Connect the dots

南京 (Nánjīng), China: Aerial view of vehicles queuing at a toll station during the Chinese New Year travel rush. The 40-day travel rush starts from January 21 and lasts until March 1. Photo: 楊波 (Yáng Bō)/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images.

While Two Dispute, the Third Enjoys

Aleksandar Inđić – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 31, 2019
Bishop’s Opening C24

Thanks to her last round victory against the much higher rated Serbian Grandmaster Aleksandar Inđić, 16th Women’s World Chess Champion 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) deservedly won the £15,000 women’s top prize at the 17th Gibraltar Chess Festival. 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bb3 a5 6. a4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 dxe4 8. Ng5!? A novelty that doesn’t hit the previous theoretical model: 8. Nxe5 0-0 9. 0-0 Bd6 10. d4 Qc7 11. Bf4 Nbd7 12. Nxd7 Bxd7 13. Bxd6 Qxd6 14. h3 Rad8 15. Na3 Be6 16. c3 Rfe8 17. Re1 Qf4 18. Bxe6 Rxe6 ½ : ½ Jovanović – Leventić, 26th Croatian Team Chess Championship (1st Division), Mali Lošinj 2017. 8. ... 0-0 9. Bxb4 axb4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. dxe4 Qxd1+ 12. Kxd1 Nd7 13. Nd2 Nc5 14. Ke2 Rd8 15. Ke3 Be6 16. Bxe6 Nxe6 17. a5 Ra6 18. Nc4. Perhaps 18. Nb3 c5 19. Rhd1 was a little more promising as regards claiming a slight edge for White. 18. ... Nd4 19. Rac1 f6 20. g3 c5 21. c3 bxc3 22. Rxc3 Nb5 23. Rd3 Rxd3+ 24. Kxd3 Nd4 25. Rd1 Kf7 26. Kc3 Ke6. Black undoubtedly enjoys a comfortable equality, but that couldn’t be enough to ensure women’s first prize. 27. b3 g5! 28. g4!? Ra8 29. h4? This hasty advance risks losing a Pawn without any compensation. So, with the same idea in mind, White ought to have first played 29. Rh1 and then follow with h2-h4. 29. ... gxh4 30. Rh1 Nf3 31. Rh3? A consistent, but erroneous corollary to White’s 29th move. Best was 31. Kd3, though after 31. ... Rd8+ 32. Ke2 Nd4+ 33. Ke3 h6! 34. Rxh4 Nxb3 35. Rxh6 Rd4 36. Nb6 c4∓ Black may still keep playing for a win in an almost drawish endgame. 32. ... Ng5 32. Rxh4 Nxe4+ 33. Kc2 Ng5 34. Rh1 Rd8 35. b4? A desperate attempt to reverse the inevitable decline. After 35. Nd2 Rd4 36. f3 Kd5∓ Black would have remained with a sound Pawn to the good and a very favourable ending. 35. ... Rd4. Clearly not 35. ... cxb4?? because of 36. Rb1 — which was what White was hoping for. 36. Kb3 cxb4 37. Rc1. Or 37. Kxb4 Rxg4 with two Pawns ahead and an almost won ending. 37. ... Ne4 38. Nb6 Nxf2 39. g5 fxg5 40. Rc7 Nd3 41. Rxh7 e4 42. Kc2 e3 43. Rh3

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) finishes brilliantly: 43. ... b3+! 44. Kc3 (44. Kxb3 Re4−+) 44. ... Re4! 45. Kxd3 e2 0 : 1.

Aleksandar Inđić vs. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). Photo © John Saunders.

Romeo and Juliet

For 10 years, Romeo, the last known Sehuencas water frog on the planet, led a solitary life in a conservation centre in Bolivia. Now scientists have found him a Juliet on an expedition into Bolivia’s cloud forest. Photo: Robin Moore/Global Wildlife Conservation.

Don’t be so disappointed, Edna; I’m sure your next generation leader will soon find another carnival costume to wear

Credit: Faith, Trust & Darling Dust (@pixiedustdarling)

To Queue or Not to Queue

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Antoaneta Stefanova
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 30, 2019
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 g6. More appropriate seems 7. ... e6 8. 0-0 Ne7 which may eventually transpose into 9. c4 Ng6 10. Qe2 Be7 11. f4 0–0 12. Nd2 a5 13. Nf3 Ba6 14. Be3 a4 15. Rac1 Qb8 16. Rc2 Rd8 17. Rfc1 c5 18. h4 Nf8 19. cxd5 Bxd3 20. Qxd3 Rxd5 with an uneasy but holdable position for Black, Karjakin – Short, Kiev 2008, rapid match game 1. 8. 0-0 Bg7 9. Re1 Nh6 10. Bf4 Qb6 11. Qd2 Nf5 12. Nc3 a5. Obviously 12. ... Qxb2?? leads to disaster: 13. Rab1 Qa3 14. Nb5! (14. ... cxb5 15. Bxb5+ Kf8 16. Bc6+−). 13. Na4 Qd4 14. b3 h5 15. c3 Qa7 16. c4 dxc4 17. Bxc4 0-0 18. Rad1. White’s powerful centralisation certainly inspires more trust. 18. ... Ba6 19. Qd3. White could have played 19. Bxa6 Qxa6 20. e6 at once, but probably Muzychuk wasn’t seeing clear after 20. ... Nd4. 19. ... Bxc4 20. Qxc4 Qb7 21. Rc1 Rac8? After this, Stefanova quickly disintegrates. Best was 21. ... Rfd8(!) in order to reply to 22. Qxc6 Qxc6 23. Rxc6 with 24. ... Nd4 24. Rcc1 Ne6 which gave Black the option of regaining her Pawn or penetrating to the second (seventh) rank with the Rook.

22. e6! f6? A little better was 22. ... Qb4, but then after 23. exf7+ Rxf7 24. Qxb4 axb4 25. Bd2 Bh6 26. Bxh6 Nxh6 27. Nb6 White would have won at least a Pawn (27. ... Rc7 28. Nd5!) with a likely won ending. 23. Red1! g5? From bad to worse, but by now the entry of the White Rook could not be avoided (23. ... Rfd8? 24. Rd7!+−). 24. Rd7 Qb5 25. Bc7! Rfe8. 25. ... Qxc4 26. Rxc4 Ra8 27. Rc5 is likewise hopeless. 26. Nb6 Rxc7 27. Qxb5 cxb5 28. Rcxc7 Bf8 29. Rc8 1 : 0.

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk vs. Antoaneta Stefanova. Photo © John Saunders.

Hard Luck

Nils Axel Grandelius – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 30, 2019
English Opening A21

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Nd5 a5 4. Nf3 d6 5. a3 c6 6. axb4 cxd5 7. cxd5 Nf6 8. d3 Nxd5 9. Bd2 Nc6 10. bxa5 0-0 11. g3 h6!? No doubt 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s novelty is also an improvement on 11. ... b6? (an essentially incorrect and unsound second Pawn sacrifice) 12. axb6 Rxa1 13. Qxa1 Ndb4 14. Bxb4 Nxb4 15. Qa5 Nc6 16. Qb5 Bb7 17. Bh3! Nd4 18. Nxd4 Bxh1 19. Nc6 Bxc6 20. Qxc6 f5 (Hillarp Persson – Hector, 86th Swedish Chess Championship, Ronneby 2018) and now 21. b7! would have given White an overwhelming advantage. 12. Bg2 Be6 13. 0-0 Nxa5 14. e4 Nf6 15. Bc3 Qb6 16. Qa4 Nb3 17. Qxa8 Rxa8 18. Rxa8+ Kh7 19. h3 Nc5. Another good option seems to be ... Nf6-d7-c5. 20. Rd1

20. ... Ncxe4? A clear miscalculation by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who seems to have greatly overestimated her Kingside attack. Simply 20. ... Bb3 21. Rd2 Na4 granted Black a very comfortable equality. 21. dxe4 Nxe4 22. Be1 Nxg3 23. Nd4! Black must have overlooked this interference move, which leaves White with formidable Bishop and Rook pairs against Queen, Bishop and three Pawns. 23. ... Nf5. 23. ... exd4 24. fxg3 Qxb2 25. Bf2 is hardly better, as White will soon consolidate. 24. Nxf5 Bxf5 25. Bc3 Qc7 26. Ra7 Qc8 27. Kh2 Qc4 28. Rxb7 Qf4+ 29. Kg1 Qg5. Who knows, maybe 29. ... Bxh3! 30. Bxh3 Qf3 was a little more unclear. 30. Kf1 Qh5 31. Rxd6 Bxh3 32. Rb4 e4! 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) does her best to make her opponent think her Queen and Bishop battery can still be dangerous, but Grandelius cooly defends with a powerful deployment of both Rooks on the fourth rank: 33. Rdd4! (33. Rxe4?? Qf3!−+) 33. ... e3! Threatening ... Qh5-f3. 34. Bxh3 (34. fxe3?? Qf3+−+) 34. ... Qxh3+ 35. Ke2 exf2 36. Kxf2 Qh2+ 37. Ke1 f6 38. Kd1 h5 39. Kc1 Qg1+ 40. Kc2 Qg2+ 41. Kb1. Now Black has nothing to hope for, as everything only depends upon her opponent’s technique. 41. ... Qc6 42. Rf4 Kg6 43. Rfc4 Qd6 44. Ka2 Qe6 45. b3! Qe2+ 46. Bb2 Kh6 47. Rc7 Qe1 48. Rcc4 Qf2 49. Ra4 Qb6 50. Rcb4 Qc7 51. Rb5 Kg6 52. Rd5 Qb7 53. Rd2 Qc7 54. Rdd4 Qb7 55. Rd8 Kh7 56. Ra5 Qf3 57. Rdd5 g5 58. Rf5 1 : 0.

Nils Grandelius vs. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo © John Saunders.

All the World’s a Stage

14th World Chess Champion Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik, one of the greatest players of all times, announced on Tuesday his retirement from professional chess, at only 43 years of age and in spite of being still ranked among the first ten players of the world. Kramnik also revealed that he made his decision a couple of months ago, but only now he decided to announce it publicly, after spending the last year rebuilding himself amid the ups and downs of his frail health — he long suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. Most Russian chess VIPs, including 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov, Russian Chess Federation President Andrey Vasilievich Filatov, and 6th FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, expressed their regret at Kramnik’s farewell, and passionately wished him to reconsider his decision. 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov, too, had special words for his long-time rival: “Only the player knows when it is time to leave the stage. I welcome Kramnik to the World Champion retirees club, and I wish him every success in finding a new passion in his life as I have”, he tweeted.

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik. Photo © EPA-EFE/Omer Messinger.

Tertium non datur

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Žan Tomazini
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 29, 2019
Benkö Counter-Gambit A58

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 b5 5. cxb5 a6 6. bxa6 Nxa6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. Nf3 d6 9. Bg2 0-0 10. 0-0 Bf5 11. Nd2 Nb4 12. Nc4 Bc2. After 12. ... Nc2!? 13. g4! Nxg4 14. e4 Nxa1 15. exf5 Bxc3!? 16. bxc3 Nf6 17. Qe2! Re8 18. Bg5! Black is on the verge of ruin, Grischuk – Carlsen, 6th Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2018. 13. Qd2 Bb3 14. Na3 Bxd5 15. Nxd5 Nfxd5 16. Nc4 Nf6!? And here is the third version of an Exchange sacrifice which in practice proved to be quite justified. Firstly — 16. ... Nb6 17. Nxb6 Qxb6 18. Bxa8 Rxa8 19. Qe3 Qb7 20. Qb3 Qe4 21. Be3 Qc2 22. Bg5 Qxb2 23. Qf3 Qa3 24. Qxa3 Rxa3 25. Bxe7 Bxa1 26. Rxa1 Rxa2 27. Rxa2 Nxa2 28. Kf1 c4 29. Ke1 Nc3 30. Bxd6 Nb5 31. Be5 f5 32. e4 fxe4 ½ : ½ Pr. Nikolić – Ramírez Álvarez, 67th Corus Chess Tournament (B-Group), Wijk aan Zee 2005. Secondly — 16. ... Nc7 (probably the best way) 17. Bxa8 Qxa8 18. Ne3 Ne6 19. a3 Rb8 20. Rb1 Qe4 21. axb4 Qxb1 22. Nd5 Bf8 ½ : ½ Draško – Bejtović, 10th Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina Team Chess Championship, Neum 2011. 17. Bxa8 Qxa8 18. a3 d5?? After this terrific mistake, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) can literally put the autopilot on and easily take over the Queenside. 18. ... Nc6! was certainly best and still quite unclear. 19. Nb6+− Qa7

20. axb4! Qxa1 (20. ... Qxb6 21. bxc5 Qxc5 22. Qd3+−) 21. bxc5 e6 22. b4 Ne4 23. Qd3 Qc3 24. Qxc3 Nxc3 25. Re1 Nb5 26. Bd2 Rb8 27. e4! dxe4 28. Rxe4 Rd8 29. Be3 Rd3 30. c6 Rc3 31. Rc4 Be5 32. Rxc3 Bxc3 33. Bc5 Be5 34. Nd7 Bc7 35. Nf6+ Kh8 36. f4 e5 37. Nd5 Bb8 38. Bb6 Ba7 39. Bxa7 Nxa7 40. c7 1 : 0.

Morgan le Fay

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Jaime Santos Latasa
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 29, 2019
2r3k1/p4p1p/3q2p1/3n4/p7/6PP/PQ2PP2/3R2K1 w - - 0 28

Position after 27. ... Nb6xd5

Khademalsharieh somehow managed to survive her uninspired opening play, and, after pseudo-sacrificing a Bishop (27. Bg2xd5), she was now very close to balance, provided she had continued with 28. Qd4(!) Qe6 29. Qxd5 Qxe2 30. Kg2 h5 31. Rd2 Qc4 where Black’s extra Pawn hardly seems to carry any weight. Instead, she runs into a dramatic blunder: 28. e4?? Qb6 0 : 1. It just should be noted that 28. ... Qb4 would have had the same effect.

Silent Sound

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Baskaran Adhiban
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 29, 2019
Sicilian Defence B41

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7 7. Be2 b6 8. 0-0 Bb7 9. Qd3 d6 10. f4 Nbd7 11. b4. Understandably, Muzychuk deviates from 11. Bf3 which after 11. ... Rc8 12. b3 b5! proved to be very satisfactory for Black, M. Muzychuk – Abdumalik, Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament, Khanty-Mansiysk 2018, tie-break game 2 (25+10). 11. ... d5. Quite dubious appears 11. ... Rc8 12. Bd2 Be7 13. g4? (13. Rac1 Qb8 14. a3 seems to offer White a safe and lasting advantage) 13. ... g5!∞ A. Muzychuk – Koneru, 6th Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship, Saint Petersburg 2018. 12. exd5 Bxb4 13. dxe6 Nc5 14. exf7+ Kxf7 15. Qh3 Bxc3 16. Qxc3 Rhe8 17. Bf3. The dark-squared Bishop apparently brought White good or better fortune after 17. Be3 Qe7? (but 17. ... Kg8 is perfectly playable) 18. Nf5 Qe6 19. Bg4 Nce4 20. Qb2!+− Smirnov – Nakauchi, 7th NSW Open, Sydney 2018. 17. ... Nce4!? And finally here is the theoretical novelty. Previously Black had chosen 17. ... Rad8 which left him with a slight inferiority after 18. Bxb7 Qxb7 19. Bb2 Na4 20. Qb3 Nxb2 21. Qxb2 Qc7 22. Nf3⩲ I. Popov – Solozhenkin, 68th Russian Chess Championship (Higher League), Kaliningrad 2015. 18. Qb4 Rad8 19. Be3. 19. Bb2 would have probably been answered by 19. ... a5∞ with consequences worth further analysis. 19. ... Nc5 20. Qc3 Bxf3 21. Nxf3. 21. Rxf3 Ng4! may well be unpleasant. 21. ... Nd3

22. Ne5+. There’s nothing better. 22. ... Nxe5 23. fxe5 Rxe5. 23. ... Qxe5 24. Qxe5 Rxe5 25. Bxb6 Rd2 26. Rf2 Ree2 27. Rxe2 Rxe2 28. c5 Rc2 might be a dynamic other-way of claiming a draw. 24. Qb3 Re6 25. Rac1. 25. Rab1 Rc8 26. Rbc1 Qd6 doesn’t give White anything either. 25. ... Qc6 26. c5. This forces a draw. 26. ... Qb5 27. Qxb5 axb5 28. Bg5 bxc5 29. Rxc5 Ra8 30. Rxb5 Rxa2 31. Bxf6 Rxf6 ½ : ½.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk vs. Baskaran Adhiban. Photo © John Saunders.

Jumping the Queue

A group of Polish tourists have fun by trying to see how many of them can fit into a red telephone box, in Westminster, London, United Kingdom. Photo: PA.

Noah’s Ark

German NGO rescue ship Sea Watch decided to file a case at the European Human Rights Court against Italy for refusing to allow its ship carrying 47 rescued migrants to dock. Sea Watch’s spokesman Ruben Neugebauer points the finger against Italy’s far-right interior minister, who would be “taking the people on board as political hostages”. The Po Valley strongman’s hardline attitude was also harshly contested by Italian Association for Infant Mental Health (AISMI): “As infant mental health workers we reiterate the urgency of immediately landing migrants, so as to help them with the necessary health and psychological care, especially children and adolescents. Their unwarranted and inadmissible detention onboard the Sea Watch represents a further abuse perpetrated against them — specifically by Italian authorities, which instead have the duty of safeguarding the physical and psychological health of anyone is found on Italian territory”, AISMI President Giampaolo Nicolais said.

A street art graffiti by British artist Banksy. Credit: Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images.

Not enough ink

Luca Moroni – Nataliya Igorivna Buksa
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 28, 2019
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. Nbd2 Bxf4 6. exf4 0-0. The historical reference is 6. ... c5 7. dxc5 Qc7 8. g3 Qxc5 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. c3 0-0 11. 0-0 b5 12. Ne5 Bb7 13. Qe2 ½ : ½ A. K. Rubinstein – Capablanca, London 1922. 7. Bd3 c5 8. dxc5 Qc7 9. g3 Qxc5 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. c3 Qd6. 11. ... b5 transposes into A. K. Rubinstein – Capablanca, London 1922. Another interesting option is 11. ... Rd8 12. Qe2 Qb6 13. Nb3 Bd7 14. Nbd4 Nxd4 15. Nxd4 Re8 16. Rfe1 Rac8 17. Rad1 a6 18. Rd2 Qd6 19. Nf3 Qf8 20. Nd4 Qc5 21. Nb3 Qb6 22. Nd4 Qc5 23. Nb3 ½ : ½ Selezniev – Em. Lasker, Mährisch Ostrau 1923. 12. Re1 b6 13. Qe2. Not too dissimilar is 13. Nb3 Bb7 14. Nbd4 Nxd4 15. Nxd4 Rad8 16. Qe2 Rfe8 17. Qe5 a6 18. Re2 Qxe5 19. fxe5 Nd7 20. f4 Nb8 21. Rae1 Nc6 22. Nxc6 Bxc6 23. Kf2 Bb5 24. Bxb5 axb5 25. Ke3 g6 26. Rd2 Ra8 27. a3 Ra4 28. Rd4 Rxd4 29. cxd4 Rc8 30. Kd3 Kf8 31. Re2 Ke7 32. Rc2 Rc4 33. Rc35 Ra4 34. Rc7+ Ke8 35. Rc6 Ra6 36. Kc3 Kd7 37. Rd6+ Kc7 38. g4 Ra4 39. f5 Rc4+ 40. Kd3 b4 41. fxe6 fxe6 42. axb4 Rc6 43. Rxc6+ Kxc6 44. Kc3 g5 45. Kc2 b5 ½ : ½ Forgacs – Leonhardt, 15th Deutscher Schachbund (DSB) Congress, Nuremberg 1906. 13. ... Bb7 14. Nb3 a6 15. a3 Rfe8 16. Rad1 b5 17. h4!↑ Rad8 18. Bb1 Qc7 19. Nbd4 Ne4 20. Qc2 g6 21. h5! White’s initiative appears real enough to be feared, so Buksa will have to defend carefully. 21. ... Nxd4 22. Rxd4 Kg7. It may even be that 22. ... gxh5 23. Qe2 f6 (intending ... e6-e5) actually were Black’s best defence. 23. Qe2 Ba8. 23. ... f6 still deserved consideration. 24. Red1 Nf6. After this, White forces the exchange of Queens, turning his dynamic motifs into a powerful bind. The following line is not forced at all, but it could even look like a sound one: 24. ... f6 25. Bxe4 dxe4 26. Nh4 Rxd4 27. Rxd4 Rd8 28. Rxd8 Qxd8 29. hxg6 hxg6 30. Qg4 Qe8 31. f5 g5 32. fxe6 Kf8 33. Ng2 Bd5 winning back the Pawn with a tenable game.

25. Qe5! Qxe5 26. fxe5 Nd7 27. Re1 Nc5 28. Rh4 Rc8 29. Nd4 Bc6 30. g4 Bd7 31. f4 a5 32. Kf2. Better seem 32. Re2 or also 32. Bc2, so as to better control — or at least contain — Black’s counterplay on the Queenside. 32. ... Na4 33. f5 gxf5. Clearly not 33. ... Nxb2?? because of 34. f6+ Kg8 35. hxg6 fxg6 36. Reh1 with an irresistible attack. If, instead, 33. ... g5 then 34. h6+ Kh8 35. Rh5 and White may still hope for better things. 34. gxf5 Nxb2 35. Rf4 Kh8. 35. ... Nc4 36. Rg1+ Kh8∞ implies very similar consequences. 36. Rg1 Rg8 37. fxe6 fxe6 38. Rf7 Rcf8 39. Rg7! Rxg7 40. Rxf8+ Rg8 41. Rf7 Rg7 42. Rf8+ Rg8 43. Rf7 Rg7 44. Rf8+ ½ : ½.

Luca Moroni vs. Nataliya Igorivna Buksa. Photo © John Saunders.

Brahms’s Lullaby

Tierra Blanca, Mexico: Marely Villatoro, a migrant from Honduras, plays with her four-month-old child as she waits for a lift during their journey towards the U.S.. Photo: Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Italy’s Democratic Party delegation finally climbed aboard the NGO rescue ship Sea Watch, which is anchored, with 47 asylum seekers (among them there are at least 13 minors), in waters close to the Sicilian city of Siracusa, Italy since a week ago, due to the refusal of the far-right interior minister to give it access to Italy’s ports. All Italy’s parties apparently agree that for this, as for what occurred with the vessel Diciotti last August, the far-right interior minister should be prosecuted and put on trial.

A boy riding a pig. Artwork by Banksy.

Take It As It Comes

No doubt, Edna, you’ve got something more valuable than big muscles and a fitness club

Artwork © Chris Bissett (@jetpackdinosaur)

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Lê Quang Liêm – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 27, 2019
Spanish Game C88

After two lucky escapes in a row, Iranian International Master Sarasadat Khademalsharieh looked a bit too tired today to be repeating herself in her game with Vietnamese Grandmaster Lê Quang Liêm. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d3 Be7 8. Re1 0-0 9. Nbd2 d6 10. a4 Na5 11. Ba2 c5 12. Nf1 Rb8? The book move is 12. ... b4(!) that, in a recent game, gave raise to 13. Bd2 Bc8 14. Ne3 Be6 with reasonable play for Black, Anand – Praggnanandhaa, 1st Tata Steel Chess India Blitz, Kolkata 2018. 13. axb5 axb5 14. Ne3 Bc8 15. c3! 15. b4 Nc6 16. bxc5 dxc5 17. Bb2 Bd6 doesn’t seem to offer anything special for White, A. Ivanov – G. Golovchenko, Saint Petersburg 2002. 15. ... b4? After this, White easily gets a considerable strategic advantage, so maybe Black should have preferred 15. ... Nc6(!) eventually followed by ... Bc8-e6. 16. cxb4 cxb4 17. Bd2 Bd7 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 Rb5 20. h3 Be6 21. Qa4 Qb8 22. Bxe6 fxe6 23. Rec1 d5 24. Be3 Bd6 25. Ng5 d4 26. Bd2 Re8 27. Rc2 h6 28. Nf3 Qb7 29. Rac1

29. ... Ra8? This allows White to decisively infiltrate into the enemy position, and can certainly be regarded as Black’s fatal mistake. If nothing else, 29. ... Kh7(!) would still have offered some defence. 30. Rc8+! Rxc8 31. Rxc8+ Qxc8 32. Qxb5 Nc6 33. Be1! Qc7 34. Nd2. The rest is a cat-mouse play. 34. ... Be7 35. Nc4 Bf8 36. h4 h5 37. Bd2 Be7 38. g3 Bd6 39. Kg2 Kf8 40. Qa6 Kf7 41. Qa8 Nb8 42. Nxd6+ Qxd6 43. Qb7+ 1 : 0.

Lê Quang Liêm vs. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh. Photo © John Saunders.

Another Way of Telling

Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare: hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te. I do not love you, Sabidius; and I can’t say why. This only I can say: I do not love you.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 1, XXXII
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker

A model presents a creation by Viktor & Rolf during the 2019 Spring Summer Haute Couture collection Fashion Show in Paris, France. Photo: AFP/Getty Images.

Another Winter, Another Spring

Deer in Richmond Park, south west London, United Kingom as the cold weather continues. Photo: PA.

C’mon, Edna, what more can he do, but win all the time?

Artwork © Shy Green (@shy_green1)

Midnight Express

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Baskaran Adhiban
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2019
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 Rc8 11. e4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxe4 Nf6 14. Qh4 c5 15. Rad1 Ne4 16. Qxd8. A colourless decision which brings nothing except a quite uncomfortable game. White should have looked for something between the lines of 16. Qh5 cxd4 17. Bxd4 Qe7 18. Bd3 f5 19. Bxe4 fxe4 20. Ne1 Rf5 21. Qg4 Bb8 22. Be3 Rf6 23. Bg5 Qc7 24. Qh4 Rg6 25. Be3 Rf8 26. g3 Qf7 27. Rd8 Bc7 28. Rxf8+ Qxf8 29. Ng2 e5 30. Rd1 Bd6 31. Rd2 Bc6 32. h3 h6 33. g4 Kh7 34. Qg3 Bb4 35. Rc2 Qf3 36. Kh2 Rd6 37. c5 Re6 38. cxb6 axb6 39. Bxb6 Qd1 40. Rc4 Be7 41. Be3 Qb1 42. g5 h5 43. Bc5 Bxc5 44. Rxc5 Qxa2 45. b4 Qb2 46. Qc3 Qxc3 47. Rxc3 Rg6 48. h4 Bb5 49. Ne3 Be2 50. Rc5 Kf7 51. Kg3 Ra6 52. Rxe5 Bd3 53. Ra5 Rb6 54. Ra7+ Kg6 55. Nd5 Rb5 56. Nf4+ Kf5 57. Ra5 1 : 0 Caruana – Gustafsson, 28th Mitropa Cup, Rogaška Slatina 2009. 16. ... Rfxd8 17. Rd3. New but not better than 17. Nd2 Nxd2 18. Rxd2 Be5 which gave Black fine play, Schlosser – van Wely, French Team Chess Championship Top 12, Belfort 2012. 17. ... cxd4 18. Bxd4 Nc5 19. Rdd1 f6 20. b4. Another nervous move which only makes Black’s Queenside more vulnerable to invasion. Comparatively better was 20. Be3 e5(!) with a much easier game for Black. 20. ... Ne4 21. a3 e5! 22. Ba1 a5! 23. Rb1 axb4 24. axb4 Be7 25. Rfc1

25. ... Kf8. Or likewise, 25. ... Ra8!∓ 26. Bf1 Kf8 and pretty soon White’s position will fall apart. 26. Rb3 Nd6. Adhiban decides to besiege the c4-Pawn, in fact dissipating most of his advantage. It was not too late for 26. ... Ra8!∓ and if 27. Bb2 then 27. ... Nd2 with a prompt invasion of White’s field. 27. Bb2 Ba6. And this accomplishes the impossible, which means an “unhopable“ draw for Khademalsharieh, who, together with the young Chinese Candidate Master 左一帆 (Zuǒ Yīfān), is confirming herself as one of the revelations of the Rock. 28. Nd2 Rc7 29. Bf1 Nf5 30. Bc3 Nd4 31. Ra3 Bb7 32. Nb3 Nxb3 ½ : ½.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh vs. Baskaran Adhiban. Photo © John Saunders.

Recap

Dance in the Time of Flu

Bravo to all Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s dancers who yesterday night performed Alessandra’s, Chiara’s, and Viola’s choreographies in the fourth charity ballet festival “Le ali della danza” at the Teatro Aurora in Scandicci, Florence, Italy in spite of it being staged at the peak of the flu season.

Time and Timing

Levon Grigori Aronian – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 25, 2019
English Opening A18

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. d3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5 9. d4 Nc6. Another way is 9. ... c4 10. g3 Be7 11. Bg2 Bd3 12. Ng1 Qa5 13. Bd2 Nc6 14. Ne2 Ba3 with sharp equality, Carlsen – Aronian, 5th GRENKE Chess Classic, Baden-Baden 2018. 10. Bd3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4!? This might be a possible improvement on 13. Qxd4 Be7 14. 0-0 0-0 15. Rd1 Qc8 16. Be3 Rd8 17. Qd3 Bc5 18. Bxc5 Qxc5 19. Rab1 Qc7 20. Qe3 b6 21. Rd3 Rac8 22. Rbd1 Re8 23. f4 Qc4 24. R1d2 h6 25. h3 Rc5 26. Qf3 Qe4= Grandelius – Esipenko, 19th European Individual Chess Championship, Batumi 2018. 13. ... Bb4+ 14. Ke2! Qd7 15. Rb1 Be7 16. Qb5 Rd8 17. Be3 0-0 18. Rhc1 Qg4+ 19. Kf1 Rd7 20. Qa4 f6! 21. e6 Qxe6 22. Qxa7 b5 23. Qa5 b4 24. Bd2 Qe4 25. Qb5 Rfd8? This looks like bad judgment, apparently overestimating her own counter-chances on the Kingside. Correct was 25. ... Rdd8! in order to reply 26. Bxb4 by 26. ... Rb8 27. Qa5 Bxb4! 28. Rxb4 Ra8! with more than enough compensation for the Pawn. 26. Bxb4 Bxb4 27. Qxb4 Ra8 28. a4. Now White’s extra (passed) Pawn weights much more heavily than in the aforementioned line. 28. ... Rda7 29. Ra1 Qf4. Threatening ... Ra7xa4. 30. g3! Qf3 31. Kg1 h5 32. Rc3! Qg4

33. h4? Suddenly Aronian fears that he has not consolidated his position enough, and, in a quite emotional way, ends up dropping first a Pawn and then another one, eventually repairing into a draw. Instead, after 33. a5 h4 34. Qc5 it would have been very hard for Black to justify her Pawn deficit. 33. ... Rxa4! 34. Rxa4 Qd1+ 35. Kh2 Rxa4 36. Qb5 Rxd4 37. Qd7 ½ : ½.

Levon Grigori Aronian vs. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh. Photo © John Saunders.

Friday the twentyfifth of January

Saturday the twentysixth of January

Tomorrow is Saturday the twentysixth, and even if the week didn’t work out like you wished, things might go a little better with your classical and Fischerandom chess class at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, starting at 16,00 as usual.

Bob Dylan (right) and Victor Maymudes (left) playing chess, c. 1965. Courtesy: IaM.

Flying Carpet

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 24, 2019
Modern Benoni A77

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 exd5 6. cxd5 g6 7. Nd2 Nbd7 8. e4 Bg7 9. Be2 0-0 10. 0-0 Re8 11. a4 Ne5 12. Qc2 a6. Another way is 12. ... g5!? 13. Nf3 Nxf3+ 14. Bxf3 h6!?= Gligorić – R. J. Fischer, Interzonal Tournament, Palma de Mallorca 1970. 13. Ra3 Bg4 14. Bxg4 Nfxg4 15. h3 Nf6 16. a5 Qe7. On one hand, vintage theory gives 16. ... c4!? 17. f4 Ned7 18. Nxc4 Qc7∞ Boersma – Timman, 33rd Dutch Chess Championship, Leeuwarden 1977. On the other hand, Donchenko knows his Benoni nuances very well. 17. Na4 Ned7 18. Nc3 Ne5 19. Na4 Ned7 20. Nc3. Tacitly offering a draw by threefold repetition of position (20. ... Ne5), which Black surprisingly refuses to accept: 20. ... Rac8 21. Nc4 Ne5 22. Nb6 Rc7 23. Bg5 h6 24. Bh4 c4!? Donchenko opts for a thematic Pawn sac, which, however, appears a little doubtful. The alternative was 24. ... g5 25. Bg3 Nh5 26. Bh2 Nf4 with perhaps more chances for counterplay, even if White, after 27. Kh1 or 27. f3, should get the better of it. 25. Ra4 Ned7. Or 25. ... g5 26. Bg3 Nfd7 27. Nd1(!) with a big strategic advantage for White. Black prefers to give up the Pawn, for no compensation whatsoever. 26. Nxc4 Rec8 27. Nb6 Nxb6 28. axb6 Rc5. Maybe it was a little better to exchange a pair of Rooks by 28. ... Rc4 29. Rxc4 Rxc4 (then there would have followed 30. Qb3 with great advantage to White). 29. f4! With the devastating threat of e4-e5. 29. ... Re8? This simply allows Khademalsharieh to give execution to her own threat, but also after 29. ... Qe8 30. Bf2 White would have likely arrived — soon or later — to wherever she was heading (e4-e5).

30. e5! dxe5 31. fxe5 Qxe5 32. Bxf6 Bxf6 33. Qf2. Threatening both the Rook and the Bishop. 33. ... Bg5. If 33. ... Rxc3 34. bxc3 Kg7 then 35. Re4! Qxe4 36. Qxf6+ Kg8 37. Qxf7+ Kh8 38. d6 winning handily. 34. Re4! Khademalsharieh elegantly finishes with a well-calculated sequence. 34. ... Be3 35. Qxe3 Rxc3 36. Qf2! Qxe4 37. Qxf7+ Kh8 38. bxc3 Re7 39. Qf8+ Kh7 40. Rf7+ Rxf7 41. Qxf7+ Kh8 42. d6 Qe1+ 43. Qf1 Qxc3 44. Qf8+ Kh7 45. Qe7+ Kg8 46. Qd8+ 1 : 0. For if 46. ... Kh7 then 48. Qc7+ finis.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh vs. Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko. Photo © John Saunders.

The Dreamer

A cat gazes at meat hanging in a butcher’s shop in Beirut, Lebanon. Photo: AFP/Joseph Eid.

Sure, Edna, you and Rarity make a fantastic couple!

Artwork © Amazingangus76

Friday the 25th

Six Christmas elves (Arianna, Ester, Giuditta, Isabella, Letizia, and Serena) come suddenly back on stage just to remind that the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” will participate in the fourth edition of the ballet festival “Le ali della danza”, to be held at the Teatro Aurora, Via San Bartolo in Tuto, 1, 50018 Scandicci, Florence, on Friday, January 25, 2019, starting at 20,45 as usual. The event is organised by Lions Club Fiesole under the patronage of the Comune di Scandicci. The proceeds will be donated to support a school of massotherapy for hypo-blind. Video elaboration (and courtesy) by Ester.

The Keys to the Lake

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 the Ballet Nacional de Cuba named its prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés, 42, deputy artistic director of the company, thus formalising a symbolic handover of the keys to the lake of Alicia Alonso, 98, Cuba’s legendary prima ballerina assoluta, who will retain the honourary direction, so as not to further burden her very frail health state. Universally praised by critics for her virtuosity, Valdés is expected by her supporters to open a new era in communication between the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and the rest of the world.

Alicia Alonso and Viengsay Valdés. Photo: Nancy Reyes.

Chaos In Harmony

Paris, France: Models on the catwalk for the Maison Margiela show at Paris Fashion Week (Haute Couture). Photo: WWD/Rex/Shutterstock.

Between Rock and Breeze

The 17th Gibraltar Chess Festival has started yesterday quite suddenly. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Levon Grigori Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura, and 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) are only some of the top players in the field. As usual, there is a numerous female presence as well: among others, 17th Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), Humpy Koneru, Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno, Anna Olehivna Muzychuk, and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Not strangely, Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez, one of the directors of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, is also participating. Finally, among the surprises offered by the first round, there are at least two “phonetic doubles”: Indian FIDE Master Nadar Anand (who drew with Russian Grandmaster Maxim Sergeevich Matlakov) and Chinese Candidate Master 左一帆 (Zuǒ Yīfān) (who defeated Spanish Grandmaster Jaime Santos Latasa).

Jaime Santos Latasa – 左一帆 (Zuǒ Yīfān)
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 22, 2019
8/1p1r4/5knp/p2q1ppQ/7P/P3R1P1/1P3PNK/8 b - - 2 40

Position after 40. Qe2-h5

40. ... f4 41. gxf4?? (41. Rf3 gxh4 42. Nxf4 Qxh5 43. Nxh5+ Kg5=) 41. ... Qxg2+! 0 : 1.

Billboard

Oskar Schlemmer: Group photo of all the dancers in the Triadic Ballet (Triadisches Ballett) as part of the revue Wieder Metropol in the Metropol Theatre, Berlin, 1926. Photo: Bauhaus-Archiv.

The Twenty-four Hour Mind

Artwork © muuhkenz (@muuhkenz)

European-style grid

The Moon is seen beside a quadriga on the top of the Arcade du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Yves Herman/Reuters.

Between Scylla and Charybdis

My grandfather from my father’s side (pictured above, dressed in white) was a fighter ace who was awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valour and the Order of Merit for Labour after the end of World War II, but he was never too proud of his trophies. The end of the war came most dramatically in Italy to make anyone happy. “Fascism ruined my life; it dragged the country into a lost war which costed immense human and material losses”, he told me one time. “Most officials of the military air force agreed with me”.

Medical record

Dr. Gino Strada, Italian war surgeon and founder of the UN-recognised Italian NGO Emergency, in an interview to Jean Paul Bellotto and Massimo Giannini for Radio Capital, called Italian goverment “a gang formed by half fascists and half assholes”. The scientific value of his diagnosis is, of course, worth a great deal more than mere intellectual distancing from the repeated specific acts of fascist aggression occurred lately in Italy.

Gino Strada doing open heart surgery in Sudan with CBS crew. Photo courtesy of CBS.

Please be careful with your health, Edna. I just got a flu that I wouldn’t even wish on my worst enemies!

Credit: Nicola Calderon (@nicolatheconqueror)

The moonclock

Late at night between Sunday (January 20) and early Monday (January 21), the Moon will become increasingly cloaked in red shadows in one of the longest lunar eclipse for years. The Supermoon will reach its peak of visibility in Italy on early Monday at around 6,00.

A total lunar eclipse over Lucerne, Switzerland, last summer. Photo: Christian Merz/Keystone via Associated Press.

A Little Difference Makes a Big Difference

After Norway’s Storelgen stole Mac the Moose’s place as world’s tallest, a Canadian city hopes to “stick it to Oslo” by increasing their statue’s size. [Read more].

• Leyland Cecco, “An egregious offence”: Canada battles Norway for tallest moose statue, The Guardian, January 18, 2019

Battle of the moose: Canada’s Mac the Moose (left), and Norway’s Storelgen (right). Composite: Alamy.

Well, okay, okay, Edna. Really, it’s not necessary to stress the fact that you spent nearly two days on the phone to the visa office, as everyone knows it’s true

Artwork © Wallas Hatake