Sofia Nutini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo: Stefano Marmino.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Maybe she is unwrapping a gift
Double Birthday
By random chance over time, another ballerina of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” was born on March 28, just a day after Edna Mode! She is no one but the one and only Dantean philologist Giuditta Sottili, pictured first from right next to her unfailing friend and fellow dancer Ester Marra.
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I hate people who kill animals
Victor the polar bear enjoys the snow at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA.
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Zero Gravity
“Zwevende maagden” sculpture composition by Elisabet Stienstra in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Photo: Koosg/Wikimedia Commons.
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The Word Within the Words
China’s 中华人民共和国新闻出版总署 (General Administration of Press and Publication) has duly updated the list of sensitive words and expressions banned and/or silenced on Chinese social media and web sites. So please keep it in mind when communicating in written form. Here is a summarised list:
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- “Winnie the Pooh” (小熊维尼)
- “Disney” (迪士尼)
- “Ten thousand years” (万岁), which is China’s way of saying: “Long live!” or “Viva!”
- “Disagree” (不同意)
- “Shameless” (不要脸)
- “Lifelong” (终身)
- “Personality cult” (个人崇拜)
- “Immortality” (长生不老)
A 昆明狼狗 (Kūnmíng wolfdog) yawns during a training exercise demonstration for the media at the Correctional Services Department (CSD) Dog Unit Headquarters in 香港 (Hong Kong), China. Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace.
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Tuesday, February 27, 2018
If 3. ... Ne6 then maybe 4. Nf5
In the above picture (by Eric van Reem) you can recognize an ongoing game of Fischerandom chess, begun from the starting position 924, in which a young boy and a teddy bear are playing with White in consultation.
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The Long, Hot Summer
A couple kiss in front of the Colosseum covered by snow during a snowfall in Rome, Italy. Schools and public offices were closed and snow-removal crews were in place as Rome was on high alert for a first winter blast. Photo: Angelo Carconi/EPA.
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The Lost Weekend
Learn to play chess like 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): born on February 27, 1994 in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province). Chess Grand Master, member of China’s women’s chess team. In 2010 she became the youngest Women’s World Chess Champion ever in chess history. In December 2017 she was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, the so-called “World Undergraduate Nobel Prize”.
Countless straight-A students help to brighten the image of China’s sports, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s light is particularly radiant. In December 2017, at 23, she was impressively awarded, along with three other straight-A students, the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most selective in the world, that will open her the gates of the University of Oxford.
Just a year earlier, at only 22, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was crowned for the fourth time Women’s World Chess Champion, thus earning a legendary place in chess history.
Taking into account her dual identity of “Women’s World Chess Champion” + “straight-A student” 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) can say she didn’t waste anyrthing, but she doesn’t like to be called a genius. “It can be inspiring, as a kind of encouragement. It’s just like your name, just a codename for you; maybe the way others call you. As for chess, I think talent is one thing, but ‘genius’ is a little too exaggerated; the most important things are training, opportunities and luck: all these things put together made me who I am today”.
Learn to play chess, enlightened parents won’t regret it
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was born on February 27, 1994 in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province). At the age of 5, when she was playing with her buddies, seeing other children playing Chinese checkers, she immediately asked: “What is this? Teach me to play”. Surprisingly, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) learned quickly, and was soon able to beat the older kids.
“Well, chess was my destiny, but Chinese checkers was there before chess”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) recalls, remembering how everything started.
Most parents could become concerned about their sons reading or playing chess, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s parents did not worry about that. “Her will was so clear we didn’t have reasons for doubts or regret”.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), who learned to play chess at 5, won a national youth championship for her age category that same year. After two years, it was hard to find an opponent for her in all 兴化 (Xīnghuà). At 7, after saying goodbye to her first teacher 童渊铭 (Tóng Yuānmíng), she was sent by her parents to the 齐鲁 (Qílǔ) Chess Academy. “At the time, anyway, I felt like an elementary-school student. I tried my best to get out of there, but with not much effect”.
Unexpectedly, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t need to “turn around”: within just two years, she joined China’s national team, hanging all the way up...
His father admitted: “We would not have been so steady if she, too, had not been so passionate in her love for chess. Since she worked very diligently, and her performances were growing and growing, we kept firmly supporting her”.
Keep studying, to enjoy different landscapes
In order to chase the dream of professional chess, many players give up their studies early, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t want to quit. Although chess took up a larger part of her life space, she always spent much of her rare free time in studying at school. In 2012, at 18, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) attended the Peking University’s Institute of International Relations.
Once admitted to the Peking University, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) split her life between chess around the world and campus. One of the important reasons for choosing a major in International Relations is that “the world is like a giant chessboard, and the complexities of international relations feature many similarities to most chess dynamics”. She hopes that the intersection of two sets of knowledges may light the spark of new ideas.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), differently from most Chinese sportspeople who entered the university with “Mixed Diplomas” after retirement, has always treated her studies very seriously, even when she was playing chess. She took the chance of combining her travels with the observations of the local customs and cultures, enriching her learning with invaluable practical experiences. So whenever she has to travel anywhere, she documents herself in advance on the historical and social backgrounds of the places, never limiting herself to a smallminded touristic scope.
Unlike other players of her age, she shows a completely different personality from her peers: “The other players substantially abandoned the world outside of chess, but instead I chose to embrace it”. Even when traveling for chess tournaments, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) still keeps studying and learning, from natural sciences to politics and business. For her, chess is a window into the wider world.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): born on February 27, 1994 in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province). Chess Grand Master, member of China’s women’s chess team. In 2010 she became the youngest Women’s World Chess Champion ever in chess history. In December 2017 she was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, the so-called “World Undergraduate Nobel Prize”.
Countless straight-A students help to brighten the image of China’s sports, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s light is particularly radiant. In December 2017, at 23, she was impressively awarded, along with three other straight-A students, the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most selective in the world, that will open her the gates of the University of Oxford.
Just a year earlier, at only 22, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was crowned for the fourth time Women’s World Chess Champion, thus earning a legendary place in chess history.
Taking into account her dual identity of “Women’s World Chess Champion” + “straight-A student” 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) can say she didn’t waste anyrthing, but she doesn’t like to be called a genius. “It can be inspiring, as a kind of encouragement. It’s just like your name, just a codename for you; maybe the way others call you. As for chess, I think talent is one thing, but ‘genius’ is a little too exaggerated; the most important things are training, opportunities and luck: all these things put together made me who I am today”.
Learn to play chess, enlightened parents won’t regret it
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was born on February 27, 1994 in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province). At the age of 5, when she was playing with her buddies, seeing other children playing Chinese checkers, she immediately asked: “What is this? Teach me to play”. Surprisingly, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) learned quickly, and was soon able to beat the older kids.
“Well, chess was my destiny, but Chinese checkers was there before chess”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) recalls, remembering how everything started.
Most parents could become concerned about their sons reading or playing chess, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s parents did not worry about that. “Her will was so clear we didn’t have reasons for doubts or regret”.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), who learned to play chess at 5, won a national youth championship for her age category that same year. After two years, it was hard to find an opponent for her in all 兴化 (Xīnghuà). At 7, after saying goodbye to her first teacher 童渊铭 (Tóng Yuānmíng), she was sent by her parents to the 齐鲁 (Qílǔ) Chess Academy. “At the time, anyway, I felt like an elementary-school student. I tried my best to get out of there, but with not much effect”.
Unexpectedly, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t need to “turn around”: within just two years, she joined China’s national team, hanging all the way up...
His father admitted: “We would not have been so steady if she, too, had not been so passionate in her love for chess. Since she worked very diligently, and her performances were growing and growing, we kept firmly supporting her”.
Keep studying, to enjoy different landscapes
In order to chase the dream of professional chess, many players give up their studies early, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t want to quit. Although chess took up a larger part of her life space, she always spent much of her rare free time in studying at school. In 2012, at 18, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) attended the Peking University’s Institute of International Relations.
Once admitted to the Peking University, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) split her life between chess around the world and campus. One of the important reasons for choosing a major in International Relations is that “the world is like a giant chessboard, and the complexities of international relations feature many similarities to most chess dynamics”. She hopes that the intersection of two sets of knowledges may light the spark of new ideas.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), differently from most Chinese sportspeople who entered the university with “Mixed Diplomas” after retirement, has always treated her studies very seriously, even when she was playing chess. She took the chance of combining her travels with the observations of the local customs and cultures, enriching her learning with invaluable practical experiences. So whenever she has to travel anywhere, she documents herself in advance on the historical and social backgrounds of the places, never limiting herself to a smallminded touristic scope.
Unlike other players of her age, she shows a completely different personality from her peers: “The other players substantially abandoned the world outside of chess, but instead I chose to embrace it”. Even when traveling for chess tournaments, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) still keeps studying and learning, from natural sciences to politics and business. For her, chess is a window into the wider world.
(English translation by I, Robot)
The then three-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) talking about “life as a chessboard”, “diplomacy as a chess game”, and “importance of understanding game-thinking” on occasion of President 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng)’s visit to Peking University on China’s Youth Day on Sunday, May 4, 2014 in 北京 (Běijīng), China. Photo collage: sports.sina.com.cn.
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Monday, February 26, 2018
I’m sure he hit Arcovazzi full in the face
Rome, Italy: A young priest throws a snowball during heavy snowfall in Saint Peter’s Square. Photo: Max Rossi/Reuters.
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I hate people who kill animals
Wentorf bei Hamburg, Germany: A roebuck keeps an eye out while foraging during freezing temperatures. Photo: Ulrich Perrey/AFP/Getty Images.
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One should not want to be anything but what one is
There are many ways to arrive; the best is not to leave.
Ennio Flaiano, “Il gioco e il massacro”, 1970
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A sea turtle swims in the water off the shore of Naqoura, a small town south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut. Photo: AFP/Joseph Eid.
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Sunday, February 25, 2018
Flying High
America’s First Daughter Ivanka Trump attended the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She chose to significantly distinguish herself from the “non-diplomatic behaviour” ostentatiously shown by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the opening ceremony, by standing and clapping when both North and South Korean athletes entered the stadium during the closing ceremony. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images.
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Neon lighting
Neon dancers performing in the closing ceremony at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Photo: Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images.
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低温生物学 (Cryobiology)
新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency) published a 36-word dispatch in which it is said that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has proposed China’s Constitution be modified so that it no longer contained a section stipulating that the President and Vice President “shall serve no more than two consecutive [five-year] terms”. That means that 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng) is seriously thinking about staying in power for at least another ten years and perhaps even beyond.
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An Aldabra giant tortoise on Curieuse Islands, Seychelles. Photo: Tate Drucker/The Nature Conservancy.
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Not the Same Old, Done-It-Before Knockout World Cup
Kim Yo-jong (right), North Korea’s Red Princess, brightened the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, while tomorrow Ivanka Trump (left), America’s First Daughter, will grace with her presence the closing ceremony. Photo collage: Reuters.
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Saturday, February 24, 2018
What You Can Do When You Can’t
Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Olehivna Muzychuk (pictured above right) was awarded, among others, the “Mujeres que Brillan” (“Shining Women”) award — a prize offered by Iberdrola to women who fight for their rights and gender equality — during an awarding ceremony at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain on February 22, 2018. Last December, Muzychuk abdicated her double crown of Women’s World Rapid & Blitz Chess Champion by boycotting the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Championships in Saudi Arabia over women’s right. Photo: Elisa Ventoso/The Luxonomist.
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Since then, Muzychuk (seated left in the above pic) has picked up audiences and awards here and there in Spain, but still nothing substantial enough to change the chess world. Paradoxically speaking, at the end of her experience, she could even find out that changing the world is much easier than changing the chess world. Photo: Elisa Ventoso/The Luxonomist.
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Snow Swan
A swan stands on a snowy meadow at the Olympiapark in Munich, southern Germany. Photo: Chiara Puzzo/AFP/Getty Images.
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Gulliver’s Travels
Gangneung, South Korea: A woman is seen from behind glass as she looks at men’s curling matches at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Photo: Natacha Pisarenko/AP.
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Friday, February 23, 2018
Twice Blessed
Kim Yo-jong, North Korea’s Red Princess and younger sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is reportedly pregnant of her second child, according to South Korean governative unnamed sources cited by The Korea Herald of February 20, 2018. At the same time, however, nothing is official, as the North Korean government never publicly announced whether Kim Yo-jong gave birth to her first child or even got married. Photo © Reuters/Yonhap.
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Intelligence Is Overrated
Stupidity has made enormous progress. It is a sun that one can no longer gaze at without blinking. Thanks to mass communications, it isn’t even the same thing any longer, it feeds on other myths, it sells at an extremely high price, it has turned good sense into something ridiculous, it spreads terror all around itself.
Ennio Flaiano, “The Via Veneto Papers”, 1973
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Chasing the Sun
黔东南州 (Qiándōngnán Prefecture), China: Children take part in the 抬官人 (Táiguānrén) Festival to wish for favourable weather in the new year. Photo: VCG/Getty Images.
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Philology and Criticism
A Geoffroy’s monk saki is seen at the Parque de Las Leyendas zoo in Lima, Peru on February 14, 2018. Photo: Reuters/Guadalupe Pardo.
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Letters Make Words
After dismissing the letter of FIDE treasurer Adrian M. Siegel – regarding the impending closure of FIDE’s Swiss bank UBS account – as a “fake news”, FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov put out – through his London lawyer Nigel Kuschner from W Legal boutique law firm – a tough statement warning about further spreading of news that he regards as falsehoods damaging his reputation. The original statement was published both in Russian and English language on his own web site:
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However, as reported by Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett on his blog, FIDE treasurer Mr. Siegel, through a letter sent to all federations, denied any wrong doing, insisting all he addressed is hardly anything but unfounded. For furter details and updates, visit spraggettonchess.com.
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The View from Saturday
Tomorrow is Saturday and it is time to shuffle off the board, so don’t miss your time and join the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s weekly Fischerandom chess meeting (as usual starting at 16,00). If you feel regret having to do with Arcovazzi in your recent past, don’t worry and forget about it, you are welcome anyway! Everyone can make mistakes, and we won’t ever be so intransigent as not to believe that you’re learning from yours.
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Thursday, February 22, 2018
No Guns Allowed
Parkland, Florida, United States: A note fixed to the fence of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the mass shooting there. Photo: Carlos García Rawlins/Reuters.
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Conosco i segni de l’antica fiamma (I recognize the signals of the ancient flame)
Here, again, is Giuditta Sottili, Wednesdays and Fridays dancer of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, pictured in all her splendour on the day when she received her bachelor’s degree on Dantean Philology and Criticism from the University of Florence (Faculty of Letters and Philosophy) with her thesis entitled “Purgatorio XXX: problemi ecdotici e questioni esegetiche al ritorno di Beatrice” (“Purgatorio XXX: Textual criticism problems and exegetical questions to the return of Beatrice). No matter if, in the meantime and long before then, Beatrice has not solved her personal and intimate exegesis and doubts, because, anyway, Giuditta will continue her studies towards a master’s degree! My thanks again to Giuditta’s fellow dancer Ester Marra for her photo reportage!
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He thought it was love, but it was a sofa
Eva Stenram’s, Part 5, 2014. Photo: Eva Stenram/The Ravestijn Gallery, Amsterdam.
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