Detail from a Rubik’s Cube mosaic depicting four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) by Bob Xplosion. Courtesy of the artist via Instagram. |
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Neo-Analytical Cubism
Hit
A Canadian chess documentary which was thus reviewed by the all-time women’s No. 1 Judit Polgár (who, not incidentally, is one of its protagonists): “Interesting recap on nurture vs. nature. My superb table tennis skills also appear in this short film”. |
The Matrix Reloaded
The eighth round of the Candidates Tournament is to be held in Yekaterinburg within twenty days or so, after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Preparations are in full swing, the whole team is working on it. The venue has been confirmed — it will be the same as in March last year, the Hotel Hyatt Regency”, FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich told TASS correspondents. “All participants are preparing, and, as far as I know, they are actually getting visas to Russia. I expect that with our assistance the matter will be closed within the week”. In order to dispel some doubts, Dvorkovich also made clear that there is no obligation for anyone to be vaccinated. “It is each one’s choice”, he said. |
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Otherwise
Stockfish – KomodoDragon
Top Chess Engine Championship Season 20 — FRC3 Final; match game 2; tcec-chess.com, March 14, 2021
nrkbrnbq/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NRKBRNBQ w EBeb - 0 1
Position #381
1. f4 Nb6 2. Nb3 f6 3. e4 c6 4. f5 e5 5. Bf3. Theory with a human touch: 5. g4 Bc7 6. d3 0-0-0 7. Bf3 Kb8 8. Nfd2 d5 9. exd5 Bxd5 10. Ne4 h5 11. h3 Nfd7 12. Be3 hxg4 13. hxg4 Bxb3 14. axb3 Nd5 15. Bd2 Qf8 16. 0-0-0 Nc5 17. b4 Nxe4 18. Rxe4 a6 19. Rde1 Bb6 20. Qg2 Nc7 21. g5 Nb5 22. gxf6 gxf6 23. Rg4 Rd4 24. Be4 Red8 25. c3 R4d7 26. Rg6 Qf7 27. Bh6 Nd6 28. Kc2 Nxe4 29. dxe4 Qa2 30. Bc1 a5 31. bxa5 Bxa5 32. Qe2 Rd6 33. Rg3 c5 34. Qb5 Rb6 35. Qxc5 Qa4+ 36. Kb1 Rc8 37. Qd5 Bxc3 38. Re2 Bd4 39. Rg8 Rbc6 40. Rxc8+ Kxc8 41. Rg2 Kb8 42. Qg8+ Ka7 43. Re2 Qd1 44. Qa2+ Kb6 0 : 1 Caruana – Nepomniachtchi, 1st World Fischerandom Chess Championship, Final for Third Place, Høvikodden 2019, match game 7 (time control: 15 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 5. ... d6 6. 0-0-0 Bf7 7. g4 Nfd7 8. Kb1 Qf8 9. h4 a5 10. Ne3 h6 11. Qg2 Qe7 12. d3 a4 13. Nc1 Na8 14. c3 Ba5 15. Qc2 b5 16. d4 Nab6
17. d5! The most consistent, and probably the best move, securing a spatial edge. 17. ... cxd5 18. exd5 0-0. A double-edged position has finally arisen as consequence of heterogeneous castling, but White appears to be coming first. 19. a3! Rfc8 20. Qg2 Nc4 21. Nxc4 bxc4 22. Na2 Rb3
23. Ka1! A timely prophylactic move which nullifies any effect from the eventual doubling of Black Rooks. 23. ... Nc5 24. Bxc5. Of course White cannot allow ... Nc5-d3. 24. ... Rxc5 25. Be4 Rc8 26. Re3 Qa7 27. Rg3 Rcb8 28. Rd2 R8b7 29. Nc1 R3b5 30. Na2 Rb3 31. g5! Breakthrough begins. 31. ... Kh8 32. Qe2 Qb8 33. Qg4 Qf8 (33. ... Rxb2 34. Rxb2 Rxb2 35. Nb4+−) 34. Bb1 Rc7 35. Bc2 Rb5 36. Qd1 Bb6 37. Nb4 Ra5 38. Rdg2 Bc5 39. Nc6 Ra8 40. gxh6 gxh6 41. h5 Re8 42. Be4 Rb7 43. Rh3 Kh7
44. Rg6! Qh8 (44. ... Bxg6 45. hxg6+ Kg8 46. Qc1+−) 45. Qg4 Rg8 46. Rf3 Rc7 (46. ... Bxg6 47. fxg6+ Kg7 48. Qf5 Rf8 49. Nd8+−) 47. Qh4 Be8 48. Nd8 Bb6 49. Ne6 Rf7
50. Qg4 Rd7 51. Rg3 Be3 52. Rxe3 Rgg7 53. Rg3 Kg8 54. Rxf6! Rf7 55. Qxg7+ Qxg7 56. Rxg7+ Rxg7 57. Rf8+ Kh7 58. f6+ Rg6 59. Nf4! 59. Rxe8?? is stalemate. 59. ... exf4 60. Rxe8 f3 61. hxg6# 1 : 0.
Just Spring
The above picture, captured by the space probe Cassini on August 12, 2009, shows, in a mosaic of light and dark, a spring equinox on Saturn. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. |
On the Line
Mateusz Bartel – Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev
1st European Online Chess Club Cup; Playoff Group A; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Tornelo, March 29, 2021
Spanish Game C77
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. d3 Qe7 8. h3 h6! 9. Be3TN (9. Nd2 Be6 10. a3 c5 11. Ne2 0-0-0 12. Nc3 g6 13. Qe2 Nd7 14. g4 Nb8 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. exd5 f5 17. f3 Qf7 18. c4 b6 19. Nb1 Be7 20. Nc3 Bf6 21. 0-0-0 Rde8 22. Qd2 Nd7 23. Rhf1 Qe7 24. Rde1 Bg5 25. Re2 Bxe3 26. Qxe3 Qh4 27. Qg1 Rhf8 28. Kc2 Re7 29. Qg2 Ref7 30. gxf5 Rxf5 31. Qxg6 Qxh3 32. Rff2 R5f6 33. Qe4 Rf4 34. Qh7 R4f7 35. Qg6 Rf6 36. Qh7 R6f7 37. Qg6 ½ : ½ Barcenilla – Ippolito, 1st Copper State International, Mesa 2009) 9. ... Bd6 10. 0-0 c5 11. Nd2 g5! 12. Nc4 Be6 13. Nxd6+ cxd6 14. Ne2 g4 15. h4 Nh5 16. g3
16. ... f5! Black offers a Pawn for a volatile initiative. 17. exf5 Bd5 18. Nc3? A strange error, giving Black more than he was hoping for. Best was 18. Re1! Ng7 19. d4! with very complex play. 18. ... Bf3 19. Qd2 Ng7 20. Bxh6? This greedy capture just precipitates things. 20. ... Nxf5 21. Bg5
21. ... Nxh4!! Black’s Queen sacrifice must have come as a shock to White. 22. Bxe7 Nf5. 22. ... Ng6 is the dual. 23. Bh4 Nxh4 24. Qg5 Nf5! The final touch. Mate can only be delayed by a few useless checks. 25. Qg6+ Kd8 26. Qf6+ Kc7 27. Nd5+ Kc6 0 : 1.
Monday, March 29, 2021
Songs & Verses
Davet Dörtnala gelip Uzak Asya’dan Akdeniz’e bir kısrak başı gibi uzanan bu memleket, bizim. Bilekler kan içinde, dişler kenetli, ayaklar çıplak ve ipek bir halıya benziyen toprak, bu cehennem, bu cennet bizim. Kapansın el kapıları, bir daha açılmasın, yok edin insanın insana kulluğunu, bu dâvet bizim... Yaşamak bir ağaç gibi tek ve hür ve bir orman gibi kardeşçesine, bu hasret bizim... Invitation Galloping from farthest Asia and jutting out into the Mediterranean like a mare’s head— this country is ours. Wrists in blood, teeth clenched, feet bare on this soil that’s like a silk carpet— this hell, this paradise is ours. Shut the gates of servitude, keep them shut, stop man worship another man— this invitation is ours. To live, free and single like a tree but in brotherhood like a forest— this longing is ours. |
Mary Poppins’ carpet bag
Viola, who has won distinction as a teacher and a dancer of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, looks like she just got a tissue napkin cover by Mado Flynn to be put into her Mary Poppins’ carpet bag. |
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Blowin’ in the Wind
And while wondering whether culture will survive the new middle ages of the global “big brotherhood”, a second-hand book stall outside Palazzo Strozzi keeps offering its answers at prices below average variable cost. |
Portable 3D Art
In these last hours of freedom, one should think a great deal about the meaning of The Wound (La Ferita), the installation with which French contemporary artist JR covered the façade of Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy. |
Green Easter
Olga, the fabled Number One Dime of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” spent Sunday afternoon — still in “orange zone” — going through the woods around Pian di Mugnone, and, luckily enough, she did not meet the big bad wolf. Instead, she returned back home with two big bundles of wild asparagus which she generously shared with her remote friends. Photo: Olga Calamai. |
Saturday, March 27, 2021
Lifelike
For the second year consecutive, the 7th GRENKE Chess Open in Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden, Germany — originally scheduled for Easter time — has had to be cancelled until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in the vaccination rollout. For analogous reasons, and for the second year in a row, also the 26th TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament in Malmö, Sweden — scheduled from April 24 to April 30, 2021 — has had to be postponed to better times (hopefully at any time between August and October). |
Motif Notation
Leela Chess Zero – Stockfish
Top Chess Engine Championship Season 19 — FRC2 Final; match game 44; tcec-chess.com, November 25, 2020
rknqbrnb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RKNQBRNB w FAfa - 0 1
Position #827
1. a4. Human theory contemplates 1. d4 d5 2. Nd3 Nf6 3. e3 Nd6 4. g4 h6 5. h3 Bb5 6. Ne2 e6 7. a4 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 Qd7 9. f3 Re8 10. e4 (“Actually with Kasimdzhanov it all happened straight out of the opening when I played 10. e4. He almost could not avoid the loss of a piece and that was quite unexpected”, Anand said afterwards) 10. ... fxe4 11. fxe4 e5 12. Bg3 Nc8 13. dxe5 Qxd3 14. cxd3 Nh7 15. Rxf7 Ng5 16. Rf1 Nxh3 17. d4 Nb6 18. Rc1 a5 19. e6 Rxe6 20. Rxc7 Ka7 21. e5 1 : 0 Anand – Kasimdzhanov, 7th unofficial Chess960 World Championship, Mainz 2007. 1. ... d5 2. a5 e5 3. a6 b6 4. g4 Nge7 5. f4 e4 6. d3 Bc6 7. Na2 Nd6 8. Bh4 Re8 9. Nb4 Qd7 10. c4? After this, White’s position will swiftly fall apart. Perhaps 10. f5 ought to have been preferred.
10. ... g5! 11. Bxg5 dxc4 12. dxc4 f6
13. Bh4 Nxc4 14. Qxd7 Bxd7 15. Rc1 Bb5 16. f5 0-0-0 17. Ka2 Rd2 18. Rab1 Rd4! 19. Nc2 Rd7 20. Bxe4 Nd5 21. Bd3 Nf4 22. Nf3 Nxd3 23. exd3 Rxd3 24. Nfd4 Bxa6 25. Ne6 Rd7 26. Ra1 Ne5 27. Ne3 c5 28. b4 Rd2+ 29. Kb3 c4+ 30. Ka4 b5+! 31. Ka5
31. ... Rxe6! 32. fxe6 Kb7! Threat: ... Ne5-c6#. 33. Rxc4 Nxc4+ 34. Nxc4
34. ... f5!! An astonishing, problem-like refutation. After 34. ... bxc4? 35. b5 White would probably have saved the game. 35. e7. If 35. Nxd2 then 35. ... Bd4!! 36. Bd8 Bb6+ 37. Bxb6 axb6#. 35. ... Bxa1 36. Nd6+. Not 36. e8=Q on account of 36. ... Ra2+ followed by mate. 36. ... Kc7 37. Kxa6 Rxd6+ 38. Kxb5 Kd7 39. gxf5 a6+ 40. Ka5 Bf6 41. Bxf6 Rxf6 42. Ka4 Rxf5 43. Kb3 Kxe7 44. h4 Kd6 45. Kc4 Rd5 46. b5 axb5+ 0 : 1.
Friday, March 26, 2021
September Spring
The 9th Norway Chess, originally scheduled on May, was postponed to September 7–18 due to the rising COVID-19 cases in Norway and globally as well as travel restrictions to and from most countries. Hence, once again, it’s very likely that public health priorities and emergency logistics will affect the participants’ lineup, even though 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen has already confirmed his presence. For further details visit: norwaychess.no. |
One of a Kind
Today, five-time Olympic gold medal diver 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) is a mother of a daughter, and very likely she will no longer dare to aim at the top of an Olympic podium (but who knows?), and yet nevertheless she was welcomed by Mattel in its Barbie “Shero” Hall of Fame. And thus, like Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart, Katherine Johnson, 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) too was made into her own one-of-a-kind (OOAK) Barbie doll. Photos courtesy of 163.com. |
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Dunes
The above picture, captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera on February 17, 2021 at local Mars time of 14:15, shows a field of sand dunes stretching out over a frosty 5-kilometer diameter crater in the high-latitudes of the northern plains of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona. |
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Daylight Savings
The installation Zeitfeld (Time Field) by German artist Klaus Rinke on display in Düsseldorf’s Volksgarten ahead of the changing of the clocks on March 28, 2021. Photo: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images. |
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Apples and Oranges
It’s not the same old story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden apple. It’s simply a matter of a woman (Judit Polgár) and a man (Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik) who will captain two teams of young chess talents in the newly launched Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour — the dernier cri of Play Magnus Group — which, from April to September, will feature four Challenges and one Final for a total of five online tournaments. At stake is a $100,000 prize pot, plus “wild cards” and “special cards” to enjoy all the benefits and privileges which are usually reserved for professionals. Each team features world-renowned coaches — namely, Polgár will rely upon the good offices of 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), Surya Shekhar Ganguly and Arthur Mikhailovich Kogan, while Kramnik will be assisted by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Boris Abramovich Gelfand and Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Playbills courtesy of Champions Chess Tour (@ChampChessTour). |
A Year of living dangerously
According to the statement released by the Department for Information Policy of Sverdlovsk Oblast on Tuesday, the Candidates Tournament, which was halted midway in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “will take place in Yekaterinburg from April 17–29. The resumption order was signed by Governor Yevgeny Vladmirovich Kuyvashev”. |
Monday, March 22, 2021
Night and Day
The above picture was captured by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover on March 22, 2021 (Sol 31) at the local mean solar time of 14:48:48. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. |
Zwischenzug
An “in-between” pose for Beth Harmon, the fictional anti-heroine of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, shot by photographer Charlie Gray. Photo courtesy of The Queen’s Gambit (@NetflixTheQG). |
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Edge of Tomorrow
Anish Giri – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Champions Chess Tour 2021; 4th stage; Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2021; Final match game 6; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, March 19, 2021
Sicilian Defence B48
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. g4 h6 8. h4 Nf6 9. Nxc6. From a strategic viewpoint, this looks very dubious. Worth considering was 9. Nb3 d6, switching from a Taimanov to a Scheveningen formation. 9. ... bxc6. In compliance with the theoretical precepts, Black strengthens the centre. If 9. ... Qxc6 10. Bg2 Ba3!? then 11. Bc1 with an edge for White. 10. Qf3 d5 11. g5 hxg5 12. hxg5 Rxh1 13. Qxh1 Ng4 14. Bd2 Bb7?! Black makes it too easy for White to play in attack. Decidedly better was 14. ... Rb8! seeking counterplay. 15. Qh3 Ne5 16. 0-0-0. Now White has reached a promising attack position without having to fear anything. 16. ... d4 17. Nb1 c5 18. f4 Nc6? This seems to be the losing move. Black had to play 18. ... Ng6, whether he liked or not.
19. g6!+− 0-0-0 20. gxf7 Qxf7 21. Bc4. Game over. 21. ... Kb8 (21. ... Re8 22. f5+−) 22. Bxe6 Qc7 23. Bc4 Ka7 24. Na3 Nb4 25. Re1 Be7 26. Kb1 Re8 27. e5 Bd8 28. Bb3 g5 29. Nc4 gxf4 30. Bxf4 Nd5 31. Bd2 Qg7 32. Nd6 Rh8 (32. ... Rxe5 33. Rxe5 Qxe5 34. Qd7+−) 33. Qe6 Bh4 34. Rc1 Nc7 35. Qc4 Qxe5 36. Nf7 Qh2 37. Qxc5+ Kb8 38. Qxd4 Rf8 39. Bf4 Bg3 40. Bxg3 Qxg3 41. Qb4 1 : 0.
Cat in an Orange Twist
A cat and a dog, a coup de foudre. She is the cat and he is the dog — all the other details are private. As the poet says, “Love, which absolves no one beloved from loving”. |
Swan Song
I passed by here around two months ago, when I spotted two ballerinas hidden at the top of a stage behind a shop window. Today things have changed, as one is still on display, while the other has been sold. In a way each one will do its (her) solo variation. |
Spring roll
Today, March 21, is the first day of Spring — and luckily, it fell on a sunny Sunday (afternoon). |
Saturday, March 20, 2021
Hidden in Plain Sight
Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So
Champions Chess Tour 2021; 4th stage; Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2021; Third-place match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, March 19, 2021
Four Knights Game C47
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. a4!? Bb4 5. Bd3 d6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nd5 Bc5 8. c3 a5 9. Bc2 Nxd5TN (9. ... Ba7 10. d4 h6 11. Qd3 Re8 12. Nxf6+ Qxf6 13. Be3 exd4 14. Bxd4 Ne5 15. Nxe5 dxe5 16. Bxa7 Rxa7 17. Rfd1 Ra6 18. Bb3 Bg4 19. Rd2 Rd6 20. Qe3 Rxd2 21. Qxd2 Rd8 22. Qe3 Rd6 23. h3 Bd7 24. Rd1 Rxd1+ 25. Bxd1 Qd6 26. Bb3 Kf8 27. Qf3 Be8 28. Qe3 b6 29. Qe2 g6 30. h4 h5 31. Qe3 Bc6 32. Qe2 Qf6 33. Qc4 Kg7 34. Ba2 Qe6 35. Qxe6 fxe6 36. Bb3 Bxe4 37. Bxe6 Kf6 38. Bb3 g5 39. hxg5+ Kxg5 40. g3 Kg4 41. Kf1 h4 ½ : ½ L. van Foreest – Naiditsch, 46th SchachBundesliga, Lingen 2020) 10. exd5 Ne7 11. Ng5 h6 12. d4 Bb6
13. Nh7! 13. Qh5 Qe8! is nothing special for White, so Carlsen does not hesitate to give up a Knight for the initiative. 13. ... Re8 14. Nf6+ gxf6 15. Qh5 e4! 16. Re1! f5? This may be a mistake worth a double question mark, but defending such a position would probably require a classical time control. 16. ... Bf5 followed by ... Bf5-g6 offered better chances of holding on. 17. Bxh6+− Nxd5 18. Bg5 f6 (18. ... Nf6 19. Qh4 Re6 20. d5+−)
19. Bb3! c6 20. Re3 Kf8 21. Qg6 f4. If 21. ... fxg5 then 22. Bxd5 cxd5 23. Rh3 followed by mate in a few moves, whilst 21. .. Ke7 22. Bxf6+! would leave Black the choice between mate or loss of the Queen. 22. Bh6+ Ke7 23. Qh7+ 1 : 0. And Black resigned in view of 23. ... Ke6 24. Rxe4#.
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