Qd5+ Kg6 30. Bf4 Rff7 31. gxf6 gxf6 32. Nc6 Rd7 33. Qxd3+ Rxd3 34. Na5 1 : 0.

Tatev Abrahamyan
Photo: Lennart Ootes‏ (@LennartOotes)

An Igloo for Two

Arctic, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin visits an ice cavern on Alexandra Land island in the remote Arctic islands of Franz Josef Land. Photo: Alexey Druzhinin/AFP/Getty Images.

Mr. Easy

Wesley So – Alexander Anatolyevich Shabalov
61th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 29, 2017
Slav Defence D12

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. d4 Bg4 5. h3 Bf5 6. Nc3 e6 7. g4 Bg6 8. Ne5 Nbd7 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. g5 Ng8 11. h4 Ne7 12. Bd2 Nf5 13. Qg4 a6!? Maybe new, and maybe unfortunate, as afterwards Black will suffer from the weakening of the dark squares on the Queenside. In any event, Shabalov decided to not challenge the Will of God: 13. ... Be7 14. Rh3 Rh5 15. 0-0-0 Qc7 16. Kb1 dxc4 17. Bxc4 0-0-0 18. Ne2 c5 19. Bb3 Kb8 20. Bc3 Rdh8 21. Rdh1 Bd6 22. dxc5 Be5 23. e4 Bxc3 24. Rxc3 Rxh4 25. Rch3 Rxh3 26. Rxh3 Rxh3 27. Qxh3 Ne7 28. Qh8+ Nc8 29. Qxg7 Nxc5 30. Bc2 Qe7 31. f4 a6 32. Nc3 Nd7 33. e5 Qf8 34. Qxf8 Nxf8 35. Be4 Nd7 36. Kc2 Ne7 37. Bf3 Kc7 38. Kd3 b5 39. b4 Nb6 40. Kd4 Nf5+ 41. Kd3 Ne7 42. Kd4 Nf5+ 43. Kd3 ½ : ½ G. Meier – So, 43rd Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2015. 14. 0-0-0 dxc4 15. Bxc4 c5 16. dxc5 Bxc5? Wesley played so well that I wonder where Black could have done better. Maybe here 16. ... Nxc5 17. Be2 Rc8 was a little more evolved. 17. Be2 Be7 18. Kb1 Qb6?! 19. Na4 Qc7 20. Rc1 Qd6 21. Ba5! Ne5. If 21. ... b6 then 22. Qf3! with a storm coming on. 22. Qe4 Nc6


23. Rhd1! A powerful Pawn sacrifice that leads to a complete destruction of Black’s field. 23. ... Rxh4 24. f4! Qb8. The alternative 24. ... Nxa5 25. Rxd6 Nxd6 (Stockfish) may seem a lesser evil, but after 26. Qb4 Nc6 27. Qe1 followed by Be2-f3 White keeps dominating the board. 25. Nb6! Nd6. Both 25. ... Nxa5 and 25. ... Ra7 are met by 26. Bf3! with a kind of Zugzwang grave. 26. Qa4 Ra7 27. Bf3 Nb5 28. Qc2 Qc7 29. Rd7 1 : 0. What a wonderful easiness!

Wesley So
Photo: Lennart Ootes/(@CCSCSL)

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

ТЮТ (Theatre of Youth Creativity)

During today’s interview with Chess-News.ru Radio, Latvian Grandmaster Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov gave his opinion about the clash in FIDE: “The situation is familiar to me: when you are illegally subject to sanctions, you try to attract the attention to your situation. I don’t think there is any discord between Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov and his close associates. I think it is a scene already played out. I’m not sure one hundred per cent, but I think so. Ilyumzhinov has always selected people on the basis of their loyalty rather than their business ability... And now what? Did they want to get rid of Ilyumzhinov? Obviously no. I think it is a fiction in a dramatic way. But what is implied between the lines is that they wanted to draw the attention on the sanctions issue. They opted for a theatrical form”.

Artwork © Johannahoj

Kiss of the Frog Prince

Baskaran Adhiban – 王皓 (Wáng Hào)
1st Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship; Sharjah, March 29, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Qc2 Bd6 6. d4 Nbd7 7. b3 0-0 8. Bb2 e5 9. Be2 e4 10. Nd2 Re8 11. g4 Nf8 12. Rg1!? Adhiban shows his aggressive intentions. The sacrifice in the text is very probably a (wild) novelty, at least with respect to 12. h3; for instance: 12. ... Be6 13. 0-0-0 a6 14. f3 exf3 15. Bxf3 b5 16. c5 Bc7 17. g5 b4 18. Ne2 Ne4 19. Nxe4 ½ : ½ Rychagov – Lekić, 6th Open, Rethymno 2014. 12. ... Bxh2 13. Rg2 Bd6 14. g5 Bh3 15. Rg1 N6d7 16. 0-0-0 Rc8 17. Rde1 b5 18. c5 Bc7 19. b4 Bf5 20. f3 exf3 21. Qxf5 fxe2 22. e4 dxe4 23. Ndxe4 a5 24. a3 axb4 25. axb4 Ne6 26. Nxe2 Ndf8 27. Rd1 Qd7 28. N4c3? A big blunder which loses at least another Pawn.


28. ... Nxc5! 29. Qc2. Adhiban suddenly realizes that after 29. Qxc5 Bd6 30. Qb6 Rb8 31. Qa6 Ra8 32. Qb6 Reb8 Her Majesty would be trapped. 29. ... Na6 30. Qb3 Bd6 31. Rgf1 Nxb4. So Black emerged three Pawns up, which, of course, will prove enough for 王皓 (Wáng Hào)’s technique. 32. Rf3 Nd5 33. Rdf1 Re7 34. Kb1 Qe6 35. Nxd5 cxd5 36. Nc1 Nd7 37. Nd3 Nb6 38. Bc1 Nc4 39. Qa2 Qe4 40. Qf2 Rce8 41. Re1 Qg6 42. Rxe7 Rxe7 43. Rf5 Ne3 44. Bxe3 Rxe3 45. Qxe3 Qxf5 46. Qe8+ Bf8 47. Qxb5 Qxg5 48. Kc2 Qf5 49. Kc3 h5 50. Ne5 Qe6 51. Qb8 h4 52. Qd8 h3 53. Qh4 Be7 54. Qh5 Bd6 55. Ng4 h2 0 : 1.

Baskaran Adhiban (R.) vs. 王皓 (Wáng Hào)
Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich

The Mirror of Epic

北京 (Běijīng), China: A woman riding an electric self-balancing scooter is reflected in a motorist’s wing mirror. Photo: 吳鴻 (Wú Hóng)/EPA.

Love Letters

FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos, after having been repeatedly accused by FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov of attempting a coup d’état to bypass the electoral process and wrest power by force, has finally provided a written response through the FIDE web site. He offers to prove that Ilyumzhinov actually resigned (even if only verbally) through the “recorded tape minutes of the meeting”.


Esset, Castrice, cum mali coloris,
versus scribere coepit Oppianus.

Because his pallor, Castricus, got worse,
Oppianus started writing verse.

Quando s’accorse d’aver brutta cera,
a scriver versi incominciò Oppiano.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 7, IV
English translation by Susan McLean
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

 https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/mar/29/bringing-it-all-back-home-bob-dylan-finally-agrees-to-collect-nobel-prize
Singer to accept prize in “small and intimate” Stockholm setting having turned down invitation to official ceremony last year. [Read more].
Bob Dylan plays acoustic guitar and smokes a cigarette in this headshot from September 1961 in New York City. Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.

Inflatable boats

New York, United States: People carry rafts as they take part in a protest outside the Trump Building – also known as 40 Wall Street – against the government’s blocked travel ban. Photo: Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

Knockin’ three times


Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov: “Pressures and threats have been going on for a year. They kept saying: go away, go away, go away...”. See http://chess-news.ru/node/22911.

Control Room

It’s almost a rule — when a corrupt empire falls, all the servants and pretorians of the falling emperor are eager to betray him. And yet, what the falling emperor has to contemplate is exactly what he created for guaranteeing himself the chimera of an eternal power. An army of corrupt administrators, a court of lackeys, and a people of greedy mercenaries. And even his “authorised” opposers are worth his henchmen — never forget, gens una sunt. In such a perfect empire, no wonder that the emperor himself is a servant, ministering to the greeds of his minions.
Who is not with them is against them and will be kindly invited to choose between prison, madhouse, or cemetery. If you refuse to comply with their “metaphorical justice”, well, blessed are you.

Adriana Martínez, Last Supper Abstract
Photo courtesy of adrianamartinezartist.com

The Legend of Zelda

Here are five superstars of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” in the backstage area of the 2nd edition of the Charity Dance Festival “Dedicato a...”, held at the Teatro Puccini in Florence, Italy on Sunday, March 26, 2017. From left: Chiara Angelini, Silvia Bertini, Sofia Nutini, Olga Calamai, and Viola Rocchini. Photo courtesy of Chiara Angelini.

Ascent to the Absolute


“Mountain Climbing”

I really do not understand
Why so many people
Like to go mountain climbing

If I ever went climbing
It might be only
To climb to the peak
And jump me off

任航 (Rèn Háng), January 2, 2016

The Count of Monte Cristo


Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov named the names of the “coup plotters”: Nigel Freeman and Georgios Makropoulos. See http://chess-news.ru/node/22911.

With due respect for such insurrectionists, there must be someone else too.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Words I Never Said


Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov: “The meaning of my words is the following: ‘I am ready to leave the position of FIDE President if this is necessary for FIDE’”. For further details, see http://chess-news.ru/node/22910.

.

Pannkaka

Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer (SK Rockaden) – Baadur Jobava (Malmö AS)
Swedish Élite League 2016/2017; Västerås, March 25, 2017
Grünfeld Defence D94

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Bd3 0-0 7. 0-0 Na6 8. a3 Nc7 9. h3. 9. Qc2 Be6 10. cxd5 Nfxd5 11. h3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 c5 transposes into O. Bernstein – Alekhine, 7th Russian Chess Championship, Vilnius 1912. 9. ... Bf5 10. cxd5 Ncxd5 11. Na4 Qc8 12. Re1 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Rd8 14. Qc2 Nb6 15. Nc5 Nfd7 16. Nd3 c5! 17. dxc5 Nxc5! 18. Qxc5. On 18. Nxc5 Nd7 Black regains the Knight with very comfortable play. 18. ... Rxd3 19. Qxe7 Qc6 20. Ne5 Bxe5 21. Qxe5 Re8 22. Qg5 Nc4 23. b4 Rd5 24. Qh4 Rh5 25. Qd4 Ne5. In his commentary to the game, Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão assesses that Black has enough compensation for the Pawn. 26. f4


26. ... Nf3+! As usual, Jobava is able to create complications out of nothing. The effect on Hammer is quite upsetting. 27. gxf3 Qxf3 28. Ra2 Rxh3 29. Rg2 Qh5 30. Bb2 Rh1+ 31. Kf2 Qh4+ 32. Kf3? A tremendous blunder. Leitão recommends 32. Rg3 as after 32. ... Rh2+ 33. Kf3 Qh5+ 34. Rg4 Rxb2 35. Qxb2 f5 36. Qg2 White should be able to hold his own. 32. ... Rh3+ 33. Ke2 Rhxe3+ 0 : 1.

Power and Magic


Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov: “It looks like a power struggle of some kind, there is something not very clean behind this”. See http://tass.ru/sport/4131222.

“The opponents of FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov are leading an unethical struggle for power inside the organization”, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on International Affairs and 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov told TASS on March 28, 2017. “It all started when Kirsan Nikolayevich was blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury; he temporarily suspended all operations and transactions, but since then the queue began to push. It looks like a power struggle of some kind, there is something not very clean behind this”.

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov playing a simultaneous chess exhibition. Photo: Game Wiki.

Airbag

北京 (Běijīng), China: A model presents a creation from the Chantel Gōng collection by Chinese designer 龚航宇 (Gōng Hángyǔ) during the Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week. Photo: How Hwee Young/EPA.

In the House of Chess

FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov (pictured above on the right) and Russian Chess Federation President as well as FIDE Vice President Andrey Vasilievich Filatov (pictured above on the left) gave today a joint press conference at the Central House of Chess in Moscow, Russia regarding the “FIDE affaire”. Mr. Filatov began with a clear premise: “The Russian Chess Federation wholly supports Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov and is satisfied with his work as FIDE President”. Then Mr. Ilyumzhinov spoke, admitting that what he read yesterday on FIDE’s web site “sounded like a bomb” to him. He didn’t hide that he was urged to resign by the Athens Presidential Board meeting, but he strongly denied ever having signed any resignation letter. He objected that only a FIDE general assembly — and not a Presidential Board meeting, neither ordinary nor extraordinary — can legitimately “impeach” and remove a President from office, so “I’ll keep working as FIDE President until next elections in 2018”, he said. “I do my duty as FIDE President no matter what”, Ilyumzhinov said, “I don’t like intrigues and I won’t do what they did”. Finally, he lamented that FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos turned off his cell phone for all yesterday, refusing to accept his calls. As they say, gratitude is a heavy burden. Photo: Russian Chess Federation (@ruchess).

Si duo dicunt idem non est idem

Dmitry Sergeyevich Peskov, Chairman of the Russian Chess Federation’s Board of Trustees as well as spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, told TASS on Monday that “We believe that everything possible must be done to avoid any possible disruption in the organization (of upcoming international tournaments) and most importantly to evade all barriers in the direction of further development and popularization of the sport of chess”.
On the other hand, FIDE’s Greek junta, through its Press Officer Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich, confirmed in an email to Bloomberg News the statement of Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov’s resignation, but declined to provide further details.
Ilyumzhinov’s Executive Assistant Berik Tuktybekovich Balgabaev, for his part, trumply called FIDE’s statement “fake news”. Yes, Ilyumzhinov attended the Athens Presidential Board meeting on 25 and 26 March, Balgabaev told Bloomberg News, “but he never gave any resignation, and he never intends to do so”.
And, finally, Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, the President, who in a March 27 interview with Russian news agency TASS, said that “This intrigue has been whipped up by the U.S. Chess Federation and its allies, and this attempt is the latest among many. They tried to raise the issue of my resignation during the session in Athens, but it failed. In general, I sometimes receive threats demanding that I resign”. Yesterday Ilyumzhinov sent FIDE Executive Director Nigel Freeman a vehement letter of denial regarding his alleged resignation.
And today came FIDE’s reply, yet addressed to Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov as President:


Meanwhile in elsewhere, life goes on.

Not at Home


“My love”

My love
Is gone

And then
Came back once more
But I was not at home

任航 (Rèn Háng), January 2, 2016

Monday, March 27, 2017

Rebel Without a Cause

 https://blogs.faz.net/schachblog/2017/03/27/hat-wei-yi-keine-lobby-845/
Why is there no lobby for 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)?, wonders Stefan Löffler. The Chinese wonder boy, 17, one of the world’s top 30 players, didn’t yet get almost no inviatation in high-class tournaments, neither abroad nor at home. The question is not trivial. Probably 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) is not supported by a “lobby” like that – let’s say – of 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), but maybe the real reason for the “embargo” (especially abroad) lies in his young age. I’d not exclude that Chinese officials may fear exposing such a young boy to the “bad” influences of his Western peers. Don’t think I’m joking.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: qipai.people.com.cn

The Frog Prince

王皓 (Wáng Hào) – Raunak Sadhwani
1st Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship; Sharjah, March 26, 2017
King’s Indian Defence E81

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Be3 c5 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bxc5 Nc6 10. Be3 b6 11. Rc1 Ba6. 11. ... Nd7 12. Nh3 Nc5 is here more usual; for instance: 13. Nf4 Ba6 14. Nfd5 e6 15. Nc7 Rac8 16. Nxa6 Nxa6 17. f4 Nc5 18. e5 g5 19. g3 gxf4 20. gxf4 f6 21. exf6 Bxf6 22. Be2 Nd4 23. b3 Nf5 24. Bf2 Kf7 25. 0-0 Rd2 26. Rfe1 Rg8+ 27. Kf1 Bd4 28. Bh5+ Kf6 29. Re2 Bxf2 30. Rxd2 Be3 31. Rcd1 Rg1+ 32. Ke2 Rg2+ 33. Ke1 Rg1+ 34. Ke2 Rg2+ 35. Ke1 Rg1+ ½ : ½ Édouard – Shyam, 49th International Master Open, Biel/Bienne 2016. 12. Nh3 Rac8 13. Nf2 e6!? Sadhwani’s new one. For 13. ... Nd7 14. Be2 Nd4 15. b3 Ne5 see Kroll – Søgaard, Aarhusmesterskabet, Aarhus 1991. 14. Be2 Nb4. I don’t like this move, which shows really bad judgment. The immediate 14. ... Nd7 seems more to the point. 15. b3 Nd7 16. 0-0


16. ... Bxc3? Here is the (radically bad) corollary to the previous idea: Black gives up the Bishop pair, weakens the dark squares around the King, and uncoordinates his Knights on the Queenside for the sake of a mere Pawn. After 16. ... Nc5(!) Black’s position seems perfectly tenable. 17. Rxc3 Nxa2 18. Rc2 Nb4 19. Rd2 Nc5 20. Rfd1 Re8? This is a gross blunder, but after 20. ... Rxd2 21. Bxd2 Nc2 22. b4 Nb3 23. b5 Ncd4 24. Bf1 Bb7 25. Bg5 Kg7 26. Ng4 White stands very much better and should win anyway. 21. Ng4 Kg7 22. Bh6+ Kh8 23. Nf6. The Black Rook has any good square. 23. ... Nc6 24. Nxe8 Rxe8 25. b4 Nb3 26. Rd6 Ncd4 27. R6xd4 Nxd4 28. Rxd4 1 : 0.

王皓 (Wáng Hào) vs. Raunak Sadhwani
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova

Galaktoboureko

Andrey Vasilievich Filatov, President of the Russian Chess Federation and Vice President of FIDE, told TASS correspondent Andrey Fyodorovich Kartashov that the rumours surrounding the resignation of Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov as FIDE President are groundless. “It’s the first time I heard about it”, Filatov said. “And yet I am FIDE Vice President”.

Andrey Vasilievich Filatov. Photo © Nina Zotina/TASS.

The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated

http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/10090-kirsan-ilyumzhinov-announced-his-resignation-as-fide-president.html

It looks like Dr. Strangelove’s war room. Pictured above is the screenshot from the FIDE web site. There we read, “Kirsan Ilyumzhinov announced his resignation as FIDE President”.
The news itself is quite astonishing, but even more amazing is the official statement of the “resigning” President:


“I don’t know from where the news came”, Ilyumzhinov told Oleg Bogatov of R-Sport.ru. “It seems like a joke, or maybe it is only one’s wish”. Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladimir Fedorenko.