Universal Format for Authorities

Non de vi neque caede nec veneno, sed lis est mihi de tribus capellis: vicini queror has abesse furto. Hoc iudex sibi postulat probari: tu Cannas Mithridaticumque bellum et periuria Punici furoris et Sullas Mariosque Muciosque magna voce sonas manuque tota. Iam dic, Postume, de tribus capellis. It’s not a case of poisoned cup, Assault, or slitting throats; I’ve had to have my neighbour up For stealing my three goats. You dwell on Punic faith and fury, Pontic wars, and Cannaes But this they’re asking on the jury, “Prove he stole the nannies”. And now with gestures various You’ve told in ringing notes Of Sulla, Mucius, Marius, Please mention my three goats. Non sono in lite per veleno o sangue, ma solamente per le tre caprette onde accuso di furto il mio vicino. Di ciò la prova ti domanda il giudice: tu Canne, e poi la guerra mitridatica, e gli spergiuri della rabbia punica, e i Silla, e i Marii, e i Mucii, a gran voce e con gran gesti numerando vai. Postumo, sù, parliam delle caprette.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 6, XIX
English translation by Thomas W. Melluish
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

Silicone pleasure dolls at the 11th Asia Adult Expo, which was held in 香港 (Hong Kong), China from August 28–30, 2018, featuring about 200 brands and exhibitors from all over the world. Photo: ANSA.

鐵道模型 (Railway modelling)

A bullet train undergoes a test run between 盐城 (Yánchéng) and 连云港 (Liányúngǎng), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province), China. Photo: AFP/Getty Images.

Generations in Touch

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
68th Russian Women’s Chess Championship Superfinal; Satka, August 30, 2018
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qd2 b5 9. Qf2 Qb6 10. Bd3 cxd4. The alternative 10. ... Bb7 11. 0-0 h6 12. Kh1 0-0-0 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Bxc5 Nxc5 15. a4 b4 16. Ne2 d4 17. Rfd1 g5 18. Nd2 Na5 19. Ng3 gxf4 20. Qxf4 b3 21. Rac1 Kb8 is tremendously unclear, Kosteniuk – Naiditsch, 4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament, Douglas 2017. 11. Nxd4 Bc5 12. Nce2 b4 13. 0-0 a5 14. c4!? This doesn’t seem like much better of 14. c3 Ba6 or 14. Rac1 0-0 15. c3 Ba6 (Fedorov – Podolchenko, 76th Belarusian Chess Championship, Minsk 2010) which are quite playable for Black. 14. ... dxc4. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with this, but it would have been interesting to know what Kosteniuk had prepared for her opponent if she had replied with 14. ... Ba6(!) — which actually seems Black’s best move. 15. Bxc4 Nxd4 16. Nxd4 0-0 17. Rfe1 Ba6 18. Bb3! Rfd8 19. Rac1 Rac8? Groryachkina clearly underestimated or miscalculated her exposure to White’s attack on the Kingside. Black ought to have played 19. ... a4! 20. Bxa4 Nxe5! with good chances of holding her own; for instance: 21. Nxe6 Bxe3 22. Qxe3 Qxe6 23. Bb3 Bc4! 24. Bxc4 Nxc4 25. Qxe6 fxe6 26. Rxc4 Rd2 27. Rxb4 Rxa2 and the most White seems to get is a drawish 3 vs. 2 Pawns on the same side Rook endgame. 20. f5! Kh8. Not 20. ... exf5? because of 21. e6! with an avalanche. On the other hand, 20. ... Nxe5? 21. fxe6 is likewise disastrous. Finally, if 20. ... Rf8 White continues 21. Rxc5! Nxc5 22. Qg3! with an overwhelming attack. 21. fxe6 Nxe5. Also 21. ... fxe6 22. Rxc5! Nxc5 23. Nxe6! gives Black no hope at all. 22. Rxc5! Qxc5 23. Nf5 Qb5. If 23. ... Qc6 then 24. exf7 Qf6 25. Bd4 Bd3 26. Bxe5 Qxf5 27. Bc7! Rf8 28. Bd6 winning decisive material. 24. e7! Nd3

25. Nh6! Nxf2. Or 25. ... gxh6 26. Qf6+ Kg8 27. Bxf7 mate. 26. Nxf7+ 1 : 0. White wins as she pleases; for instance: 26. ... Kg8 27. Nxd8+ Kh8 28. Nf7+ (a kind of windmill) 28. ... Kg8 29. Nd6+ Kh8 30. Bxf2 with mate coming soon.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (left) vs. Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina (right). Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.

Oh, Edna, her glasses are very similar to yours, and just for a moment I feared the very worst!

Artwork © Gabriel Carrara (@_gc_art)

Told and Untold

Lately, Korean K-pop superstar HyunA (김현아) cancelled most of her scheduled concerts and shows for a number of told and untold reasons, but nevertheless she’s always in the limelight. Above are some pictures of her, freshly released by Dazed & Confused Korea magazine from their September 2018 issue photo shoot. Photos: Dazed & Confused Korea/HyunA (@hyunah_aa).

Always But Not Forever

Insqueris, fugio; fugis, insequor; haec mihi mens est: velle tuum nolo, Dindyme, nolle volo. You pursue me, I fly; you fly, I follow. Such is my mind; Your willingness I reject, Dindymus, your coyness I prize. Mi cerchi, o Dindimo, io fuggo; mi fuggi, ti cerco. È così: quello che vuoi non voglio, voglio quel che non vuoi.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 5, LXXXIII
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

An exhibitor shows the heads of dolls during the 11th Asia Adult Expo in 香港 (Hong Kong), China. Photo: AFP/Philip Fong.

Fly High

A person holds a baby turtle as 25 newly-hatched Loggerhead and Green turtles are released into the sea in the Mansouri reserve south of Beirut, Lebanon. Photo: AFP/Mahmoud Zayyat.

It’s good to see that you are all well, Edna, and that you finally found back your glasses!

Artwork © SweetDream87

爱不释手

Difficilis facilis, iucundus acerbus es idem: nec tecum possum vivere nec sine te. Difficult and easygoing, pleasant and churlish, You are at the same time: I can neither live with you nor without you. Facile e difficile, dolce ed aspra allo stesso tempo tu sei: non posso vivere né con te né senza di te.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 12, LVI
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker
Italian translation by Holden Caulfield

Photo elaboration by Russian fine art photographer Platon Yurich. Photo © Platon Yurich.

Intuitionistic logic

Nullos esse deos, inane caelum affirmat Segius: probataue, quod se factum, dum negat haec, videt beatum. “The skies are empty And the gods are dead”, Says Segius, the proof of which Is that he sees himself made rich. “Non ci sono gli dèi, il cielo è vuoto” dice Segio. Egli stesso lo comprova, perché, ciò non ostante, ha ereditato.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 4, XXI
English translation by Peter Porter
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

A 30-year study led by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDC) with the universities of St Andrews and Exeter found dolphins in Adelaide, South Australia learned tail-walking from a fellow creature called Billie, who spent time in a dolphinarium after being rescued from a polluted creek in January 1988. Billie learned tail-walking by observing the performing dolphins and, when released, began performing the trick regularly in the wild. Photo: Dr. Mike Bossley/University of St Andrews/PA.

For not to say that he’s just ready for another record-setting semester in the academic world

Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen)

The Ignatian Way

On August 28, 2018 Saint Louis University (SLU) announced that Saint Louis philanthropists Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield (pictured above) — the latter being also the only sponsor and organiser of the Sinquefield Cup — donated $50 million — the largest gift in the institution’s 200-year history – to the University to accelerate its rise as a world-class research university. Photo: Steve Dolan.

I’m Only Sleeping

A fennec fox sleeps in his enclosure at the Biotropica Zoo in Val-de-Reuil. Photo: AFP/Charly Triballeau.

The Book of Luck

A new children’s book, published by China Commerce and Trade Press, is about to come out: 《少儿基础国际象棋》 (“Basic Chess for Kids”), authored by national chess Master and international referee 肖红 (Xiào Hóng), and prefaced by four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and women’s world number one 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above, without glasses). The book, colourfully cartoon illustrated and particularly designed for the first and second grades of elementary school, is divided in two volumes, from first basics to the early practice. In her brief preface 13th Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) observed, with a light note of regret, that there had been such colourful and bright books during her childhood, she would more easily have made friends interested in chess. Photos: sohu.com.

It wasn’t a cape, Edna! You know, his arm movements are ample, and his shoulders so large, that he seems to wear a cape

Credit: ClothZoo

Greedy algorithm

Genus, Aucte, lucri divites habent iram: odisse, quam donare, vilius constat. Rich men, Auctus, regard anger as a kind of profit; To hate is cheaper than to give! Forma di lucro è per i ricchi l’ira: odiare costa meno che donare.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 12, XIII
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

Photo elaboration by Russian fine art photographer Platon Yurich. Photo © Platon Yurich.

Two Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)

Thousands of people had gathered in Piazza San Babila, Milan, Italy on August 28, 2018 to protest under the slogan “Europe Without Walls” against Italy’s far-right interior minister and Hungarian far-right prime minister, who were sitting in a closed room of the prefecture palace for allegedly holding a meeting aimed at forming a common anti-migration front. Quite surprisingly, after the rendez-vous, the two hard-right bosses praised each other with sincere camaraderie, and wished each other to share the same destiny. Photo: la Repubblica.

The Scream

A West African dwarf crocodile hatches from its egg in Royan, southwestern France. Photo: AFP/Mehdi Fedouach.

Eyes on the Goal

The eyes of a crocodile break the surface of the water at Wuppertal Zoo in Wuppertal, Germany. Photo: Federico Gambarini/AFP/Getty Images.

The 25th Hour

Magnus Carlsen – Hikaru Nakamura
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 27, 2018
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. c4 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 b6 7. Bd3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Ba6 9. Qe2 Bxc4. In the 2015 Tata Steel Tournament, as Black, Carlsen preferred instead 9. ... Qc8 10. 0-0 c5 11. Nb5 Nbd7 12. Rac1 Qb7 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. b4 Nce4 15. Nfd4 Rac8 16. a3 Nd5 17. Bd3 Bxb5 18. Nxb5 Nxf4 19. exf4 Nf6 20. f5 exf5 21. Bxf5 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 a5 23. Rc7 Qd5 24. Bd3 Bd8 25. Bc4 Qg5 26. Rxf7 Qc1+ 27. Qf1 Qxf1+ 28. Kxf1 Rxf7 29. Nd6 axb4 30. Nxf7 Be7 31. Nd8+ Kf8 32. Ne6+ Kf7 33. Nc7+ Kg6 34. axb4 Bxb4 35. Nd5 Nxd5 36. Bxd5 ½ : ½ 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Carlsen, 77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2015. 9. ... Bxc4 10. Qxc4 c5 11. dxc5 bxc5!? 11. ... Bxc5 is probably even more circumspect; for instance: 12. 0-0 Nbd7 13. Rfd1 Qc8 14. Ng5 Be7 15. Qe2 Qb7 16. Rac1 Rac8 17. Qf3 Qa6= Cheparinov – Domínguez Pérez, 51st Capablanca Memorial, Varadero 2016. 12. 0-0 Nc6 13. Rac1. 13. Rfd1 Qb6 14. Na4 Qb4 15. Qa6 Rfc8 16. a3 Qa5 doesn’t look like anything special for White, Lê Quang Liêm – Zherebukh, 62th Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, Cleveland 2015. 13. ... Rc8!? The first new move of the game. Previously Black had managed, somewhat laboriously, to hold a draw after 13. ... Qa5 14. Rfd1 Rfd8 15. a3 Rac8 16. h3 h6 17. Bg3 Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Qb6 19. Qe2 Qb7 20. Rd2 Rd8 21. Rxd8+ Bxd8 22. Bd6 Be7 23. Qb5 Qxb5 24. Nxb5 Bxd6 25. Nxd6 Kf8 26. Nd2 Ke7 27. Nb7 Nd7 28. Kf1 Nd8 29. Na5 Kd6 30. Ke2 Kc7 31. Ne4 f5 32. Nd2 Nf7 33. Nac4 Nd6 34. Kd3 Kc6 35. e4 fxe4+ 36. Nxe4 Nxc4 37. Kxc4 Ne5+ 38. Kc3 Kd5 39. Nd2 g5 40. Nf1 ½ : ½ Dreev – Zherebukh, 26th National Open, Las Vegas 2016. 14. Ne5 Qb6 15. Nxc6 Rxc6 16. b3 h6 17. Rfd1 Qb7 18. h3 Rfc8 19. Na4 Nd7 20. Rd2 Nb6 21. Nxb6 Rxb6 22. Rcd1 Bf6 23. Rd7 Qa6 24. Qe4 e5!? Stockfish gives 24. ... Qxa2 25. Be5 (25. Bxh6!? Qe2!∞) 25. ... Rb4 26. Qf3 Bxe5 27. Qxf7+ Kh7 28. Qxe6 Rf8 29. Qxe5 Qxf2+ 30. Kh2 Rf7 with equality.

25. Bxh6! Re8. The Bishop is taboo: 25. ... gxh6?? 26. Rxf7! Kxf7 27. Qh7+ and mate in a few moves. 26. Qg4 Qxa2 27. e4 Qxb3! Of course, 27. ... Rxb3?? 28. R7d6 loses on the spot. 28. Be3 Rb7 29. R7d6 Be7 30. R6d5 Bf8 31. Bxc5 Bxc5 32. Rxc5 Qe6 33. Qe2 Rd7 34. Rxd7 Qxd7 35. Rd5 Qc7 36. Qd2 Ra8 37. Rd7 Qc4 38. f3 Qc5+ 39. Kh2 Qc6? This is not a mistake itself, but it’s certainly a strange way to save time. Much simpler seems to be 39. ... a5 40. Qa2 Qf8 for if 41. Qd5 then 41. ... a4 42. Rxf7 Qxf7 43. Qxa8+ Kh7 44. Qxa4 Qf4+ and draw by perpetual check. 40. Rd6 Qc5 41. Ra6! Qe7 42. Qe3 Kh7 43. Kg3 Qb7 44. Qa3 f6 45. Kh2 Qc7 46. Qa1 Qb7 47. Qa5 Qd7 48. Qa2 Qe7 49. Qf2 Qb7 50. Qa2 Qe7 51. Qd5 Rb8 52. Qa5 Rb7 53. Qe1 Qd7 54. Qh4+ Kg8 55. Qf2 Qf7. There’s nothing wrong here either — when, however, Black could have repeated with 55. ... Kh7 (56. Qh4+ Kg8). 56. Qa2 Qxa2 57. Rxa2. “Queens are off the board! In an ideal world, Magnus Carlsen would love to get a Rook on a6, King on f5, and Pawn on h6, where Black’s structure could potentially crumble. However, this should be an easy draw for Hikaru“, the U.S. Chess Federation tweeted. 57. ... Kh7. 57. ... g5! 58. Kg3 Kg7 59. Kg4 Kg6 60. g3 Rb1! 61. Rxa7 Rg1 was then given by Carlsen as an easy and plain draw. 58. Ra6 Kg6 59. h4 Kh5 60. Kh3 Rf7 61. g4+ Kh6 62. Kg3 g5? Of course, Caïssa did not forget his favourite hero! After 62. ... Kg6 White can hardly make progress; in his report for Chess.com Mike Klein gives a pretty drawing line: “62. ... Kg6 63. g5 Kh5 64. gxf6 gxf6 is one way to avoid White’s King’s advancement. 65. Kh3 Rf8! 66. Rxa7 Rg8 and here’s one fun line: 67. Ra6 Rg1! 68. Rxf6 Rg3+! 69. Kh2 (69. Kxg3 stalemate, and we’re not done with that idea!) 69. ... Rg8! 70. Rf5+ Kxh4 71. Rxe5 Rg2+! (again!) 72. Kh1 Ra2 and it’s a draw due to the mate threats coming up after ... Kh4-g3. Amazing”. 63. h5 Kg7 64. Kf2 Rb7 65. Ra3 Kh6 66. Ke3 a5? And so Nakamura condemns himself to lose a dramatic ending, recently occurred at least two times in the games Safarli – Golichenko, 49th World Junior Chess Championship, Chotowa 2010 and Gajewski – Vachier-Lagrave, 28th Open, Reykjavík 2013. It’s very unlikely that White could ever have won without this last mistake. 67. Rxa5 Rb3+ 68. Kf2 Rb2+ 69. Kg3 Kg7 70. Ra7+ Kg8 71. Ra1 Kg7 72. Rf1 Ra2 73. Rf2 Ra3 74. Rd2 Ra7 75. Kf2 Kf7 76. Ke2 Rb7 77. Rd3 Ra7 78. Kd2 Ke6 79. Kc3 Ke7 80. Kc4 Rc7+ 81. Kb5 Rc1 82. Rb3 Kf7 83. Kb6 Rc2 84. Kb7 Rc1 85. Kb8 Kg8 86. Rb6 Kg7 87. Rb7+ Kg8 88. Rc7 Rb1+ 89. Kc8 Rb3 90. Kd7 Rxf3 91. Ke6 Rf4 92. h6 Kh8 93. Rb7 Kg8 94. Rg7+ Kh8 95. Kf7 Rxe4 96. Kg6 Ra4 97. Rh7+ 1 : 0.

16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen can finally spread his wings and fly like a butterfly after his 97-move victory against Hikaru Nakamura, which elected him as an ex æquo first-prize winner of the 6th Sinquefield Cup. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour.

Do not be so sour, Edna; it seems to me that they did their best to boost your self-esteem and self-confidence, though without losing their dignity

Artwork © Butternut Gouache

The World Saved by Youngsters

• Mark Sweney, Facebook is being eclipsed by its youthful rival Snapchat, The Guardian, August 27, 2018

Deny Me Not

Nulla est hora tibi qua non me, Phylli, furentem despolies: tanta calliditate rapis. Nunc plorat speculo fallax ancilla relicto, gemma vel a digito vel cadit aure lapis; nune furtiva lucri fieri bombycina possunt, profertur Cosmi nunc mihi siccus onyx; amphora nunc petitur nigri cariosa Falerni, expiet ut somnos garrula saga tuos; nunc ut emam grandemve lupum mullumve bilibrem, indixit cenam dives amica tibi. Sit pudor et tandem veri respectus et aequi: nil tibi, Phylli, nego; nil mihi, Phylli, nega. There is not an hour comes amiss to you, Phyllis, For plundering me in my infatuation: With such cunning do you rob me. Now your lying maid laments because a mirror has been left behind, Or a jewel drops from your finger, or a stone from your ear; At one time silks lost by theft may be a means of profit, At another there is shown to me an empty casket of Cosmus’ perfume; Now a crumbling jar of dark Falernian is asked For that a chattering wisewoman may exorcise your dreams; Now, to induce me to buy, either a huge bass or a twopound mullet, A rich woman friend has proposed a dinner at your house. Let there be some moderation and at length some regard for fairness and justice. I deny nothing to you, Phyllis: deny nothing, Phyllis, to me. Non v’è momento, o Filli, che, folle di te, non mi sfrutti, così astuta sei nelle rapine tue. Ora ipocrita piange lo specchio perduto la fante, o dal dito una perla cade o dal capo una gemma. Ora son sete rubate che a buon mercato si acquistano; il vasetto di Cosmo — ecco, lo vedi? — è vuoto. Ora ci vuole un’anfora polverosa di vecchio Falerno, perché la garrula strega faccia scongiuri ai tuoi sogni. Ora, perché io compri un lupo o una triglia gigante, una tua ricca amica viene a cenare da te. Oh, vergógnati ormai, rispetta il giusto e l’onesto: nulla, o Filli, ti nego; nulla negarmi, o Filli.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 11, XLIX
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

Photo elaboration by Russian fine art photographer Platon Yurich. Photo © Platon Yurich.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Senator John McCain (right) conferring with Senator Barack Obama (left) during a press conference in April 2006 in Washington, D.C., United States. Photo: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

Spiral Staircase

A spiral staircase in the library at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg (BTU) in Cottbus, Germany. Photo: Patrick Pleul/Picture Alliance/Avalon.

Scapegoats

Goats are pictured as their prices are being negotiated by vendors and buyers at a livestock market where people buy sacrificial animals ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations in Sana’a, Yemen. Photo: Reuters/Khaled Abdullah.

Oh, Edna, I’d never have believed that an A10 sheet of paper could be that large!

Artwork © TekknicalArt

Halfway to Midnight

Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov – Magnus Carlsen
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 26, 2018
Neo-Grünfeld Defence D78

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nbd2 a5 7. b3 a4 8. Ba3 axb3 9. axb3 0-0 10. 0-0 Re8. Carlsen departs from one of his challenger’s best known games: 10. ... Bf5 11. Nh4 Be6 12. Re1 Ne4 13. Bxe4!? (13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Bxe4 Qxd4 15. Qxd4 Bxd4 16. Bb2! Rxa1 17. Bxa1 Bg7=) 13. ... dxe4 14. Nxe4? (14. e3=) 14. ... Qxd4 (14. ... Bxd4? 15. Bxe7!±) 15. Qc2? (15. Qxd4 Bxd4 16. Bb2 Rxa1 17. Bxa1 Bb6⩱) 15. ... Bf5!∓ Kramnik – Caruana, 43rd Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2015. 11. e3 Bf5 12. Qe2 Na6!? A novelty — instead of 12. ... Nbd7 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. h3 e6!? (Ivanchuk goes for an interesting Pawn sacrifice) 15. g4 Be4 16. g5 Bxf3 17. Bxf3 Nh5 18. Bxh5 gxh5 19. f4 (19. Qxh5 e5) 19. ... Qb6 20. Bb2 Nf8 21. Qxh5 Ng6 22. Qe2 Ne7 23. Qd3 Nf5 24. Rxa8 (the exchange of the four Rooks will leave Black with very good compensation for the Pawn, due to White’s bad Bishop) 24. ... Rxa8 25. Ra1 Rxa1+ 26. Bxa1 h6 27. gxh6 Bxh6 28. Kf2 Bf8 29. Bb2 Be7 30. Ke2 Qa5 31. Bc3 Qa2 32. Qb1 Qa6+ 33. Qd3?? (33. Kf3 was a must, White being still able to go on playing) 33. ... Ng3+ 0 : 1 Wojtaszek – Ivanchuk, 4th World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015. 13. Ne5 Ne4 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. Nxe4 Bxe4 16. Bxe4. If 16. f3 then 16. ... Bf5 17. g4 Bd7 18. f4 Nc7 with equality. 16. ... dxe4 17. Qb5 Rb8 18. Qc4 Bxe5 19. dxe5 Qd3. Black equalised quite comfortably. 20. Rac1 Qxc4 21. Rxc4 b5 22. Rc6. Not 22. Rxe4(?) on account of 22. ... b4 23. Bb2 Nc5 and Black regains his Pawn with interest. 22. ... Ra8 23. Rfc1. If 23. Rb6 Black would likely have answered 23. ... Kf8 24. Rxb5 Nc7 25. Rb7 Rxa3 26. Rxc7 Rxb3 27. Rc4 f5 with parity. 23. ... Nb8 24. Rc8 Kf8 25. Bb4 Na6 26. Rxa8 Rxa8 27. Ba5 Ke8 28. Rc6 Kd7 29. Rb6 Nc5 30. b4 (30. Rxb5 Nxb3=) 30. ... Nd3 31. e6+! fxe6 32. Rxb5 Rc8 33. Rb7+ Kd6 34. b5 Rc1+ 35. Kg2 Rc2

36. Kg1! g5! 36. ... Rxf2 37. Bb4+ Kd5 38. Rd7+ Kc4 39. Rxd3 exd3 40. Kxf2 Kxb4 41. b6 Kc3 42. b7 d2 only leads to a very drawish Queen ending. 37. Rb8 Rb2 38. Rd8+ Kc5 39. b6 Rb5 40. Kg2 g4! Black’s play comes just a little easier, but it’s not so easy to get something out of that. 41. h3 h5 42. hxg4 hxg4 43. Bc3 e5 44. Rg8 Kc4 45. Rc8+ Kd5 46. Rd8+ Kc5 47. Rc8+ Kxb6. Implicitly agreeing a draw. 48. Rb8+ Kc5 49. Rxb5+ Kxb5 50. Kf1 Ka4 51. Ke2 e6. A hymn to the tripled Pawns. 52. Kf1 Kb3 53. Ba5 Kc2 54. Ke2 Nc1+ 55. Ke1 Nd3+ 56. Ke2 Nc1+ 57. Ke1 Nd3+ 58. Ke2 Nc1+ ½ : ½.

Goodbye beautiful

Just toy balloons but make it fashion

Two women play at an installation in the 尖沙咀 (Tsim Sha Tsui) district, in southern 九龍 (Kowloon), 香港 (Hong Kong), China. Photo: AFP/Isaac Lawrence.

Superstition

Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 25, 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. Bc4!? 0-0 9. Qd2 Bf5!? 10. 0-0-0 Qd7 11. Kb1 Rfe8 12. h4!? Carlsen plays the opening with fresh originality as usual. 12. ... Bf8 13. h5 h6 14. Be2! Bg4 15. Nh2! Bxe2 16. Qxe2 Ne5 17. Bc1. White’s planning a Pawn storm on the Kingside, so Caruana has to take immediate countermeasures. 17. ... Qc6 18. f4 Nc4 19. Qd3 Qe4 20. g4! Ne3 21. Rde1 Qxd3 22. cxd3 Nd5 23. Reg1! White succeeded in keeping the initiative even without Queens, and Black therefore must defend very carefully. 23. ... Re6 24. g5 Ne7. All’s well that ends well, as Black’s Knight will eventually head to g8, from where it will cooperate with the Rook in defending the third (sixth) rank, if only with a little help from his opponent. Probably best was 24. ... Kh7 though after 25. Ng4! White should keep the initiative. 25. gxh6 Rxh6 26. f5! Rh7. Of course, 26. ... Rxh5?? loses on the spot to 27. Ng4! (27. ... Rxh1 28. Nf6+ Kh8 29. Rxh1 mate).

27. Ng4. “Instructive explanation from Maurice Ashley: Carlsen played 27. Ng4 Kh8 28. f6, when 28. ... Ng8! looked ugly, but successfully defended against White’s threats. Instead, the opposite order was better: 27. f6! Nd5 28. Ng4 and the Knight does not reach g8”, Geir Sune Tallaksen Østmoe tweeted. 27. ... Kh8 28. f6 Ng8 29. fxg7+ Rxg7 30. Be3 c5. White’s advantage just vanishes very quickly. 31. Bf4 Re8 32. Ne3 Rxg1+ 33. Rxg1 Re6 34. Nd5 Nf6 35. Nc7 Re2 36. Nb5 Re6 37. Rf1 Kg8 38. Nc7 Re2 39. Nb5 Re6 40. Nc7 Re2 41. Nb5 Re6 ½ : ½. Carlsen has lost the chance to win an useless game, and maybe that will bring him good luck for his next World Chess Championship match.

Magnus Carlsen in confessional mode. Screengrab from Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour).

Porchetta padana

Quod nulli calicem tuum propinas, humane facis, Horme, non superbe. To no one do you pass your cup to pledge you. This is human feeling, Hormus, not pride. A nessuno dài bere nel tuo calice. È umanità, e non superbia, Ormo.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 2, XV
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

Photo elaboration by Russian fine art photographer Platon Yurich. Photo © Platon Yurich.

Just don’t ask him to be a statist

The result of an inspection commendably requested by the Commander of the vessel Diciotti, and carried out in the morning of Saturday, August 25, 2018 by physicians of the Ministry of Health and USMAF (Maritime, Aviation and Border Health Office), certified that at least eleven women among the migrants on board were actually raped in Libya’s detention centres, where Italy’s far-right interior minister intended to send them back, and about which he had said just last June 25: “Lybia’s detention facilities are in the vanguard, let’s stop with the rhetoric of torture”.

Photo elaboration by Russian fine art photographer Platon Yurich. Photo © Platon Yurich.

Judgment at Nuremberg

Ghost Vessel

The Prosecutor of Agrigento, Luigi Patronaggio, on Saturday left without speaking to reporters after questioning two Interior Ministry lower-level officials at the Rome prosecutors’ office, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The Prosecutor could decide to investigate suspected kidnapping, after the guarantor of personal rights office concluded this week that the migrants were being unjustly held by the government.

The Prosecutor of Agrigento, Luigi Patronaggio (centre), on the Ubaldo Diciotti vessel in Catania, Sicily. Photo: Orietta Scardino/EPA.

Swans through the Seasons

South Korean dancer Kimin Kim from the Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Ballet Theatre company performs Swan Lake ahead of the opening night at the London Coliseum in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Andy Rain/EPA.

I’m sorry, but I don’t feel responsible, Edna, ’cause I had warned you not to mix with your chaperone, who is always in the queue with her hand out, begging to do business with the worst racist scum of the earth

Artwork © Hopor

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Doctors ordered on Saturday that 17 sick migrants be allowed to leave the Italian Coast Guard vessel Diciotti docked for five days in Catania, Italy to urgently receive proper medical care, while the remaining 133 people on board are still held as hostages by Italy’s far-right government, which so far might have already violated at least 8 national and international laws.

Migrants wait to disembark from the Italian Coast Guard vessel Diciotti at the port of Catania, Italy on August 22, 2018. Photo: Reuters/Antonio Parrinello.

Shall We Play Fischerandom Chess?

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis will host a special edition of its Champions Showdown from September 11–14, 2018 featuring six matches of Fischerandom chess (idem to say chess960) at blitz and rapid time controls, with the extraordinary participation of 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov. Each match will include six rapid games and fourteen blitz games over the five days of play, with a $250,000 prize purse. “Bringing this amount of talent to an event is a tribute to Saint Louis, the chess capital of the world”, Kasparov said. “People will get to see chess champions battle it out in a nontraditional and exciting format that will challenge all competitors”. Player Matchups Garry Kimovich Kasparov vs. Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov Hikaru Nakamura vs. Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler Wesley So vs. Anish Giri Samuel L. Shankland vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Levon Grigori Aronian vs. Leinier Domínguez Pérez For further details, visit: https://www.uschesschamps.com/.

Arctic Mood

Alexander Igorevich Grischuk – Magnus Carlsen
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 24, 2018
Benkö Counter-Gambit A58

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 0-0 5. d4 d6 6. 0-0 c5 7. d5 b5!? It should’ve been a surprise to Grischuk, but instead no. 8. cxb5 a6 9. bxa6 Bf5!? “Fun fact about Magnus Carlsen’s 9. ... Bf5 — it has been played by Kasparov in 1994 and Anand in 1996 :-)”, International Master Venkat Saravanan tweeted. On the other hand, the more prosaic 9. ... Bxa6 10. Nc3 Nbd7 has also its merits; for instance: 11. Bf4?! (11. Qc2 Qa5 12. b3⩲ Nxd5? 13. Nxd5 Bxa1 14. Bd2±) 11. ... Qa5! 12. Qc2 Rfb8 13. h3? (13. b3 c4? 14. Nd4!) 13. ... Rxb2! 14. Qxb2 Ne4! 15. Qc2 Nxc3 16. Bd2 Nxe2+ 17. Kh2 Qa3! 18. Qe4 Ne5! 19. Nxe5 Bxe5 20. Rae1 Nxg3 21. fxg3 Qxg3+ 22. Kg1 Qh2+ 23. Kf2 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 Rxa2 25. Be3 Qg3 26. Rb1 Rxg2 27. Rb8+ Kg7 28. Qxg2 Qxe3 0 : 1 Giustolisi – R. Primavera, 1st International Festival “Capodanno in Calabria”, Cirella di Diamante 1975/1976. 10. Nfd2 Nxa6 11. Nc3 Nb4 12. Nc4 Nc2!? This is a novelty and probably not an improvement over 12. ... Bc2 13. Qd2 Bb3 14. Na3 Bxd5 15. Nxd5 Nfxd5 16. Nc4 Nc7(!) 17. Bxa8 Qxa8 where Black seems to have more than enough for the sacrificed Exchange, Draško – Bejtović, 10th Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina Team Chess Championship, Neum 2011.

13. g4! Grischuk delivers a violent — however quite thematic — counterblow (with a powerful symbolic value) which seems to catch Carlsen off guard. 13. ... Nxg4 14. e4 Nxa1 15. exf5 Bxc3!? Black keeps playing very optimistically! 15. ... Ne5 suggests itself, as 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. Bd2 doesn’t seem to give White any transcendental advantage. 16. bxc3 Nf6 17. Qe2 Re8 18. Bg5! Carlsen ended up on the brink of ruin, but, luckily for him, Grischuk has spent an infinity of time as usual, when there are still some not-so-easy “next” moves to make. 18. ... Qd7 19. fxg6 hxg6 20. Rxa1 Qf5 21. Bxf6? 21. h4(!) actually seems the strongest move here, leaving Black in a sad plight. But Grischuk is overanxious about his time shortage, so he goes for a risk-free way, that not surprisingly proves to be not enough to win. 21. ... Qxf6 22. Qf3 Qh4 23. Qe4 Qf6 24. Qf3 Qh4 25. Qe4 Qf6. White repeated moves to gain time, but now he has to tell what he will do next: 26. Qd3. Of course, winning is better than drawing, but drawing is better than losing. Jokes aside, 26. a4 Qxc3 27. Ra3 Qc1+ 28. Bf1 would have perhaps kept Black still out of his comfort zone, at least for a while. 26. ... Reb8!= 27. a3 Rb3 28. Rc1 Ra4 29. Qc2 Qf4 30. Qxb3 Qxc1+ 31. Bf1 Qg5+ 32. Bg2 Qc1+ 33. Bf1 Qg5+ 34. Bg2 Qc1+ ½ : ½.

The Easy Day Was Yesterday

Fabiano Caruana – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 24, 2018
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 0-0 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nf3 dxc4 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Qa4 Bd7 9. Bg5 a5 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. a3 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Qd8 13. Qxc4 a4 14. Nd2 Na5 15. Qb4 Ra7 16. Rab1 b6 17. e3 Bc6 18. Bxc6 Nxc6 19. Qb5 Qa8 20. c4 Rd8 21. Rfc1. Caruana has achieved the better game by simple means, so no wonder Karjakin — who is not performing at his best in Saint Louis — shows some signs of impatience: 21. ... e5? 21. ... h6(!) 22. Qb2 Na5 (Stockfish) seems to be quite sound. 22. d5 Nb8

23. c5± Ra5. If 23. ... bxc5 then 24. Qxc5 Nbd7 25. Qc6 with a pleasant ending. 24. Qb2 Qxd5. Of course, 24. ... bxc5 25. Ne4 would not be better. 25. cxb6 cxb6 26. Nc4 Rc5 27. Qxb6. Threatening Nc4xe5. 27. ... f6?? A huge blunder which loses on the spot. After 27. ... Rf8 28. Qxb8! Rxc4 29. Rxc4 Qxc4 30. Qxe5 Qd3 31. Qa1 Black should have been suffering in a Queen and Rook endgame one or probably two Pawns down (in view of Rb1-b4xa4). 28. Rd1. Sic et simpliciter. 28. e4 was the “dual”. 28. ... Qxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 30. Kg2 1 : 0.

Horoscope

Dixerat astrologus, periturum te cito, Munna, nec, puto, mentitus dixerat ille tibi. Nam tu dum metuis, ne quid post fata relinquas, hausisti patrias luxuriosus opes, bisque tuum deciens non toto tabuit anno: dic mihi, non hoc est, Munna, perire cito? An astrologer said that you would quickly come to an end, Munna, And he did not lie, I think, when he said it to you. For you, in your fear of leaving anything after your death, Have in extravagance exhausted your father’s wealth, And your two millions have melted away in less than a year. Tell me, is not this, Munna, quickly coming to an end? Avea detto un astrologo che presto saresti spacciato, o Munna, e non mi pare che t’avesse mentito. Giacché tu, pe’l timore di nulla lasciar dopo morte, hai ingoiata nel lusso la sostanza paterna, e svanirono i tuoi milioni in meno d’un anno. Di’, Munna, anche così non sei dunque spacciato?

Martial, Epigrams, Book 9, LXXXII
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini

Photo elaboration by Russian fine art photographer Platon Yurich. Photo © Platon Yurich.

The Flight of the Mind

Diving Queen 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) winning women’s 3 metre springboard final at the 14th World Aquatics Championships in 上海 (Shànghăi), China on July 23, 2011.

Photocall

Squirrel monkeys sit in their enclosure during a photocall at London Zoo in London, United Kingdom. Photo: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas.