Thrasymachus

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina – Nigel David Short
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 31, 2018
Alekhine Defence B04

British Grandmaster Nigel David Short decided today to give an impulse to women’s chess by losing a “book” game to Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina, at least showing that she had read and studied Nigel Davies’s monograph “Alekhine’s Defence” (Everyman Chess, London, 2001) with much attention! 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. c4 Nb6 7. exd6 cxd6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bg5!? Nc6 10. h3 Bf5 11. Nc3 h6 12. Be3 d5 13. c5 Nc4 14. Bc1 (Δ b2-b3) 14. ... b6 15. b3

15. ... bxc5!?? Black opts for the most controversial line. As Davies argues, after 15. ... N4a5 16. cxb6 axb6 17. Be3 (or 17. Bf4 g5 18. Bg3 Nb4 19. Qd2 Nac6 20. Rfc1 Be4 21. Nb5 Bxf3 22. Bxf3 Rc8 23. h4 with an edge, Sermek – Moscatelli, Vienna 1991) 17. ... Kh7 18. Rc1 Be6 19. Qd2 White also stands better, Brodsky – Pesotsky, 57th Ukrainian Chess Championship, Kharkiv 1988. 16. bxc4 cxd4 17. Nxd5 e6. If 17. ... d3 then 18. Bxd3 Bxd3 19. Qxd3 Bxa1 20. Bxh6 Bg7 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Qc3+ Kg8 (22. ... f6 23. Ng5 Qd6 24. Nc7 is also good for White, Khmelnitsky – Pesotsky, Kiev 1989) 23. Re1 Re8 (if 23. ... Qa5 then 24. Qe3 threatening Qe3-h6, Khmelnitsky – Kozlov, Naberezhnye Chelny 1986) 24. Ne5 Nxe5 25. Qxe5 with powerful threats, Hervet – Cimolai, correspondence game, 1993. 18. Ba3 exd5. Jumping right into the book. The alternative is 18. ... Re8 19. Nf4 e5 20. Nd5 d3 21. Bxd3 Bxd3 (the immediate 21. ... e4 deserves consideration) 22. Qxd3 e4 23. Qe3 exf3 24. Qxf3 with clear advantage to White, Khmelnitsky – Palatnik, Kherson 1989. 19. Bxf8 Kxf8 20. cxd5!? That’s Gunina’s first new move, and it is not worse than 20. Rc1 dxc4 (no better at all is 20. ... Kg8 21. Bd3 Be6 22. Qa4 Ne5 23. Nxe5 Bxe5 24. f4 Bc7 25. c5 Qf6 26. Qc6 Qd8 27. Rce1 1 : 0 Sermek – Řezníček, Komerční Banka Open, Pardubice 1997) 21. Bxc4 (Black has no worthy compensation for the Exchange) 21. ... Qd6 22. Bd3 Bd7 23. Bb5 Rd8 24. Qa4 Ne5 25. Nxd4 Qxd4 26. Qxd4 Nf3+ 27. gxf3 Bxd4 28. Bxd7 Rxd7 29. Rfd1 Ke7 30. Kg2 Bb6 31. Rxd7+ Kxd7 32. f4 Ke6 33. Kf3 Kf5 34. Rc6 Bd4 35. Rd6 Bb6 36. a4 f6 37. a5 Bc7 38. Rd7 1 : 0 Sermek – Sutter, Biel/Bienne 1994. 20. ... Qxd5 21. Bd3. Gunina knows already everything about how to win. Short resignedly goes to his doom: 21. ... Nb4 22. Bxf5 Qxf5 23. Rb1 Nd3 24. Rb7 Kg8 25. Qb1 Qd5 26. Rb5 Qc4 27. Rd1 Nf4? Just blundering the Knight, but other moves would not have saved the day either. 28. Rb8+ 1 : 0.

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina vs. Nigel David Short. Photo © Sophie Triay.

The Years Before

Vugar Gashimov – Lev Pinkhusovich Gutman

6th FiNet Rapid Open; time control: 20 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Mainz, August 2007

rkbqrbnn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RKBQRBNN w EAea - 0 1

Position #902

1. e4 e5 2. d4 d6 3. Nf3 Ng6 4. Bc4 Be6 5. Bxe6 fxe6 6. dxe5 dxe5 7. Qxd8+ Rxd8 8. Ng5 Re8? 8. ... Rd6! Δ 9. Nxh7 0-0-0! gave Black excellent compensation for the Pawn. 9. Nxh7. Now White will keep his extra Pawn till the end. Maybe Gutman had overestimated his temporary “lead in development” after Black’s castling on the a-side, but Gashimov will excellently consolidate (at least for a long while), giving his opponent no hope for camouflage. 9. ... 0-0-0 10. Nxf8 Rxf8 11. f3 Nh4 12. Rg1 Nf6 13. Nf2 Rh8 14. h3 Ng6 15. Bg5 Rd7 16. Nd3 Nh5 17. 0-0-0 Nhf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. Nc5 Re7 20. Kd2 Rh5 21. Nd3 c5 22. c4 Rd7 23. Ke2 b6 24. b3 Rh8 25. Rd2 e5 26. Ne1 Rxd2+ 27. Kxd2 Kd7 28. Nd3 Ke6 29. Ke2 Kf6 30. Rd1 Rd8

31. Nxe5!? A pretty-looking liquidation that, however, allows Black to close all entries (in spite of his Pawn minus). Best seems 31. Nf2 which should still give White the certainty of a technical win. 31. ... Rxd1 32. Ng4+ Ke6 33. Kxd1 Nh4 34. Ke2 Nxg2 35. Nf2 g5 36. Nd3 Nh4 37. Nb2 Ke5 38. Nd3+ Ke6 39. Ne1 Ke5 40. Kd3 Ke6 41. Kc3 a5 42. Kc2 Ke5 43. Kd3 Kd6 44. Ke2 Ke5 45. Nd3+ Kd4 46. Nb2 Ng6 47. Na4 Ne5 48. Nxb6 Nd3? And Gutman misses his big chance for a draw with 48. ... Kc3! (49. Na4+ Kd4). 49. Nd5 a4 50. Nc7 Kc3 51. Nb5+ Kc2 52. bxa4 Ne5 53. a5 Nxc4 54. a6 1 : 0.

Love in Transit

Commuters endure rush hour conditions on the subway in São Paulo, Brazil. Photo: Cris Faga/Shutterstock.

Thrilla in Bærum

There are still a few days before the unofficial World Fischerandom Chess Championship match between Magnus Carlsen (the current World Chess Champion) and Hikaru Nakamura (the 4th and last unofficial World Fischerandom Chess Champion) starts at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter at Høvikodden in Bærum municipality, Norway from 9 to 14 February 2018. The format will consist of 16 games: 8 one-hour-per-player games over four days, and finally 8 blitz games on the last day, with 900,000 Norwegian kroner (NOK) in prize money for the winner, and 600,000 Norwegian kroner (NOK) for the loser. For further details please visit: http://www.frchess.com/.

Edna, I don’t know why you’re laughing, but I feel there’s nothing to laugh about

Flip-flop

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Boris Abramovich Gelfand
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 30, 2018
Nimzo-Indian Defence E21

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 0-0 5. Bg5 c5 6. e3 cxd4 7. exd4 h6 8. Bh4 d5 9. Rc1 Be7. The historic alternative is 9. ... dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nc6 11. 0-0 Be7 12. Re1 b6 13. a3 Bb7 14. Bg3 Rc8 15. Ba2 Bd6 16. d5 Nxd5 17. Nxd5 Bxg3 18. hxg3 exd5 19. Bxd5 Qf6 with a perfectly playable game, that then Black blundered in a most dramatic way: 20. Qa4 Rfd8 21. Rcd1 Rd7 22. Qg4 Rcd8?? 23. Qxd7! Rxd7 24. Re8+ Kh7 25. Be4+ 1 : 0 Kasparov – Karpov, Moscow 1985, World Chess Championship match game 11. 10. c5 b6 11. b4 a5 12. Na4. If Black’s refutation will prove to be correct – as it seems – it’s likely that at this point White has to play 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. b5. 12. ... axb4 13. Nxb6 Ra3!! A powerful novelty, which promises much more than 13. ... Rxa2 14. Qb3 Ra7 15. Qxb4 Nbd7 16. Nxd7 Bxd7 17. Bd3 Ra4 18. Qd2 Ne4 with comfortable equality, Wojtaszek – 王玥 (Wáng Yuè), 45th Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2017. 14. Bxf6. White’s situation seem quite unpleasant even after other moves. 14. ... Bxf6 15. Qd2? This loses brilliantly, but White didn’t have an easy time, anyway. If 15. Bb5 (or elsewhere along the f1-a6 diagonal) then 15. ... Ba6! and Black stands much better.

18. ... Rxf3! Black’s Exchange sacrifice, promptly followed by the fall of the d4-Pawn, is simply devastating. 16. gxf3 Nc6! 17. Bb5? Making things even easier, but by now nothing could stop the unavoidable. Gelfand concludes his attack in grand style: 17. ... Nxd4 18. Qxb4 Nxf3+ 19. Kd1 e5 20. Be2 Nd4 21. c6 Bg5 22. Rc3 Qf6 23. Nd7 Bxd7 24. cxd7 Qxf2 25. Re1 Rd8 26. Rc8 Qf5 27. Qb7 Kh7 28. Rf1 Qe4 29. Qb2 Rxd7 30. Rc3 Nxe2 0 : 1.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) vs. Boris Abramovich Gelfand. Photo © John Saunders.

Gender Equality

香港 (Hong Kong), China: A Sotheby’s employee presents Pablo Picasso’s 1937 oil painting “Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée (Marie-Thérèse Walter)” during a media preview. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images.

Oxford Blues

New In Chess, 2018/1, p. 10.

I’ve always known you were a gold heart, Edna

Queen Sacrifice

• Joachim Baardsen, Magnus Carlsen er blitt singel | Magnus Carlsen became single, VG, January 29, 2018

VG, Norway’s most read online tabloid newspaper, reports that Magnus Carlsen became single after the breakup of his one-year romance with Synne Christin Larsen.

Synne Christin Larsen and Magnus Carlsen before the 7th round of the 4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament in Douglas on Friday, September 29, 2017. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/Matt & Patt.

Peace & Love

“Peace and Love” ™ © Mado Flynn

Handmade in Italy by Mado Flynn

Hey world, here we bloom! Mado Flynn’s high fashion floral collection is on display – through all four seasons – at Paola Soldi’s gallery-shop “Art of Tuscany”, Borgo Ognissanti 99/R, 50123 Florence, Italy. Enjoy!

Lost and Found

Alan Schaller, Florence, Italy, 2017, as a part of Schaller’s photographic exhibition “Metropolis” featuring how people are dwarfed in the modern world around them and often lost in it. The photo exhibit will be displayed at Leica Store City, London EC3, until February 10. Photo © Alan Schaller.

Ice Dance

Pray, Edna, just be careful not to lose your ticket or they’ll kick you out. If it should ever happen that, freeze yourself into Snow White and tell ’em you were only playing hide and seek with the seven dwarfs

Artwork © savvy-weasley

Old Acquaintances

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 29, 2018
Neo-Grunfeld Defence D76

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. e3 0-0 9. 0-0 Re8 10. Re1 a5 11. h3 a4 12. Rb1 a3!? A (temporary) positional Pawn sacrifice. After 12. ... e5 13. d5 Ne7 14. e4 Bd7 15. b3 axb3 16. axb3 c6 17. dxc6 bxc6 18. Be3 Nec8 19. Bf1 Bf8 20. Na4 Nxa4 21. bxa4 Nd6 22. Bb6 Qc8 23. Kh2 c5 24. a5 c4 25. Rc1 Qc6 Black finally managed to pass thru the crowd without attracting attention, van Wely – Sutovsky, 41st Chess Olympiad, Tromsø 2014, but it’s quite obvious that White could have improved his play on more occasions. 13. bxa3 e5 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Qxd8 Nxf3+ 16. Bxf3 Rxd8 17. Nb5 Be5 18. Nd4

18. ... Bxh3? However natural this move, it will condemn Black to permanent inferiority. Stockfish gives 18. ... Ra7! (defending b7 and intending ... Nb6-a4) 19. Kg2 (if 19. Nb5 then 19. ... Ra5 offering a draw by repetition) 19. ... Bxd4 (19. ... Na4!?) 20. exd4 Be6 with quite a reasonable game. 19. Bxb7 Bxd4!? If 19. ... Rab8 then 20. Bf3 and White stands much better anyway. 20. exd4 Rab8 21. Bf3 Be6. After 21. ... Rxd4 22. Bf4 Rf8 23. Rb4! Rd3 24. Rb3 Rd4 25. Bxc7 Black’s ending would be quite hopeless. 22. Bf4 Nd5 23. Bd2. Also strong seems to be 23. Rxb8 Rxb8 24. Bh6! nailing down the weakness of Black’s first rank. 23. ... Rxb1 24. Rxb1 Ra8? 24. ... Nb6 probably gave Black a little more hope; for instance: 25. Bf4 Rxd4 26. Bxc7 Nc4 27. a4 Nd2 28. Rb8+ Kg7 29. Be5+ f6 30. Bxd4 Nxf3+ 31. Kg2 Nxd4 and there is no easy win for White in sight – of course, this variation is not forced. 25. Rb5! If nothing else, now it’s considerably easier to win. 25. ... c6 26. Ra5 Rb8 27. Bh6 f5 28. Ra6 Rc8 29. Ra7 Nc3 30. a4 Bd5 31. Bxd5+ cxd5 32. a5 Ne2+ 33. Kg2 Nxd4 34. a6 Nc6 35. Rg7+ Kh8 36. Rb7 d4 37. a7 d3 38. Rc7! 1 : 0.

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk vs. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Sophie Triay.

In the Wind

Fernando Peralta – Salome Melia
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 29, 2018
Nimzo-Indian Defence E48

Wild winds stormed around Gibraltar today, causing serious damage to buildings and structures, but of course don’t think it’s Aeolus’s fault! 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Ne2 Re8 8. 0-0 Bd6 9. Nf4 c6 10. f3 b6. The alternative is 10. ... a5 11. Kh1 Bxf4 12. exf4 b6 13. f5 Ba6 14. Bxa6 Nxa6 15. Bg5 Qd6 16. Qd2 Nd7 17. Rae1 b5 18. Re3 Nf8 19. Rfe1 Rxe3 20. Qxe3 f6 21. Bf4 Qd7 22. g4 Kf7 23. Ne2 Re8 24. Qd2 Qe7 25. Bg3 Qb4 and Black eventually held his own, Galliamova – Polugaevsky, Women vs. Veterans, Aruba 1992. 11. Kh1 Qc7 12. g4 Bxf4 13. exf4 Ba6 14. f5 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Nbd7 16. Ne2 c5 17. Bf4 Qb7? Time is priceless in such positions, so I think that Black should have saved it by the zwischenzug 17. ... c4(!). 18. Ng3 c4 19. Qd2 Nf8 20. Be5 Qc6 21. Rae1 Rac8 22. Rg1 N6d7? The situation was not too pleasant, but this “preventive” move turns out to be Black’s decisive mistake.

23. Bxg7! Kxg7 24. Nh5+ Kh8 25. Qg5 Ng6 26. fxg6 fxg6. After 26. ... Qxg6 27. Qxd5 White must equally win, if more prosaically. 27. Qh6! Rg8. 27. ... gxh5 28. Rxe8+ loses the Queen. 28. Re7 Nf8 29. Qf4! 1 : 0. The threat of Qf4-e5+ is imparable.

Fernando Peralta vs. Salome Melia. Photo © John Saunders.

The Ghost of Rock Island

乱世佳人 (Gone with the Wind)

Edna, pray him not to take everything always so literally!

Hundred Flowers Campaign

Now you understand why Fischer just spat in their face

Rocket Man

Hikaru Nakamura – Nils Axel Grandelius
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2018
Sicilian Defence B80

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. Qd2 b4 9. Na4 Nbd7 10. 0-0-0 Qa5 11. b3 Bb7 12. a3 Qc7 13. axb4 d5 14. Bf2(!) Bd6!? 14. ... dxe4 15. Bg3 Qc8 (but 15. ... e5!? 16. Bc4!? g6!? should be taken into consideration) 16. Bc4 yielded White a powerful edge in Yoo – Preotu, 10th Calgary International Chess Classic, Calgary 2017. 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Bg3! Rc8 17. c4! Bxb4 18. Qg5! Qa5 19. Qxg7 Rf8 20. Nc2! Bc6. 20. ... Nc3? 21. Nxb4! Nxd1 22. Nc2! wins material for White.

21. Qa1! The climax of Nakamura’s theoretical prep. Grandelius was probably hoping for 21. cxd5? Bxa4 22. dxe6 Rxc2+! 23. Kxc2 Bxb3+! 24. Kxb3 Nc5+ and Black has at least perpetual check. 21. ... Nc5. In the tournament bulletin, John Saunders also considers 21. ... N7b6 22. Nxb6 Qxa1+ 23. Nxa1 Nxb6 24. Nc2 and Black has no worthy compensation for his Pawn deficit. 22. Nxc5 Qxa1+ 23. Nxa1. Game over. 23. ... Ba3+ 24. Kd2 Bb4+ 25. Kd3 Nc3 26. Nxa6! Rd8+ 27. Kc2 Rxd1 28. Nxb4 Rxa1 29. Kxc3 Kd7 30. Nc2 Rb1 31. Ne1 Ra8 32. Bd3 Rc1+ 33. Kd2 Raa1 34. Be5 Rd1+ 35. Ke2 Rac1 36. Bb2 1 : 0. Not an everyday picture: both Black’s Rooks ended up trapped on White’s first rank!

Hikaru Nakamura (right) vs. Nils Grandelius (left). Photo © Sophie Triay.

I do agree with you, Edna, that if he don’t repair his forgetfulness within midnight, you will turn him into a snowman

Credit: Conrad Lee (@thisisconrad)

Yeah, Edna, I too think that there should also have been a prize for you!

12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov handing the winner’s prize of the 80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament to Magnus Carlsen, with Anish Giri (first from right) and Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik (second from right) standing in the background. Photo: Tata Steel Chess (@tatasteelchess).

The Day of the Mighty Wind

Magnus Carlsen – Anish Giri

80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; tie-break game 1 (5+3); Wijk aan Zee, January 28, 2018

English Opening A13

Magnus Carlsen won for the sixth time the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, after beating Anish Giri 1½ – ½ in the blitz tie-break. On the other hand, it was the first time that Giri has arrived so high, so it’s hopeful that both the winner and the loser have reasons to be happy with their marriage! 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Be7 5. e3 0-0 6. Nc3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 exd5 9. d4 Qa5+!? Giri improves on 9. ... cxd4(?) that helped 6th World Chess Champion Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik to create one of his most famous strategic masterpieces: 10. Qxd4 Bf6 11. Qd2 Nc6 12. Be2 Be6 13. 0-0 Bxb2 14. Qxb2 Qa5 15. Rfd1 Rad8 16. Rd2 Rd7 17. Rad1 Rfd8 18. h3 h6 19. Ne5 Nxe5 20. Qxe5 Qc5 21. Bf3 b6 22. Qb2 Rc8 23. Qe5 Rcd8 24. Rd4 a5 25. g4! Qc6 26. g5 hxg5 27. Qxg5 f6 28. Qg6 Bf7 29. Qg3 f5 30. Qg5 Qe6 31. Kh1 Qe5 32. Rg1 Rf8 33. Qh6 Rb8 34. Rh4 Kf8 35. Qh8+ Bg8 36. Rf4 Rbb7 37. Rg5 Rf7 38. Qh5 Qa1+ 39. Kg2 g6 40. Qxg6 Bh7 41. Qd6+ Rfe7 42. Qd8+ 1 : 0 Botvinnik – Zagoriansky, Sverdlovsk 1943. 10. Qd2 Qxd2+ 11. Kxd2 Nc6 12. dxc5 Bxc5 13. Bb5 Bb4+ 14. Ke2 Be6 15. Rac1 Rac8 16. Rhd1 Be7 17. h3 a6 18. Bd3 Nb4 19. Bb1 Rxc1 20. Rxc1 Rc8 21. Rd1. It makes no much sense to say too much about a blitz game, but one cannot but admire Carlsen’s skill in keeping his sleeping beauties almost continuously ready to awaken. 21. ... Nc6 22. g4 h6 23. Nd4 Nxd4+ 24. Bxd4 Ba3 25. f4 f6 26. Bg6 Kf8 27. Kf3 Ke7 28. h4 Bb4 29. Bd3 Bd7 30. e4. Finally making something happen. 30. ... Bc3. After 30. ... dxe4+ 31. Bxe4 Bc6 it seems impossible that Black may ever lose, but with Carlsen you never know it for sure. 31. Bf2! Bc6 32. exd5 Bxd5+ 33. Be4 Bxe4+ 34. Kxe4

34. ... Ke6? This should be the losing move, in spite that in a blitz game it’s very easy to play such a move. 34. ... Bb4(!) would have worked better in order to keep fighting for a draw. 35. f5+! Ke7 36. Rc1! Rc6. 36. ... Rc7 37. Bb6! makes no difference at all. 37. Kd3 Bb4 38. Rxc6 bxc6 39. Kc4 Bd6 40. Bc5. Now it’s an easy technical win. 40. ... Kd7 41. h5 Bf4 42. Bf8 Ke8 43. Bc5. 43. Bxg7?? Kf7 only draws. 43. ... Kd7 44. Kb4 Bd2+ 45. Ka4 Kc7. If 45. ... a5 there follows 46. b4! very much the same. 46. b4 Bf4 47. Bf8 Kb6 48. Bxg7 Bg5 49. Bf8 Bf4 50. Be7 Bg5 51. Kb3 Kc7 52. Kc4 Kd7 53. Bc5 Kc7 54. Kd3 Kd7 55. Be3 1 : 0.

Artwork © Willum Morsch‏

Tiger in the Snow

A Siberian tiger chases a chicken to sharpen its hunting skills in the Siberian Tiger Park in 哈尔滨 (Hā’ěrbīn), China. Photo: 新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency)/Barcroft Images.

Not Everything Is Impermanent

Wesley So – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 28, 2018
Catalan Opening E01

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bd6 6. Nc3 0-0. “An unlucky idea, which had previously been played by strong players with success. However none of their opponents had played the direct response which So chooses”, Grandmaster Ian Rogers wrote in his report for the U.S. Chess Federation web site. 7. cxd5. A very simple solution. 7. ... exd5 8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxd5

9. ... Bxg3. Thus Black regains her Pawn, but now White can hope for the initiative out of the opening of the g-file. I feel that 9. ... Ba3(!) must be a much better move, not regaining but sacrificing a Pawn! 10. Qb3 Bd6 11. Nf3 c6. Black should have urgently played ... Nb8-d7-f6. 12. Bc4 Bf5. That’s all another story, but the way it goes it reminds me of R. J. Fischer – Addison, Interzonal Tournament, Palma de Mallorca 1970. 13. Ng5. Like Morphy in the “Opera Game”, So also disdains the gain of the b7-Pawn to focus instead on the f7-Pawn. 13. ... Qe7 14. Qf3 Bg6. 14. ... Qf6 15. h4 Nd7 16. 0-0-0 might be a little better, but not so much as to neutralise, in the mid run, White’s powerful initiative. 15. h4 Bb4. Preventing – at least for now – h4-h5. 16. 0-0-0 Bxd2+ 17. Rxd2 h5. If 17. ... h6 then 18. h5 Qxg5 19. hxg6 Qxg6 20. Rdd1 followed by Rd1-g1 with tremendous attack. 18. Rg1. Threatening Qf3-g3 followed by Ngxf7. Black can do very little, if nothing, to defend, so she prepares to pay a heavy material price for avoiding even worse consequences. 18. ... Nd7 19. Qg3 Nb6 20. Bb3 Qf6 21. e4 Rae8 22. e5 Qf5 23. Bc2 Qg4 24. Bxg6 Qxg3 25. Bh7+ Kh8 26. Rxg3 f6 27. Bg6 fxg5 28. Bxe8 gxh4 29. Rg5 Rxe8 30. Rxh5+ 1 : 0. Thus 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s passage in the Netherlands ends with 2½ points out of 13, that it’s not so bad for one who, like her, until recently has been devoting much of her time to her studies, winning the Rhodes Scholarship for the University of Oxford, where, starting next September, she’s gonna study for a Master’s Degree in Education, focusing on children’s development.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in black and white playing her last round game in Wijk aan Zee. Photo: Tata Steel Chess (@tatasteelchess).

But just before Dylan says “Lies that life is black and white”, here are Wesley So and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in full colours. Photo: Cathy Rogers.

C’mon, Edna, the best of dresses are those which you have not yet designed!

Credit: siberianbones.tumblr.com

Eye of the Needle

Magnus Carlsen – Maxim Sergeevich Matlakov
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 27, 2018
Sicilian Defence B48

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. f4 Bb4 9. Bd3 Na5 10. a3 Bxc3 11. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12. bxc3 d5 13. exd5 exd5 14. Nb3 Nc4 15. Bd4 Ne4 16. Nc5 Nxc5 17. Bxc5 Bd7 18. 0-0-0 0-0-0 19. Bxc4 dxc4 20. Bb6 Rde8 21. Rd4 Re6 22. Rxc4+ Rc6 23. Rxc6+ Bxc6 24. Rd1 Bxg2 25. Rg1 Be4 26. Rxg7 Bg6. “This ending must be a draw but given Carlsen’s huge advantage on the clock and Pawn up he must be odds on to win”, Grandmaster Daniel W. Gormally said.

27. a4 Rf8 28. Kb2 Kd7 29. f5 Bxf5 30. Bc5 Rc8 31. Rxf7+ Ke6 32. Re7+ Kf6 33. Bb4 a5 34. Ba3 Rc4. 34. ... Rg8 35. Rxb7 Rg2 36. Bd6 Bxc2 37. Ra7 Bxa4+ 38. Ka3 Be8 39. Rxa5 leads to the same kind of ending, which could even be drawn – from an absolute viewpoint – but that it’s not drawn enough, from a human standpoint. 35. Rxb7 Rxa4 36. Ra7 Re4 37. Rxa5 Re2 38. Bd6 Bxc2 39. c4 Ke6 40. Ra6 Bf5+ 41. Kc3 Be4 42. Kd4 Kf5 43. Ra5+ Kg4? No, the King had to stay on the weaker side: 43. ... Ke6(!) – that was surely the best way (and maybe the only one) to play for a draw. 44. c5 Bf3 45. Ra7 h6 46. Rh7 Re4+ 47. Kd3 Re6 48. Kc4 Bc6 49. Rc7 Bh1 50. Kb5 h5 51. Rg7+ Kh4? A desperate self-stalemating mirage, which in fact makes things much easier for White. 51. ... Kf5 was obviously called for, but very probably it would not have been enough to make the impossible happen. Carlsen had a huge time advantage, and could torment his opponent for as long as he pleased. No one can defend such a situation. 52. Rg1. 52. Be7+! Kh3 53. Rg3+ Kh2 54. Bd6+− is the machine’s “dual”, but that’s not necessary. 52. ... Ba8 53. Kb6 Re2 54. Kc7 Bd5 55. Rg3 Bh1 56. Rc3 Kg4 57. c6 1 : 0.

Artwork © Willum Morsch

Volatile Frenemies

Anish Giri – Baskaran Adhiban
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 27, 2018
Benoni Defence A60

Magnus Carlsen and Anish Giri will go all out tomorrow to win the 80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament’s first prize. And whereas Carlsen defeated today Maxim Sergeevich Matlakov showing his superb technique in a Rook and Bishop of opposite colour endgame, Giri bent Baskaran Adhiban with elegant and crystal clear strategy. 1. c4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. e4 e6 6. Bd3 exd5 7. cxd5 Bg4 8. Nbd2 Nf6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Nxf3 c4 12. Bxc4 Nxe4 13. Re1 Re8 14. Qc2 Nf6 15. Rxe8+ Nxe8 16. Bg5. Maybe it’s a novelty. Whatever it is, proof theory gave 16. Qb3 Qc7 17. Be3 Nd7 18. Rc1 Nc5 19. Qa3 Qd8 20. b4 Nd7 21. Qd3 Rc8 22. Bb3 Rxc1+ 23. Bxc1 Qc7 24. Bd2 a6 25. a4 Ne5 26. Nxe5 Bxe5 27. g4 Ng7 28. Kg2 h5 29. f4 Bf6 30. a5 hxg4 31. hxg4 Qd7 32. Bd1 Ne8 33. Be2 Nc7 34. Qc4 Nb5 35. Be3 Qe8 36. Kf3 Nc3 37. g5 ½ : ½ Khismatullin – Andreikin, 13th Open, Voronezh 2009. 16. ... Nf6 17. Nd4 Qb6? It’s not the best place for Her Majesty, and, very probably, it’s the mistake which will cost Black the game. 17. ... a6!? 18. Bb3 Nbd7 19. Ne6(!) Qc8 is Stockfish’s advice, leading to a simplified and materially equal position, which, however, would present an ideological challenge: White’s Bishop pair against Black’s Knight pair. 18. Be3 Ng4!?

19. Qe4! Adhiban was probably hoping for 19. hxg4? Bxd4 with a perfectly playable game. 19. ... Nf6. If 19. ... Nxe3 then 20. Qe8+ Bf8 21. fxe3 with the deadly threat of Nd4-e6. 20. Qe7 Nbd7 21. Nb5. And that’s the epiphany: White wins a decisive Pawn and remains with a powerful advantage, which Giri will convert with no difficulties. 21. ... Bf8 22. Bxb6 Bxe7 23. Bxa7 Ne5 24. b3 Nxc4 25. bxc4 Rc8 26. Re1 Bf8 27. Bd4 Nd7 28. Rc1 Ra8 29. Rc2 Ra6 30. Re2 Ra4. Black’s desperate Rook expedition hastens the end. 31. Re8 Rxc4 32. Rd8 Ne5 33. f4 Nd3 34. Bf6 Re4 35. Nxd6 Re1+ 36. Kh2 Nf2 37. Bg5 h5 38. Bh6 h4 39. g4 Kh7 40. Rxf8 Nd3 41. Rxf7+ Kh8 42. Rf8+ 1 : 0.

Artwork © Willum Morsch

Between Certainty and Uncertainty

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Boris Abramovich Gelfand
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 27, 2018
Semi-Slav Defence D45

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 0-0 8. Be2 b6 9. 0-0 Bb7 10. Bb2 Qe7 11. Rad1 Rad8. The historic reference is 11. ... Rac8 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Rfd8 15. Bd3 Nf8 16. Rfe1 Qf6 17. Qg4 c5 18. Be4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 Qg6 20. Qxg6 Nxg6 21. d5 exd5 22. Rxd5 Bc7 23. Rxd8+ Rxd8 24. g3 f6 ½ : ½ Capablanca – Flohr, 3rd International Tournament, Moscow 1936. 12. Rfe1 Rfe8 13. Bf1 e5 14. dxe5. Both 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) and Gelfand were lucky enough to play with Black when two different opponents dared to hazard 14. cxd5? after which it followed 14. ... e4! 15. Nh4? [15. dxc6? exf3! 16. cxb7 Bxh2+! 17. Kxh2 Qd6+! 18. Kh3 Re5! 0 : 1 Estremera Paños – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), 23rd Abu Dhabi Interanational Chess Festival Masters Tournament, Abu Dhabi 2016] 15. ... Bxh2+! 16. Kxh2 Ng4+! 17. Kh3 Ndf6! with an overwhelming attack for Black, Pelletier – Gelfand, 6th Kortschnoi Zürich Chess Challenge, Zürich 2017. 14. ... Nxe5 15. Nxe5. If 15. Nd4 then 15. ... dxc4 16. Nf5 Qe6 17. Nxd6 Rxd6 18. Rxd6 Qxd6 19. Rd1 cxb3 20. axb3 Qb8 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. Qxe4 f6 23. Bxe5 Rxe5 24. Bc4+ Kh8 25. Qd4 Re7 26. Qd8+ Re8 27. Qd7 Qc8 28. Qf7 Rf8 29. Qe7 Re8 30. Qf7 ½ : ½ Svidler – Gelfand, Grand Prix 2017, second stage, Moscow 2017 15. ... Bxe5 16. cxd5 Qc5!? Gelfand tries for something more than 16. ... cxd5 17. Nb5 Rc8 18. Qb1 d4 19. h3 Ng4 20. hxg4 Qh4 21. f4 dxe3 22. Rxe3 Bxf4 23. Rh3 Qxh3 24. gxh3 Be3+ 25. Kh2 Bf4+ 26. Kg1 ½ : ½ 王皓 (Wáng Hào) – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 8th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2017. 17. Qd2 h6 18. Rc1 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Qxd5 20. Qxd5 Rxd5 21. Bxe5 Rexe5 22. Red1 Kf8 23. g3 c5 24. Rxd5 Rxd5 25. Bg2 Rd7 26. Bxb7 Rxb7 27. Kf1. 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), who’s playing in Gibraltar for higher stakes, managed to exchange virtually everything, with the certainty that the ensuing Rook ending will be drawable quite easily. 27. ... Ke7 28. Ke2 Kd6 29. a4 Kc6 30. Kd3 Rd7+ 31. Kc3 g5 32. f4 gxf4 33. exf4 Re7 34. Kd3 f5

35. h3 h5 36. g4 hxg4 37. hxg4 fxg4 38. Rg1 Rd7+ 39. Ke4 Rd4+ 40. Ke5 Rd3 41. f5 Re3+. After 41. ... g3 42. Ke6 Rxb3 43. f6 White likewise draws. 42. Kf6 Rxb3 43. Kg7 Rf3 44. f6 c4 45. f7 Kd5 46. Rg3 Rf4 47. f8=Q Rxf8 48. Kxf8 a6 49. Rxg4 c3 50. Ke7 b5 51. axb5 axb5 52. Rg5+ Kc4 53. Kd6 b4 54. Rg4+ Kb5 55. Rg5+ Ka4 56. Rc5 Kb3 57. Kd5 Kb2. If 57. ... c2 then 58. Rc4 with a draw. 58. Kc4 c2 59. Kxb4 c1=Q 60. Rxc1 Kxc1 ½ : ½.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié). Photo © Sophie Triay.

Eye liner

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 27, 2018
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. 0-0-0. In round one, with colours reversed, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) experienced an unlucky start against Anish Giri: 8. Bd3 Be6 9. Qe2 Bf6 10. 0-0-0 Qe7 11. Kb1 a6 12. Rhe1 0-0-0 13. h3 Rhe8 14. g4 h6 15. Nd2 Bg5 16. f4 Bh4 17. Bf2 Bxf2 18. Qxf2 Qf8 19. f5 Bd7 20. f6 g6 21. Be4 Kb8 22. Nc4 Re6 23. Bxc6 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 Bxc6 25. Na5 Re8 26. Nxc6+ bxc6 27. Qg3 Qh8 28. Re7 Rxe7 29. fxe7 Qe8 30. Qe3 Kc8 31. h4 Kd7 32. Qxh6 Qxe7 33. b3 Qe4 34. g5 Qe5 35. Qf8 Qd5 36. Kb2 c5 37. Qg8 Qf3 38. Qf8 Qd5 39. Qg7 Qf5 40. Qg8 Qf3 41. a4 Qf1 42. Qf8 Qf5 43. Qa8 Qf1 44. Qe4 with a very slight initiative for White, Giri – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2018. 9. ... Bf6. After 9. ... Bxa2 10. b3 a5 11. Kb2 a4 12. Kxa2 axb3++ 13. Kxb3 Ra5 14. Kb2 it’s hard for Black to compensate for the Bishop, Bok – Burnier, 45th Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2012. If, instead, 9. ... Qd7 then 10. h4 [or 10. b3 Bf6 11. h3 0-0-0 12. g4 h6 13. Bg2 Kb8 14. Rhe1 Rhe8 15. Kb2 a6 16. Re2 Qe7 17. Rde1 Qf8 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Bd7 22. f4 Rxe2 22. Rxe2 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Bxe8= Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016] 10. ... h6 11. c4 0-0 12. Bd3 f5 13. Nd4 Ne5 14. b3 Bf6 15. Nxe6 Qxe6 16. Be2 Ng4 17. Bxg4 fxg4 18. Qd5 Qxd5 19. Rxd5 Rae8 20. Kd2 b6 21. g3 Be5 22. Re1 a5 23. a4 Rf3 24. Re2 Kf7 25. Rd3 Re6 26. c3 Bf6 27. Kc2 Re4 28. Kd2 Re6 29. Kc2 Re4 30. Kd2 Re6 ½ : ½ Lékó – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 50th Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2017. 10. Kb1 Qd7 11. Bg5 Bxg5 12. Nxg5 0-0-0 13. Nxe6 Qxe6 14. Bb5 Qf5!? A variation in theme that doesn’t evade the drawish nature of the line. The book’s end was so far 14. ... Rde8 15. Rhe1 Qf5 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Re3 Rxe3 18. Qxe3 Kd7 19. Re1 Qe6 20. Qc1 Qg4 21. Qe3 Qe6 22. Qc1 Qg4 23. Qe3 ½ : ½ 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì), 5th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2014. 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Rhe1 Rhe8 17. f3 c5 18. b3 Kb7 19. Re2 Re6 20. Rxe6 fxe6 21. Re1 e5 22. Qd5+ c6 23. Qd2 Kc7 24. Re4 Qd7 25. f4 exf4 26. Qe2 Qf5

27. Ra4 Kb8 28. Qa6 Qd7 29. Rxf4 Re8 30. Kb2 h6 31. Qd3 Kb7 32. h4 Re6 33. Rf8 Re7 34. g4 d5 35. g5. If 35. Qg3 then 35. ... Qc7 with equality. 35. ... hxg5 36. hxg5 Rf7 37. Rg8 Re7 38. Rf8 Rf7 39. Rh8 Qd6 40. Qh3 d4 41. Re8 Rf2 42. Qd3 Rg2 43. cxd4 Qxd4+ 44. Qxd4 cxd4 45. Re7+ ½ : ½. Both 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) have serious reasons – hopefully as good as possible – to be disappointed about their relative performance in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament.

Artwork © Willum Morsch

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo © 2018 Rainer Ise.

Pray, Edna, be careful that no one takes her away from you

Credit: @helloimhorst

Under the Stars

No wonder the young stars of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” didn’t miss the chance to take a picture together with the special guest Samuel Peron (pictured above) just before performing on the stage of “Le ali della danza”. First row from left: Carolina, Ginevra, Sofia, Aurora, Claudia & Lucrezia; second row from left: Irene & Lavinia. Photo courtesy of Viola Rocchini.

And so on! First row from left: Giulia, Anna, Diana, Federica, Stella, Emma; second row from left: Letizia, Marianna, Chiara, Marta & Carolina. Being so inspired, they danced wonderfully, thanks to the daily work of Alessandra Innocenti, Chiara Angelini & Viola Rocchini, priceless teachers as well as special correspondents of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”! Photo courtesy of Viola Rocchini.