Edna, please don’t be so angry! If he doesn’t present himself within a reasonable time, it cannot but mean that the “Heavenly Palace” fell on his head during the night

Artwork © Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios

A Long Way to Go

Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Karlsruhe, March 31, 2018
8/p1r5/5Pk1/8/3p2P1/P1p5/7P/5RK1 w - - 0 40

Position after 39. ... Rb7xc7

Fabiano Caruana has today experienced how much hard work and study he will need to be competitive in the next World Chess Championship match against Magnus Carlsen. After suffering for the past 39 moves, Fabiano got into the extremely difficult Rook endgame position shown in the diagram. One feels that whatever White does, mighty Magnus will find the way to win, but fortunately one may still cling to Savielly Tartakower’s old saying that “all Rook endgames are drawn”. Of course it isn’t always true, but it isn’t always untrue. 40. Kf2 c2 41. Rc1 d3 42. Ke3 Rd7 43. Kd2 Kxf6 44. h4 Ke5 45. Rf1 Kd4 46. h5 Re7 47. Rf4+ Kd5 48. Rf1 Kc4 49. Rf4+ Kd5 50. Rf1 Kc4 51. Rf4+ Kb3 52. Rb4+ Kxa3 53. Rc4 Kb3 54. Rc8 a5? Carlsen apparently misses the only winning move 54. ... Rh7! 55. Rb8+ Ka2 56. Rc8 a5 57. Ra8 (or 57. Kxd3 Kb1−+) 57. ... Rc7 58. Rxa5+ Kb3 59. Ra1 Kb2 60. Rg1 Rg7 61. Kxd3 Rxg4 62. Rxg4 c1=Q with a technical win for Black. 55. h6 Re2+ 56. Kxd3 Rh2 57. g5 Rh3+ 58. Kd2 Rh2+ 59. Kd3 ½ : ½.

Fabiano Caruana (right) vs. Magnus Carlsen (left). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

Спёртый мат (Smothered mate)

Matthias Blübaum – Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Karlsruhe, March 31, 2018
3q2k1/Q4pp1/5np1/8/8/2r2B2/P4KPP/R7 b - - 0 24

Position after 24. Qa4xa7

24. ... Ne4+! 25. Kg1. If 25. Ke1 then 25. ... Rc2 finis. If, instead 25. Bxe4 then 25. ... Rc7!! forcing a won endgame in all variations. 25. ... Ra3!! 0 : 1. For if 26. Qxa3 then 26. ... Qd4+ 27. Kh1 Nf2+ 28. Kg1 Nh3++ 29. Kh1 Qg1+ 30. Rxg1 Nf2 mate.

Matthias Blübaum (right) vs. Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov (left). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

Riding the Tiger

Viswanathan Anand – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Karlsruhe, March 31, 2018
English Opening A17

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bd6 5. b3 0-0 6. Bb2 c5 7. g4!? In a very similar (almost identical) position, with Black’s a-Pawn on a6 and c-Pawn still on c7, Russian Grandmaster Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi played this way against Anand himself, who was eventually defeated: 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 a6 5. b3 Bd6 6. Bb2 0-0 7. g4 Nxg4 8. Rg1 f5 9. cxd5 e5 10. h3 Nf6 11. Ng5 Qe7 12. Qf3 Kh8 13. Ne6 Bxe6 14. dxe6 Qxe6 15. Qxb7 Nbd7 16. Bc4 Qe7 17. Qg2 Nb6 18. Be2 a5 19. Bb5 Rad8 20. Qg5 g6 21. Qh6 Ng8 22. Qg5 Nf6 23. Rd1 e4 24. Qh6 Rg8 25. Ne2 Be5 26. Bxe5 Qxe5 27. Nf4 g5 28. Rxg5 Rxg5 29. Qxg5 Rg8 30. Qh6 Rg7 31. Bc4 Nxc4 32. bxc4 Qb2 33. Ke2 a4 34. Ne6 Rf7 35. Nf4 Rg7 36. a3 Ne8 37. Qc6 1 : 0 Nepomniachtchi – Anand, 9th London Chess Classic, London 2017.
7. ... d4!? On her turn Black dogmatically counterattacks in the centre through a Pawn sacrifice. The “nonsensical” 7. ... a6 might transpose into 8. g5 Ne4 9. cxd5 Nxc3 10. dxc3 b5 11. c4 where White stands decidedly better, Khismatullin – Bosiočić, 6th World Rapid Chess Championship, ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh) 2017.

8. exd4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 e5 10. Nf5 Bxf5 11. gxf5 Nc6! A powerful novelty by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). 11. ... e4 12. d4 Nc6 seems also to be fine for Black, Loxine – Santos Ruiz, 37th German Schach Bundesliga, Aachen 2017.
12. Bg2? Engines give 12. Qf3 as White’s best move, without fearing 12. ... Nd4 (because of 13. Qd3), and preparing for Queenside castling.

12. ... Nb4! And this looks like a refutation, even if (perhaps) it isn’t. Whatever it is, after only twelve moves, Black can boast the initiative already.
13. Qe2! Since 12. 0-0 Nd3 could hardly inspire any trust, Anand comes up with a deeply conceived Exchange sacrifice — in fact his last (and only) saving clause — which will give him enough compensation, especially thanks to his very powerful light-squared Bishop.
13. ... Nc2+ 14. Kd1 Nxa1 15. Bxa1 Qd7 16. Ne4 Qxf5 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. Bxb7 Rad8 19. Kc2 Rfe8 20. Bc3

20. ... Bc5. Interesting was 20. ... Bb4!? forcing the exchange of a pair of Bishops (21. Bxb4 Qb6).
21. f3 Bd4 22. Re1 g6 23. Qe4 Kg7 24. Bd5 Qb6 25. b4

25. ... f5 (⌓ 25. ... a5!)
26. Qd3 Bxc3 27. dxc3 Qd6 28. a4 a5 29. Kb3 Rb8 30. b5 Qc5 31. h4 Rbd8. Unfortunately, Black can’t push too hard into White’s position without exposing herself to serious risk of losing; for example: 31. ... Qf2? 32. Re2 Qxh4? 33. c5 and White’s Pawns rampantly run to queen.
32. h5 Kf6 33. hxg6 hxg6 34. Qe3 Qxe3 35. Rxe3 Rd6 36. Re1 Rc8 37. Rh1 Kg7 38. Kc2 g5 39. Rd1 Kf6 40. Kd3 Rb6 41. Rh1 Kg7 42. Rg1 Kf6 43. Ke3 Rd6 44. Rb1 Rb6 45. Ke2 Kg6 46. Kf2 Kf6 47. Rh1 Kg7 48. Re1 ½ : ½. A very interesting game, especially from a theoretical standpoint.

She who rides the tiger dares not dismount. Photo: Georgios Souleidis.

But, of course, Edna, no one knows for sure what route you took

Artwork © AtlantaJones

Maybe he doesn’t look like a virtuoso dancer, but he recognizes you as one. So I’m sure he would give up all the world’s richness not to miss your ballet première at Her Majesty’s Theatre

C’mon, Edna, don’t panic! Whatever he may offer, you should know that everything depends only on my mood!

Artwork © SusanGuinto/BRIK

The Sting

Caruana’s victory in the candidates series in Berlin has sparked rumours that November’s world title contest may switch from London to the United States and offer a larger financial prize to the winner By winning this week’s candidates tournament in Berlin, the 25-year-old American Fabiano Caruana has qualified for a 12-game world title series against Norway’s Magnus Carlsen in November. It was going to be in London with a €1m prize fund, but now there are rumours of a much higher bid, a venue switch to St Louis and tricky negotiations. [Read more].

• Leonard Barden, Chess: St Louis may bid for Fabiano Caruana versus Magnus Carlsen match, The Guardian, March 30, 2018

Oh, Edna, I watched ’em all day long, and now more than ever I know that they will never be able to overshadow you

Artwork © Kristen Gish

复活节彩蛋 (Easter egg)

China’s out-of-control 8.5-tonne 天宫一号 (Tiāngōng-1) – literally “Heavenly Palace” – space station will crash to Earth this weekend, sometime between Saturday night and Sunday evening.

Oh, if only time could be stopped...

A man changes a wrist watch battery at his clock shop in Bentong outside Kuala Lumpur in nearby Pahang state, Malaysia. Photo: AFP/Mohd Rasfan.

Have trust Edna, I feel that your trademark multi-coloured headband will keep him under constant subjection

Artwork © Shimmering Splendid Ear Co (@shimmeringsplendidearco)

Hangover Holiday

Pascal Karsay – Rustam Mashrukovich Kasimdzhanov
3rd GRENKE Chess Open; Karlsruhe, March 29, 2018
4r1k1/3q1pb1/1np3p1/p4p1p/1pPP4/3B1QP1/PP3P1P/2BR2K1 w - - 1 25

Position after 24. ... Bf8-g7

In the meantime, Fabiano Caruana’s second, Uzbek Grandmaster and former FIDE World Champion (2004-2005) Rustam Mashrukovich Kasimdzhanov, made its debut in the record-breaking 3rd GRENKE Open (featuring more than 1,500 players from everywhere) with a disconcerting defeat against a young opponent. After 25. Be3, he didn’t resist the temptation of taking right now the d-Pawn with 25. ... Bxd4? when instead it would have been wiser policy to have played first 25. ... Na4 as after 26. Rd2 Bxd4 27. Bxf5 Qxf5 28. Qxf5 gxf5 29. Bxd4 Rd8 30. b3 Nc5 the game would have manifestly tended to a draw. 26. Bxf5 Rxe3?? And now, still in the hangover of the Berlin celebrations, Rustam Mashrukovich blunders the Exchange. Black had nothing better than 26. ... Qxf5 27. Qxf5 gxf5 28. Rxd4 Na4 29. Rd2 f6 30. Kg2 which, however, gave White a clear advantage in the ending, due to the scattered Black Pawns on the Kingside. 27. Qxe3 1 : 0.

A diva is a diva whether eclipsed or not

A Chinese crested dog is enjoying happiness and peace. Photo: iStock.

The Longest Easter Egg Hunt Ever

Well, fate has pronounced its sentence: Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will play each other in the first round of the 5th GRENKE Chess Classic in Karlsruhe on March 31, 2018. Then, probably, they’ll no longer meet until next November (with only one major exception: the 6th Altibox Norway Chess in Stavanger). So, the day after tomorrow, they’ll do their best to monopolise attention and eclipse all other games – namely, Matthias Blübaum vs. Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov, Georg Meier vs. Levon Grigori Aronian, Arkadij Naiditsch vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Viswanathan Anand vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). But... will they succeed in their egotistic goal?

Fabiano Caruana on stage for the drawing of lots. Photo: GRENKEChess 2018 (@GRENKEChess).

Easter Eve

Meerkats play with Easter treats at Taronga Zoo, in Sidney, Australia. Photo: Daniel Muñoz/AAP.

No doubt, Edna, only people like them are capable of turning time into timelessness

Artwork © Valerie T. Heyerdahl

Autumn Spring

Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will face each other very soon in a pre-premiere of their World Chess Championship match, which is scheduled for next fall in London, England. Both they indeed will take part in the 5th GRENKE Chess Classic to be held in Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden, Germany from 31 March to 9 April 2018. It will be an important game especially for advertising purposes, in order to enhance reliability to a purely “Western” world match, organised by an “Eastern” (Russian) consortium, amidst tense controversies over East and West. Hysteria, ostentations of posthumous moral integrity, and punitive reprisals usually serve only to validate the rough purposes for which most so-called “intelligence” agencies of the “free” and “unfree” worlds do “politics” all the time and everywhere. It would rather take high-political and systemic answers by the institutions elected to do politics. I don’t know if England, with its conservative government, will be able to make itself more of an extra-European tourist destination, but of course I hope so.

Artwork © Willum Morsch (@WillumTM)

Round Trip Ticket by Train

The above picture, released Wednesday, March 28, 2018 by China’s 新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency), portrays Chinese President 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng), second from right, and his wife 彭丽媛 (Péng Lìyuán), right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from left, and his wife Ri Sol-ju, left, posing for a photo at the Great Hall of the People in 北京 (Běijīng), China. The Chinese government confirmed Wednesday that North Korean leader paid an “unofficial” visit to People’s Republic of China from March 25 to 28 (round trip ticket by train) in his first known visit to a foreign country since taking power in 2011. The most likely purpose of Kim’s visit was to outline all details before his impending April summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Photo: 鞠鹏 (Jū Péng)/新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency) via AP.

Theory of Colours

Istanbul, Turkey: A model backstage before the Raşit Bağzıbağlı show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Photo: Sinem Yazici/Getty Images for IMG.

Zapping

From left: Sofia Nutini, Chiara Angelini, Olga Calamai, Silvia Bertini, and Viola Rocchini 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 17, 2017. Photo: Foto Rapid Center.

Coming Soon

Yes, Edna, maybe if he had appeared on the cover of Gentlemen’s Quarterly and offered the world the same promises as Adonis, then world history could have changed

The Behind the Curtain

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 27, 2018
Spanish Game C78

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin and 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) also deserve praise for their performance. Chinese Grandmaster ended unbeaten, while the former Russian challenger was almost to repeat himself thanks to an imperious comeback. In today’s game, which both needed to win if they wanted to keep alive their challenging hopes, they’ve had to content themselves with a draw, which, however, can be regarded as very honourable for them both. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 0-0 9. Nc3 Bg4 10. Be3 Nd4 11. Bxd4 exd4 12. Nd5 c5 13. a4 Be6 14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bxe6 fxe6 16. Qe2 Qd7 17. b3 e5!? 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) aims to improve on 17. ... Qc7 18. Rfe1 Be5 (18. ... e5 should have been considered) 19. g3 h6 20. Nh4 Qf7 21. Ng2 Bf6 22. Ra2 e5 23. Rea1 Rac8 (23. ... b4, however unpleasant, was quite called for) 24. axb5 axb5 25. Ra7 Rc7 26. Rxc7 Qxc7 27. Ne1 Qc6 28. Qg4 d5 29. exd5 Qxd5 30. Nf3 c4 31. bxc4 bxc4 32. Nd2 c3 33. Ne4 Qb7 34. Kg2 Kh8 35. h4 Ra8 36. Rxa8+ Qxa8 37. Qf5 Qd5 38. Qg6 Bd8 39. Qe8+ Kh7 40. h5 Bg5 41. Kh3 Qa2 42. Nd6 1 : 0 Motylev – Eljanov, 15th Karpov Poikovsky Chess Tournament, Poikovsky 2014. 18. Ra2 b4 19. Nd2 Rae8 20. Raa1 Bd8 21. g3 g5! 22. Nc4 Re6 23. a5 Ref6 24. f3 h5! 25. Nb6 Qf7 26. Kg2 h4 27. Nd5! Maybe the exclamation mark sounds a bit excessive, but it is meant to reward Karjakin’s extraordinary defensive skills. Here White found himself in quite a difficult situation, but he succeeds in getting out of it through an idea which is really far from obvious. 27. ... h3+! 28. Kg1 (28. Kxh3?? g4+!−+) 28. ... Rxf3 29. g4! Kg7 30. Rxf3 Qxf3 31. Qxf3 Rxf3

32. Rf1! Karjakin has well evaluated that White’s fortress will be impenetrable in spite of the two pawns minus. 32. ... Rxf1+ 33. Kxf1 Bxa5 34. Ne7 Kf6 35. Nf5. Intending both Nf5-g3-e2-g1 and Nf5-g3-h1-f2. 35. ... Ke6 36. Ng3 Ke6 36. Ng3 Bd8 37. Nh1 a5 38. Ke2 d5 39. Nf2 Kd6 40. exd5 Kxd5 41. Ne4 Kc6 42. Kd2 Be7 43. Kc1 Kb5 44. Kb2 a4 45. Ka2! a3 ½ : ½.

Garfield Goes Hollywood

Alexander Igorevich Grischuk – Fabiano Caruana
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 27, 2018
Russian Defence C43

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. dxe5 d5 5. Nbd2 Nxd2 6. Bxd2 Be7 7. Bd3 c5 8. c3 Nc6 9. 0-0 Bg4 10. Re1 Qd7 11. h3 Bh5! Caruana improves on 11. ... Bf5 that caused Black to cede some ground after 12. Qc2 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 0-0 14. Rad1 Qe6 15. a3 a6 16. Be3 Rad8 17. b4 cxb4 18. axb4 Rd7 19. Bd4 Re8 20. Re3 Bd8 21. Rde1 h6 22. Kh2 Bc7 23. g3 Bd8 24. Kg2 Be7 25. R3e2 Bd8? (after this White’s space advantage quickly gains overwhelming strength) 26. Bc5 Be7 27. Nd4+− Nxd4 28. Bxd4 Bf8 29. f4 Qc6 30. f5 Qc4 31. Qd2 Qc6 32. Qf4 b6 33. Qg4 a5 34. e6 fxe6 35. b5 Qxb5 36. fxe6 Rde7 37. Bf6 Qc6 38. Bxe7 Bxe7 39. Kh2 Rf8 40. Qd4 Bf6 41. Qd3 Be7 42. Rd1 Rf6 43. Qxd5 Qxc3 44. Qb5 Qf3 45. Rdd2 Rg6 46. Qe5 a4 47. Qf4 1 : 0 Vallejo Pons – Perez Garcia, 53rd Spanish Team Chess Championship (División de Honor), Lugo 2009. 12. Bf4 Qe6 13. a3 0-0 14. b4 h6 15. Bg3!? b6(!) 16. Nd4? Thus, White forces a simplification into a bit uncomfortable position, where Black can safely play on a definite edge. However, because White got exactly nothing out of the opening I wouldn’t know what to do here and now, except than playing slowly (in Ruy López style). Maybe. 16. ... Bxd1 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Raxd1 c4! 19. Bc2 b5 20. a4 a6 21. f3 Bg5. With 21. ... Nxb4!? 22. cxb4 Bxb4 Black would have gotten two Pawns for the Knight and three passed and united Pawns, and maybe under other circumstances Caruana would have played this way. In the actual situation, however, he quite rightly prefers a more “moderate” approach. 22. Bf2 Bf4 23. Bc5 Rfd8 24. Bd6 Bg3 25. Re2 g5 26. Kf1 Kf7 27. Bc7 Re8. Another way up was 27. ... Rd7 28. Bd6 Rad8 eventually followed by the Exchange sacrifice on d6, but, for the reasons above given, Black is not in a hurry. 28. Bd6 Rac8 29. Ra1 Red8 30. Bb1 Rd7 31. Ra3? Grischuk is playing only on increment as usual, so no wonder he ended up mistaking an open door for a prohibition of access. Best was 31. axb5 axb5 32. Ra6, though after 32. ... Ra7 it is probably easier to play with Black.

31. ... d4! 32. axb5 axb5 33. cxd4 Nxd4 34. Rea2 Nc6 35. Be4 Bxe5 36. Bxc6 Rxd6 37. Bxb5 Rd1+ 38. Ke2 Rg1 39. Ke3 Rb1? 39. ... c3! 40. Ra7+ Kf6 was all another way for Black to reach time control, but by now Caruana too was tremendously short of time. 40. Ra7+? And luckily Grischuk did not play 40. Ra8! Rxa8 41. Rxa8 Rxb4 leaving Black a Pawn ahead in a still drawable Rook and Bishops of opposite colour endgame. 40. ... Kf6 41. Bd7 Bf4+ 42. Ke2 Rd8 43. Rc2. Stockfish’s 43. R2a6 Rb2+ 44. Kf1 Rxd7 45. Rxd7 c3 will force White to give a Rook for the c-Pawn, eventually remaining a Bishop down (but two Pawns up) and, however bad the prospect, it was probably Grischuk’s best chance to keep holding on to hope (for a draw). 43. ... Rxb4. 43. ... Rg1! is preferred by almost all chess engines, but who is in the mood to quibble? 44. Bc6 c3 45. Rd7 Rc8 46. Be4 h5. Since Kramnik and Mamedyarov agreed a draw just now, Caruana can finally play for the sake of play, with the certainty that he is Magnus Carlsen’s challenger! 47. Kd3 Rb2 48. Ke2 h4 49. Rd1 Ke5 50. Ra1 Rd8 51. Rd1 Rdb8 52. Ra1 Bd2 53. Ra6 Rd8 54. Rc6 Rb1 55. Kf2 Ra1 56. Rc4 Rd4 57. Rc8 Rb4 58. Ke2 Kf4 59. Kf2 Rbb1 60. Rf8+ Ke5 61. Bd3 Rb2 62. Ke2 Re1+ 63. Kf2 Rc1 64. Rxb2 cxb2 65. Rb8 Bc3 66. Be4 Bd4+ 67. Ke2 Kf4 68. Rb4 e5 69. Rb7 Kg3 0 : 1.

American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana will challenge Magnus Carlsen’s World Chess Championship in November. Photo: World Chess.

The Cat in the Hat

A model gets her hat fixed backstage before displaying creations from designer 陈野槐 (Grace Chen) on the catwalk during China Fashion Week in 北京 (Běijīng), China. Photo: AFP/Nicolas Asfouri.

Tooth and Nail

Alexandria, Egypt: A voter’s finger is marked with ink at a polling station during the second day of the presidential election. Photo: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters.

#090088

Olga Calamai 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 17, 2017. Photo: Foto Rapid Center.

Oh, Edna, you took the words right out of my mouth!

Credit: @silvergrrl

Please Edna, you better pretend to agree with her, otherwise she will torment him to the end of his days

Artwork © Rachel L (@illustratedmix)

Little Red Riding Hood

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 17, 2017. Photo: Foto Rapid Center.

Bis repetita placent

Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov – Alexander Igorevich Grischuk
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 26, 2018
8/4pp1k/2Bn2p1/qPQ4p/4P2P/2p3P1/5PK1/8 w - - 1 34

Position after 33. ... Kg8-h7

Azerbaijani Grandmaster Mamedyarov painted today a minimalist masterpiece, actually doing what he did not succeed in doing in his game against 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) just two days ago. So, yes, even a King with all of the mighty power of two Queens is susceptible to be mated! 34. e5 Nxb5?? Grischuk didn’t obviously suspect how much deadly this Pawn is. 34. ... Nf5 (35. Be4 e6) would have kept the balance. 35. e6!! And here is the brilliant touch! Grischuk had probably calculated only 35. Bxb5? c2 36. e6 c1=Q 37. Qxc1 Qxb5 38. exf7 Qd5+ with a draw coming soonly. 35. ... Qa3. Or 35. ... fxe6 36. Qxe7+ Kh6 37. Qf8+ Kh7 38. Qf7+ Kh8 39. Qf6+ Kh7 40. Be4 and finis. 36. Qxb5 c2 37. exf7 Kg7 38. Be4 c1=Q 39. Qe8 1 : 0. For if 39. ... e6 then 40. f8=Q+ Qxf8 41. Qxg6+ Kh8 42. Qh7 mate.

The Longest Yard

Fabiano Caruana – Levon Grigori Aronian
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 26, 2018
Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. d3 d6 9. Bd2. The background story (the antefact) is 9. a4 Bd7 10. c3 Na5 11. Bc2 c5 12. Nbd2 Re8 13. d4 exd4? (13. ... cxd4) 14. cxd4 Bg4 15. h3 Bh5 16. d5 (White stands clearly better already) 16. ... Qc8 17. Nf1 Bd8 18. g4 Bg6 19. Ng3 b4 20. Nh4 b3 21. Bb1 Nxg4 22. Nxg6 Nxf2 23. Ne7+ Rxe7 24. Kxf2 Re5 25. Kg2 c4 26. Nf5 Bf6 27. Qf3 c3 28. Nh6+ Kh8 29. Bd3 Re7 30. e5 Bxe5 31. Qe4 g6 32. Qh4 f6 33. Rxe5 dxe5 34. Qxf6+ Rg7 35. Qxe5 Qe8 36. Qxc3 Rc8 37. Qxa5 Re7 38. Bg5 Re2+ 39. Kg1 1 : 0 Caruana – Aronian, 5th Final Masters, Bilbao 2012. 9. ... Bg4. Two days ago Aronian opted for 9. ... Kh8 10. h3 Nd7 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Nd5 Nxb3 13. axb3 Bb7 14. c4 f5 finally managing (somehow) to save the day, Grischuk – Aronian, Candidates Tournament, Berlin 2018. 10. c3 d5 11. h3 Bh5 12. Qe2 Rb8 13. Bg5 dxe4 14. dxe4 h6 15. Bc1! Bg6 16. Nbd2 Nh5 17. Nf1 Bc5 18. g3! Kh7 19. Kg2 Qe7 20. Bc2 Rfd8 21. b4! Bb6 22. a4! Caruana has clearly won the theoretical challenge, so now Black comes up with a wild counterattack, reminiscent of their game in 2012. 22. ... Nf6 23. Nh4 Qe6 24. Bd3 Bh5!? 25. g4! Caruana is having a déjà vu experience right now! 25. ... Bxg4! 26. hxg4 Nxg4 27. Nf5! Nxf2! 28. Bc2! g6 29. N1e3!? The interpolation of 29. a5! might be useful, as after 29. ... Ba7 30. N5e3 Nh3 White has 31. Nd5! attacking c7. 29. ... gxf5 30. exf5 Qf6! 31. Qxf2

31. ... e4? Pressured by time, Aronian misses the incredibly strong 31. ... Nxb4! 32. cxb4 Rd4! (Δ ... Rb8-g8+) 33. Kh3 Rg8!? (33. ... Qg5!∞ might be even stronger) 34. Nd5! Rxd5 35. Qf3 Rd4 36. Be4 Rxb4 37. Ra3! bxa4∞ with very unclear play – but good compensation for Black. 32. Rh1 Rd6 33. Bxe4 Rg8+ 34. Kf1 Ne5 35. Qf4 c6 36. axb5 Rg5 37. bxa6 Qd8 38. f6+ Ng6 39. Rxh6+! 1 : 0. So Caruana leads alone by half a point with only one round to go.

变态 (Metamorphosis)

A model prepares backstage creations from designer 胡社光 (Hú Shèguāng)’s haute couture showcase during China Fashion Week in 北京 (Běijīng), China. Photo: AFP/Fred Dufour.

Centre Stage

Viola Rocchini 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 17, 2017. Photo: Foto Rapid Center.

Yes, Edna, there’s no doubt that without you they would have been shamefully beaten by a team of secondary school girls

Artwork © Hollie Ballard (@jammyjimjams)

Mitteleuropean Asian Style

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) celebrating the win in the 27th Frauen-Bundesliga with the team boss of OSG Baden-Baden Thilo Gubler on March 25, 2018 at Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. Photo: Thilo Gubler.

Bears in the Forest

Two brown bears challenge each other in the animal park in Neuschönau, Germany. Photo: Lino Mirgeler/AP.

Sturmtruppen

Nino Batsiashvili – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
27th Frauen-Bundesliga; Schwäbisch Hall, March 25, 2018
Queen’s Pawn Game A40

1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. e4 Bb7 4. Bd3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nxd2 d6 7. Ne2 Nd7 8. 0-0 Ne7 9. f4 e5 10. fxe5 dxe5 11. d5 a5 12. Nf3. Out of theory (in fact, a Chinese reference): 12. Ng3 0-0 13. Bc2 Nc5 14. b3 Qd6 15. a3 Nd7 16. Kh1 Ba6 17. Rf3 c6 18. Nf5 Nxf5 19. exf5 cxd5 20. Ne4 Qc7 21. cxd5 Rfc8 22. Rc1 Qd8? (22. ... Nc5! was called for) 23. f6!+− g6 24. Qd2 Nc5 25. Ng5 e4 26. Nxe4 Bb7 27. Nc3 Nd7 28. Qd4 Qe8 29. Re3 Qd8 30. Re7 Qc7 31. Bf5 1 : 0 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 万云国 (Wàn Yúnguó), World Champion Chess Championship Zonal 3.5, 中山 (Zhōngshān) 2014. 12. ... Ng6 13. b3 Qe7 14. Qd2 Nc5 15. Bc2 Bc8 16. Ng3 0-0 17. Nf5 Qf6 18. Rae1 Bd7 19. a3 Nb7 20. h3. 20. h4!? looked very natural as well, for if 20. ... Nd6 there might follow 21. h5 Nf4 22. Nxe5 Nh3+ 23. gxh3 Qxe5 24. Rf3 with some initiative for White. 20. ... Rfe8 21. Nh2. Threatening to win the Queen by Nf5-h6+. 21. ... Nf4 22. Kh1 h5 23. Nf3 Nd6 24. Nxe5. Finally, White wins a Pawn, but Black’s very active Rook fully compensates for it. 24. ... Bxf5 25. exf5 Rxe5 26. Rxe5 Qxe5 27. Qxf4 Re8 28. Qxe5 Rxe5 29. Bd3 Re3 30. Rd1 Re5 31. Rf1 Re3 32. Rd1 Kf8 33. b4 axb4 34. axb4 Ke7 35. Kg1 Re5 36. g4 hxg4 37. hxg4 Ne8!? The engines give here as best (or safest) 37. ... f6 38. Kf2 Nf7. From a human standpoint, however, it’s understandable the need for a less defensive attitude. 38. Kf2 b5! Probably the only move. 39. c5 Nf6. Black cannot regain the Pawn with 39. ... Rxd5? because of 40. Re1+ Kf8 41. Bxb5 Nf6 42. Kf3 with an almost winning ending.

40. Bxb5? Batsiashvili is lucky enough that her 40th move is not a losing mistake, but only a mistake which loses a Bishop for two Pawns. Instead, she should have played 40. Kf3! Nxd5 41. Bxb5 with quite a drawish endgame, which, however, looks somewhat more pleasant for White. 40. ... Ne4+ 41. Kf3 Nc3 42. Kf4. White delays for one move her saving clause of 42. d6+ cxd6 43. Rxd6 Nxb5 44. Rb6 Nc3 45. Rb7+ Kf6 46. c6 Nd5 47. b5 Re3+ 48. Kf2 Rc3 (or also 48. ... Rb3) with an easy draw. 42. ... f6 43. d6+ cxd6 44. cxd6+? And this is the losing move. White was still in time for 44. Rxd6 Nxb5 45. Rb6 with a very likely draw. 44. ... Kd8 45. Ra1 Rxb5 46. Ra7 Rxb4+ 47. Kf3 Ne4 48. Rxg7 Ng5+ 49. Kg3 Rb3+ 50. Kf4. His Majesty commits harakiri, but without regret, as on other moves Black simply devours all White’s Pawn. 50. ... Rf3# 0 : 1.

Thoughts before afternoon tea. Photo © Thomas Marschner.

A diagram after White’s 45. Ra1. Photo © Viktor Taschner.

Thank goodness there is you, Edna, to cheer him up

Artwork © MazBee Memetown (@mazbeemikhail)

Pride for Prejudice

Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 24, 2018
3r2k1/5pp1/1qb1pn1p/ppN5/3PP3/1B2QP1P/P4KP1/2R5 w - a6 0 28

Position after 27. ... a7-a5

And finally, the day came when 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) succeeded in winning his first game! In the position of the diagram it is White who is to move. Mamedyarov doesn’t feel like venturing into unclear waters with 28. Nxe6!? fxe6 29. Bxe6+ Kf8 30. d5 Qxe3+ 31. Kxe3 followed by the Rook’s penetration to c5 or c7, which yet seemed to offer a good compensation – even though probably no more than it. The text also expresses aggressive intentions, but makes it difficult to follow a coherent thread. 28. g4 a4 29. Bc2 Nd7 30. Bd3? And here is probably where White passes his point of no-return. 30. Nd3 Ba8 seemed still quite tenable. 30. ... Nxc5 31. Rxc5 b4 32. Bc4 Bd7 33. g5!? So desperately bad, but I doubt he might have done anything better. 33. ... hxg5 34. Qxg5 Be8! 34. ... b3 25. axb3 a3 seemed quite appealing now, but that becomes much stronger after White’s next move. 35. Qe7!? When nothing matters anymore, it’s time to believe that everything can still happen! 35. ... b3! 36. axb3 a3 37. b4 Ra8 38. d5 a2 39. dxe6!? Who knows, maybe check, maybe mate. 39. ... a1=Q. But, of course, a King with two Queens on his side cannot lose. 40. exf7+ Bxf7 41. Bxf7+ Kh7 42. Qh4+ Qh6 43. Rh5 Qa7+ 0 : 1.

Three Men in a Boat

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – Fabiano Caruana
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 24, 2018
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qd2 Be6 9. 0-0-0 Qd7 10. a3 h6 11. Nd4!? Curiously enough, so far they had been walking in Uzbek Grandmaster Rustam Mashrukovich Kasimdzhanov’s shoes: 11. Kb1 Rg8 12. Bd3 0-0-0 13. Qe2 Bf6 14. Bb5 Kb8 15. Rhe1 g5 16. Nd2 with an edge for White, Kasimdzhanov – 李荻 (Lǐ Dí), 16th Asian Continental Chess Championship, 成都 (Chéngdū) 2017. Incidentally, Kasimdzhanov is Caruana’s second. 11. ... Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Rg8 13. Be2 c5 14. Be3 d5 15. f4 0-0-0 16. Bf3 Bg4

17. Bxd5! A powerful positional Exchange sacrifice, which must have taken Caruana by surprise. I guess that it was not improvisation at all. 17. ... Bxd1 18. Rxd1 Qc7 19. c4 Rge8 20. Qf2 b6. Perhaps 20. ... f5 21. h3 b6 might have been a bit better, though quite similar to the game. 21. g4 Bf6 22. Kb1 Rd7? Caruana’s deployment appears to be particularly cumbersome and jumbled. I think it was time to repay Sergey Alexandrovich with his own coin: 22. ... Qe7! 23. Bc1 (23. Rd3 b5! is also good for Black) 23. ... Qe2 24. Qg1 Bd4 25. Qh1 Rxd5! 26. cxd5 Qxg4 with good equalising chances. 23. Rd3! g5 24. Ka2! Now White can proceed undisturbed in his domino game, with very sad consequences for Fabi. 24. ... Ree7 25. Qf3 Kd8 26. Bd2 Kc8 27. Qf1 Rd6 28. fxg5 Bxg5 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Qf5+ Rdd7 31. Qxg5 Qe5 32. Qh6 Kd8. 32. ... f6 33. h4 Rd6 was probably Black’s last hope for a more tenacious resistance, but after 34. Bf3 one would find it difficult to foresee a different outcome. 33. g5 Qd6 34. Qh8+ Re8 35. Qh4 Qg6 36. Qg4 Re5 37. h4. Of course, Karjakin is not one to stumble over a banana peel: 37. Qxd7+?? Kxd7 38. Bxf7+ Qxd3! turning the tables. 37. ... Ke7 38. Rd2! b5 39. Bxf7! Qf5 40. Rxd7+ Kxd7 41. Qxf5+ Rxf5 42. g6 Ke7 43. cxb5 Rh5 44. c4 Rxh4 45. a4 Rg4 46. a5 Kd6 47. a6 Kc7 48. Kb3 1 : 0.

Round Round

From left: Viola Rocchini and Olga Calamai 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 17, 2017. Photo: Foto Rapid Center.