Out of the Blue

After all, a cage is always a cage whether it is a royal palace, a house, or a studio flat. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Viola is not as young as her dance students, but nevertheless she wanted to draw her own feelings and thoughts about her “stay-at-home” days. No translation needed. Photo courtesy of her herself.

Sliding Doors

Federica, 12 years old, draws a wall that cuts a lifetime into a before and a now: “Before, we were people with no time. Now we are time with no people”. Photo courtesy of her herself.

Open sesame

Carolina, 15 years old, gives herself courage by a wish which is also a mantra: “It’s gonna be alright”. Photo courtesy of her herself.

Blowin’ in the Wind

And that’s how some of the young dancers of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” escape their home confinement for a fleeting hour — that is, by means of freehand drawings and captions. Thus, for instance, Bianca, 10 years old, goes with the wind: “Distance is like the wind — it doesn’t let you forget that you exist”.

Being There

And today the pigeon awarded Federica (above) and Giulia (below) their bracelets for placing themselves third ex aequo in the online four-stage quiz game tournament co-ordinated and moderated by the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s teacher Viola. Photos courtesy of Federica and Giulia.

A Room with a View

Approximately it took Matilde the twenty quarantined days to take a picture of a mother through the eyes of a daughter. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Star Trek

Finally, today the racing pigeon has bestowed Emma the first prize — three bracelets handmade by Mado Flynn — for her victory in the online four-stage quiz game tournament co-ordinated and moderated by the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s teacher Viola. Within the next few days the pigeon will carry on the home delivery of the other prizes, weather and sky permitting. Photo courtesy of Emma.

Yeah, Edna, unfortunately for them mathematics is a creative discipline and not an algorithm

Artwork © Nameless (@eh_may_chure)

A Long Short Story

Long Story Short: FIDE announces the Online Nations Cup 文匯報 (Wen Wei Po), April 28, 2020 The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) and the Internet chess server Chess.com announce the Online Nations Cup, a team tournament with $180,000 prize fund held May 5–10. Six teams are to take part in it: China, Europe, India, Russia, United States, and Rest of the World. China’s team will be lead by 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured). Time control is 25 minutes per player plus 10 seconds per move. The first stage, a double round-robin with all teams, will take place May 5–9. On Sunday, May 10, the top two teams will meet in the final to crown a champion team. ■ 新華社 (Xīnhuá News Agency).

Take-away

A red fox checks a pizza box on a promenade in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. Red foxes have been making appearances in Ashkelon, drawn out from the seclusion of the desert dunes by the coronavirus lockdown that has kept people off the streets. The animals, usually a rare sight in busy urban areas, have a biblical resonance. In the “Book of Lamentations”, the Jewish temple site in Jerusalem is described as so desolate that “foxes prowl upon it”. In the Mediterranean seaport, a family of foxes has become a regular feature — nosing through discarded food, and playing sometimes unfriendly hide-and-seek with dogs in a local park. Photo: Amir Cohen/Reuters.

International Dance Day

So today (April 29), for the 39th anniversary of the International Dance Day, here are some moves to help you not to waste your valuable time on social media! Cartoon by Grant Snider.

Sure, Edna, the reason they peep at life of others through a keyhole is for sheer scientific curiosity’s sake

Artwork © Hannah (@inscape.studio)

Roll Over Beethoven

A Haflinger foal relaxes during this years’s first turn-out to grass at Europe’s largest Haflinger stud farm in Meura, Germany. Photo: Jens Meyer/AP.

Through the Looking-Glass

Being a poetic photographer of her own isolation at home, Matilde could not fail to spot herself reflected in the mirrored lens of her mother’s sunglasses. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Spacetime

Magnus Carlsen – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
The Magnus Carlsen Invitational; match game 3 (15+10); chess24.com, April 24, 2020
Slav Defence D12

16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen is doing his best to save both the honour and the big money of his own The Magnus Carlsen Invitational online tournament, and, indirectly, to raise himself to the status of “game changer” with respect to the organisational and financial criteria of the next World Championship match. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bf5 5. Nf3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Bd2 Be7 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. Qb3 Qc7 11. 0-0-0 dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Be2 a6 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. fxe4 c5 16. Kb1 Nc6 17. e5! A strong novelty which gives White the initiative, and much stronger than 17. d5 exd5 18. exd5 Ne5= Pârligras – Atakişi, 20th European Individual Chess Championship, Skopje 2019. 17. ... cxd4? This is surely a mistake. Simply 17. ... Rc8 18. Bf3 0-0 was fine for Black. 18. Bf3 Rc8 19. Rc1 Qd7? The second mistake causes irreparable consequences. Good or bad, 19. ... Qb6(!) 20. exd4 0-0 was probably Black’s best. 20. Qc2! Na7

21. Qxc8+! Nxc8. After 21. ... Qxc8 22. Rxc8+ Nxc8 23. exd4+− the endgame is hopeless for Black as he has no real defence to White’s Bishop pair. 22. Bc6 Nb6 23. Bxd7+ Kxd7 24. exd4 Nd5

25. h4! Rxh4?! For what it’s worth, this move, surrendering the h-file, only shortens the story. 26. Rxh4 Bxh4 27. Rh1 Be7 28. Rh7 Bf8 29. Rh8 Ke7. 29. ... Bb4 30. Kc2 doesn’t make much difference. 30. Kc2 f6 31. exf6+ gxf6 32. Rh7+ 1 : 0.

午夜快車 (Midnight Express)

Youths remove their mask to record a dance routine on the streets of 武汉 (Wǔhàn), 湖北省 (Húběi province), China, after over two months and half of home confinement due to coronavirus. Photo: Ng Han Guan/AP.

The Eighth Dwarf

• Leonard Barden, Chess: FIDE plans controversial online new anti-cheating measures, Financial Times, April 27, 2020

On May 5–10 the global chess body FIDE stages the [Online] Nations Cup of four-player teams, with China the top seeds ahead of Russia, United States, India, Europe, and Rest of the World. FIDE wants all participants in its events to sign a contract accepting expulsion from a tournament if their play shows a high overlap with computer moves. Such a rule could cause problems in the Nations Cup, where world class players are well capable of preparing an opening in advance for 20 moves or more. [Read more].

Banksy, Shower Lady, 2015. Courtesy of StreetArtNews.net.

Truly, Edna, he is willing to make the Hippocratic oath again, and again, and again, until you believe him

Artwork © lupe 💫 (@lupe_draws)

Blowin’ in the Wind

A mask hangs on the clothesline to dry. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

The Long, Hot Summer

Surrounded by police, a man exits the sea with his arms raised amid coronavirus lockdown in Galveston, Texas, United States. Photo: Adrees Latif/Reuters.

Hand in Hand

Artist Saype poses in his giant land art painting entitled Beyond Crisis, Leysin, Switzerland Photo: Valentin Flauraud/EPA.

Come on, Edna, let’s pretend you’re outside looking for props for a dance rehearsal without masks

Photo © dollcolector👫 (@b.8con)

Through the Window

Good weather can be foretold when the cat chooses the right time and place for whatever it wishes to do. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Yeah, Edna, indeed, cats are supposed to have nine lives

Artwork © Lauren Barger (@lb.fine.art)

Life Ahead

The more fear, the more courage. The more distance, the more resistance. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

A Special Day

Gildo Bugni, a partisan named Arno, though being 93 years old, has no memory of “such a difficult” April 25, but he does not venture a comparison between the Resistance to fascism and nazism and the fight agaimst COVID-19, if nothing else because “A vaccine against fascism has never been found. We must not forget that”, he told Francesco Battistini of Corriere della Sera. And today, like then, the worst demagogy “is in the air”. But now, he says, “We’re gonna go out again. Free, free at last. And thanks to all those who fought for freedom”.

Hubble’s Cosmic Reef. Photo credit: NASA/ESA/STScI.

Yeah, Edna, I too think that the Rector Magnificus will soon bestow an Honorary Degree in Medicine upon him for his miraculous panaceas

All Alone Together

An aerial picture of a beach in 香港 (Hong Kong), China on April 19, 2020, featuring well-spaced beach umbrellas amid coronavirus apprehension. Photo: Dale de la Rey/AFP.

To be, or not to be

“How many years must some people exist / Before they’re allowed to be free?”. Well, “The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind”, or maybe not. Maybe “We all live in a yellow submarine”, like bacterias under microscope. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Yes, Edna, the best way to celebrate the anniversary of your first date is to focus attention on unsolved problems

Artwork © Z! A. M. B. R. A. N. Ø (@bocetos_andyzambrano)

Schindler’s List

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) has announced the composition of the six teams participating in the inaugural Online Nations Cup, to be held online May 5–10 at chess.com. CHINA Captain: 叶江川 (Yè Jiāngchuān); 1. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén); 2. 王皓 (Wáng Hào); 3. 韦奕 (Wéi Yì); 4. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán); Reserves: 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī). EUROPE Captain: Garry Kimovich Kasparov; 1. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; 2. Levon Grigori Aronian; 3. Anish Giri; 4. Anna Olehivna Muzychuk; Reserves: Nana Dzagnidze ans Jan-Krzysztof Duda. INDIA Advisor: Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik; 1. Viswanathan Anand; 2. Pentala Harikrishna; 3. Vidit Gujrathi; 4. Humpy Koneru; Reserves: Dronavalli Harika and Baskaran Adhiban. RUSSIA Captain: Alexander Anatolyevich Motylev; 1. Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi; 2. Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev; 3. Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin; 4. Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina; Reserves: Olga Alexandrovna Girya and Dmitry Vladimirovich Andreikin. UNITED STATES Captain: William John Donaldson; 1. Fabiano Caruana; 2. Hikaru Nakamura; 3. Wesley So; 4. Irina Borisivna Krush; Reserves: Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih and Leinier Domínguez Pérez. REST OF THE WORLD Captain: Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich; 1. Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov; 2. Alireza Firouzja; 3. Bassem Amin; 4. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk; Reserves: Dinara Saduakassova and Jorge Moisés Cori Tello.

The Girl in the Mask

A piece of Banksy street art titled The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum, now adorned with a protective face mask, at Albion Dock in Bristol, United Kingdom April 23, 2020. Photo: Rebecca Naden/Reuters.

Cat at Home

Not only tortellini in broth for Matilde’s gourmand cat, Aramis, but also a bottle of Prosecco DOCG to make joyful the feline mood. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Yeah, Edna, he apparently enjoyed social-distancing too much to sit next to you

Artwork © Jas Creative Designs (@jascreativedesigns)

Visions of Reality

Berlin, Germany: Secondary school pupils sit on desks spaced apart ready to take an examination. Photo: Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images.

Micro-g environment

Once again, 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen confirmed his excellence in the rapid time control, by winning 3–1 his 4-game match against Fabiano Caruana, thus getting very near to the victory of his own The Magnus Carlsen Invitational online tournament.

Lofoten, Norway: Views of the mountain and sea on the Nordic archipelago. Photo: REX/Shutterstock.

Edward Scissorhands

With all barber shops and hair salons closed amid COVID-19, each one, in each family, has had to work out a cooperative way of cutting her/his own hair, or asking other family members to do it for her/him. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Yeah, Edna, in times such as these a window with a view is worth a fortune

Artwork © Lilimonada 🍋Lilimón🍓Lilicuado (@lilimonadaa)

Dinner with the King

Matilde’s cat, named Aramis, is apparently the only one of the family who fully enjoys all the benefits derived from the stay-at-home order. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Seventy-fifth Anniversary

This year, the 75th Anniversary of the Resistance (Italy’s Liberation Day), which falls on Saturday, April 25, 2020, will be celebrated under an unprecedented spotlight: as indeed, in consequence of the state of emergency declared on January 31, 2020, some of people’s civil rights and freedoms have been temporarily suspended — “Nothing is more permanent than the temporary” — and the first hour’s “safer-at-home” advice was turned into an Armageddon “stay-at-home” order. And yet, it is sad how soon a deserted city may become a ruin; and how soon life may be dissolved by the fear of dying. But, alas, such a paradox will barely do justice to all those who gave their lives for freedom — for they believed freedom was worth dying for. Photo: Alamy.

Tomorrow Never Knows

So far The Magnus Carlsen Invitational is headed by Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, who will play tomorrow a 4-game rapid match (15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move) and then eventually Armageddon if tied. On paper, Carlsen is favourite to win, but who knows — some stories never end.

Windows on the World

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) announced the Online Nations Cup, a six-team tournament to be held online via the chess.com web site from May 5–10, 2020. The participating teams are (in alphaberical order): China, Europe, India, Russia, United States, plus a team representing the “Rest of the World”. At least two former World Chess Champions are due to show up: 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov will captain Europe, while 15th World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand will play first board for India. A remarkable $180,000 prize fund and the rapid time control of 25 minutes each per game plus 10 seconds per move might, or might not, be enough to enchant the audience. A most notable feature of the “Six Nations” may rather be the gender quota imposed by regulation, which requires each team to field at least one female player.

Through the Barricades

No matter whether laundrettes are allowed to open or not when all doors are closed. And even staring at the clothes hanging on the drying rack from behind walls may help understand how precious windows and balconies are to the home’s inhabitants. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Yeah, Edna, they are turning the planet into a desolate desert that nothing could live on

Artwork © Douglas Rodas (@doughism)

Studying Abroad

A special thank to Matilde, a bright dancer of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, for sharing a series of pictures of her herself and her family at home, in the time of COVID-19. Despite the national-popular rhetoric, which would require her to say #istudyathome for her maturity exam, however, it is notably fair to say (however softly) that all schools are closed until further notice by a countrywide government-enforced lockdown. Photo: Matilde Guerri.

Leela and the Golden Star

Leela Chess Zero – Stockfish

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal; match game 92; tcec-chess.com, April 20, 2020

Two Knights Defence C57

With an imperious crescendo, Leela Chess Zero put an end to Stockfish’s claim. After 95 games, it (she) leads by 49½ – 45½, virtually winning the match with still 5 games to go. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5!? A desperate Stockfish goes for the crazy Traxler Variation, maybe because AI imitates humans. 5. Bxf7+ Ke7 6. Bc4. 6. Bb3 and 6. Bd5 are the usual continuations here, but probably Stockfish’s “theoretical licence” is not new either. 6. ... Qe8 7. Nc3 Nd4 8. d3 d6 9. Nd5+ Nxd5 10. Bxd5 Qg6 11. c3 h6 12. cxd4 Bxd4

13. f4! exf4 14. Nf3 Qxg2 15. Rf1 Bh3 16. Qe2 Qxe2+ 17. Kxe2 Bxf1+ 18. Kxf1 Bf6 19. d4! Rhd8. 19. ... g5 20. e5 does not look more inviting. 20. Bxf4 c6 21. Bb3 Rf8 22. Ke2 Bxd4 23. Bxd6+ Kxd6 24. Nxd4 Rf4 25. Bc2 Re8

26. Rg1. Now, after 26. ... g5 27. Ke3 White would enjoy a clear, safe and healthy advantage. Then Stockfish — as humanely as possible — tried its luck in an endgame a Knight down for two Pawns: 26. ... Rexe4+ 27. Bxe4 Rxe4+ 28. Kd3. Machines, however, do not believe in miracles, and Leela Chess Zero mercilessly capitalised on its material advantage by winning in other 102 moves (!). 28. ... Ke5 29. Nf3+ Kf4 30. Ne1 Re7 31. Ng2+ Kg5 32. Ne3+ Kh5 33. Rg3 Rd7+ 34. Ke2 Re7 35. Rh3+ Kg6 36. Rf3 c5 37. Rf4 b5 38. Kf3 Rd7 39. Ke2 Re7 40. b3 Re6 41. Rg4+ Kf6 42. Rf4+ Kg6 43. Rf2 h5 44. Kd3 Rd6+ 45. Ke4 Re6+ 46. Kf3 Rf6+ 47. Kg2 Re6 48. Nd5 Kh6 49. Nc7 Rg6+ 50. Kf3 a6 51. Rc2 Rc6 52. Nd5 Kg5 53. Kg3. Now, White is threatening to win a Pawn by Nd5-b4. Black can only delay the inevitable. 53. ... c4 54. bxc4 bxc4 55. Ne3 c3 56. Nd1. The run is over, and, with it, the game. 56. ... Rd6 57. Nf2 Rd4 58. Rxc3 Ra4 59. a3 Kf6 60. Rf3+ Ke6 61. Nd3 Rg4+ 62. Kf2 Rc4 63. Nf4+ Kd6 64. Kg3 Rc5 65. Re3 Rg5+ 66. Kf3 Kc6 67. Ne6 Rg6 68. Nf4 Rg5 69. h3 Ra5 70. Ke4 Kd7 71. Rc3 Ke7 72. Nd3 Kf6 73. Nc5 Rb5 74. Nxa6 Re5+ 75. Kf3 Re1 76. Nb4 Rf1+ 77. Kg2 Re1 78. Kf2 Re4 79. Kf3 Rh4 80. Kg3 Rd4 81. Rd3 Rc4 82. Kf2 Kg5 83. Nd5 Re4 84. Nc3 Re8 85. a4 Ra8 86. Rd4 Kg6 87. Kg3 Ra6 88. Rc4 Kh6 89. Kf4 Rf6+ 90. Kg3 Rg6+ 91. Kh2 Ra6 92. h4 Kg6 93. Kg3 Ra5 94. Kf4 Rf5+ 95. Ke4 Ra5 96. Rd4 Rc5 97. Kd3 Rf5 98. Ke3 Re5+ 99. Re4 Rc5 100. Kd4 Rf5 101. Nd5 Rf1 102. Ke5 Kh7 103. Ne3 Rf8 104. Rc4 Ra8 105. Kf4 Kg6 106. Nd5 Ra5 107. Nb6 Kh6 108. Rd4 Ra7 109. Rb4 Rf7+ 110. Kg3 Rf5 111. Rb5 Rf1 112. a5 Rg1+ 113. Kh2 Ra1 114. Kg2 Ra2+ 115. Kg3 Kg6 116. Nc4 Ra1 117. Rc5 Kf6 118. Rxh5 Kg6 119. Rc5 Rg1+ 120. Kf2 Ra1 121. Rc7 Kh6 122. h5 Ra4 123. Rc5 Ra2+ 124. Kf3 Ra1 125. Ke2 Kh7 126. h6 Kxh6 127. Kf2 Kg6 128. Rc7 Kh7 129. Rc5 Ra2+ 130. Kf3 1 : 0.