LABIRINTI E CASEMATTE: October 2023

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

A Time to Search

Taiwanese jazz-R&B-pop artist 9m88 in jam/rehearsal before her performance at Azuma Sports Park in 福島市 (Fukushima), Japan, Saturday, October 14, 2023.

Hang in there, yer gonna make it, Edna

Artwork © Jose-Ramiro

The silence of Gaza

Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, October 30, 2023

In these days, scientists from the School of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University, announced that they recorded with special ultrasound-sensitive microphones the screams of pain that plants emit when they are cut or when they lack water. In Gaza there are no microphones.

(English translation by I, Robot)

A mural by the street artist Banksy in the town of Beit Sahour in the West Bank. Photo: The New Humanitarian.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Not Impossible

Rameshbabu Vaishali – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 30, 2023
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. 0-0 h6 7. Re1 0-0 8. h3 Bb6 9. Nbd2 a5 10. Bb5 Bd7 11. a4 Ne7 12. Bxd7 Nxd7 13. Nc4 Bc5

14. d4 exd4 15. Nxd4 (15. cxd4 Bb4 16. Bd2 d5)
15. ... Bxd4 16. Qxd4 (16. cxd4 d5 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Bd2 Qh4! 19. Bxa5 Ra6!⇄)
16. ... Nc5 17. Qd1 Qd7 18. Qc2 Ng6 19. Be3 Qc6 20. Nd2 Rfe8 21. Bd4 Nf4 22. Re3

22. ... d5 23. Bxc5 Qxc5 24. Rae1 Re6 25. Nb3 Qe7 26. Nd4 Rxe4 27. Rxe4 dxe4 28. Qxe4 Qxe4 29. Rxe4 Nd3

30. b3 Kf8 31. Re3 Nc5 32. Kf1 Re8 33. Ke2 Ne4 34. Kf3 Nc5 35. h4 h5 36. Kf4 Rxe3 37. Kxe3 Ke7 38. f3 Kf6 39. Kf4 c6 40. g3 g6 41. g4 Nd3+ ½ : ½.

Tomorrow is day off, but hostilities will resume on Wednesday with a pitched showdown as Goryachkina will play against Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

Wow, Edna, many clues suggest that a Hollywood-love-scene will be your next challenge

Artwork © Critterosity

Sunday, October 29, 2023

A Muse and a Maze

Chinese AI company 科大讯飞 (iFlytek)’s Spark Cognitive Model Chinese features its muse, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): “One move to win”.

In a Bind

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Meruert Kamalidenova
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 29, 2023
Sicilian Game B54

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3. In his book “My 60 Memorable Games”, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1969, p. 156, Bobby Fischer — maybe a bit exaggeratedly — called this “A passive non-developing move which leads to nothing. White wants to gain control of d5, establishing a Maróczy bind with c2-c4, Nb1-c3 etc. But after going to all that trouble he can’t prevent ... d6-d5 after all. Correct is that tired old move — 5. Nc3”.
5. ... e5 6. Nb3 a5. The “refuting” 6. ... d5 7. Bg5 Be6 is the object of deep analysis by theoreticians, and apparently, it works well enough.
7. a4 Be7 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. c4 0-0 10. Be3 Be6. 10. ... Na7 11. Nc3 Be6 12. Qd3 Nh5 is also reasonable for Black, McShane – Ponomariov, 37th Biel International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 2004.
11. Nc3 Nb4. After 11. ... Nd7 12. 0-0 Nc5 13. Nd5 Bg5 14. Bf2 Bxd5 15. exd5 Nxb3 16. Qxb3 Nb4 17. Rad1 Rc8 18. Rfe1 b6 19. Re2 f5 20. Be1 Rf6 21. Bxb4 axb4 22. Qxb4 Rg6 23. Qc3 Bf4 24. g3 Qh4 25. Rg2 Black’s intended attack did not prove a sufficient compensation for her material deficit, Ovod – Bodnaruk, 71st Russian Women’s Chess Championship Superfinal, Ufa 2021.
12. 0-0 Nh5. Learning from the past: 12. ... Rc8 13. Qe2 Qc7 14. Rac1 Bxc4 15. Bxc4 Qxc4 16. Qxc4 Rxc4 17. Nxa5 Rc7 18. Rfd1 Ra8 19. Bb6 Rcc8 20. Nb5 Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Nd7 22. Ba7 Nc5 23. Nxb7 Nbd3 24. Rc3 Nxb2 25. Nxc5 dxc5 26. a5 Rd8 27. Bxc5 Rd1+ 28. Kf2 Ra1 29. Ke2 Bxc5 30. Rxc5 f6 31. Rc2 Na4 32. a6 Nb6 33. a7 Ra5 34. Rc6 1 : 0 Jobava – Kamalidenova, 5° GM–IM Mix, Cattolica 2022. If, instead, 12. ... 0-0 then 13. Qe2⩲ (Ftáčnik’s analysis).
13. g3 Bg5 14. Bf2

14. ... g6 (14. ... f5!? 15. Qe2 f4 16. g4 Nf6 17. Nd5 Nxg4!?∞)
15. Qe2 Qc7 16. Nc1 f5 17. exf5 Bxf5 18. Ne4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 b6 20. Nd3

20. ... Bd2? The Bishop gets itself in trouble. 20. ... Nf6 is worth considering as after 21. Qe2 Nc6 22. Rad1 Rf7 23. Ne1 Raf8 24. Nc2 Rd8 25. b3 White stands better, but nothing near to what it would take to win.
21. c5! dxc5? After 21. ... bxc5 22. Rad1 White wins back the Pawn with great advantage, yet it was a lesser evil than the text.
22. Nxe5 Nf6 23. Qc4+ Kg7 24. Rad1

24. ... Rad8? 24. ... Qxe5 25. Rxd2 Rad8 holds material equality, but cannot save the game: 26. Re1 Qc7 27. Rde2 with overwhelming centralisation.
25. f4 Rd5 26. Qe2 Rfd8 27. Nc4 Bxf4 28. gxf4 Rxd1 29. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 30. Qxd1 Qxf4 31. Bg3 Qe4 32. Nxb6 Ng4 33. Qd7+ Kh6 34. Qd2+ Kg7 35. Qf4 Qb1+ 36. Bf1 1 : 0.

Goryachkina played in her element with vigour and strength. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

A Secret Garden

On Saturday morning, October 21, 2023, on occasion of the 20th Peking University International Culture Festival “Meeting the World at PKU”, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and newly appointed Professor from the Physical Education and Research Department, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), took everyone to a magical mystery chess tour at 燕园 (Yàn Yuán) Garden. Video: Peking University.

Yeah, Edna, they are the living proof that history did not teach them anything

Photo © Joe Schlenger (@disneyfanjoeboy65)

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Repeating the Past

Ulviyya Fataliyeva – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 28, 2023
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 0-0 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8 11. Nc3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Bxd4 13. Bf4 Ne8 14. Nd5 d6 15. Bg5 f6 16. Bh4 g5 17. Qe4 Bxb2

18. Re1. Much more convincing than 18. Rb1 Be5 19. f4 gxh4 20. fxe5 dxe5 21. Bc4 Be6 22. Rxb7 Kh8 23. Bd3 Bg8 24. Nxc7 Nd6 25. Qxh4 Nxb7 26. Nxa8 Nc5 27. Bf5 e4 28. h3 Qd4+ 29. Kh1 Qa1+ 0 : 1 Caruana – So, 6th Grand Chess Tour, 2nd stage, Paris Rapid, Paris 2021 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
18. ... Be5 19. f4 gxh4 20. fxe5 dxe5 21. Bd3 Kf8. 21. ... Bf5 entails a drawing variation: 22. Qxf5 Qxd5 23. Qxh7+ Kf8 24. Qh6+ Ke7 25. Qh7+ Kf8 26. Qh6+ Ke7 27. Qh7+ Kf8 ½ : ½ Gukesh – Lékó, 1st FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, Santon 2019.
22. Ne3 Qe7 23. Qxh4

23. ... f5!? Deviating from 23. ... Be6 24. Bxh7 Rd8 25. Rf1 Rd4 26. Be4 Qa3 27. Rxf6+ Nxf6 28. Qxf6+ Bf7 29. Qh8+ Bg8 30. Qf6+ Bf7 31. Qh8+ ½ : ½ Gutenev – Aleksandrov, 13th Panchenko Memorial, Chelyabinsk 2021.
24. Qf2 Nd6 25. Nd5 Qg7 26. Qh4. 26. Qc5 b6 27. Qxc7 Qxc7 28. Nxc7 Rb8 29. Rxe5 Kf7 may be a simpler way to keep things balanced.
26. ... Be6

27. Nxc7?? In panic, Fataliyeva overlooked her saving grace: 27. Rxe5! Bxd5 (27. ... Qxe5? 28. Qe7+ Kg8 29. Nf6++−) 28. Rxd5 Qa1+ 29. Kf2 Re8 30. g3 Qe1+ 31. Kg2 Re2+! 32. Bxe2 Qxe2+ with a draw by perpetual check.
27. ... Qxc7. Goryachkina thanks and takes it. The rest is a matter of technique.
28. Qh6+ Ke7 29. Rxe5 Qb6+ 30. Kf1 Nf7 31. Qg7 Qd6 32. Re2 Qf4+ 33. Ke1 Rd8 34. Qxh7 Kf6 35. g3 Qb4+ 36. Kf1 Rh8 37. Rxe6+ Kxe6 38. Qxf5+ Ke7 39. h4 Rh6 40. Kg2 Qd4 41. Qa5 Rd6 42. Qc7+ Rd7 43. Qc8 Qd5+ 44. Kg1 Ne5 45. Be2 Qd4+ 46. Kf1 Qe3 47. Qg8 Rd6 48. Qg7+ Nf7 49. Qg4 Rf6+ 50. Ke1 Rb6 0 : 1.

“Nearly everything is now subjected to computer analysis”, Goryachkina said in her interview to Business Online. “And inevitably computers have permeated our style. One pro is that, thanks to them, we can study on your own. And one con is that preparation has now grown hugely. If our predecessors could afford to walk and relax before games, we are instead compelled to spend all our time repeating variations”. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

Friday, October 27, 2023

To be sure, Edna, solar batteries work even when it rains

Artwork © Pretty Little Geeky🧝🏽‍♀️ (@prettylittlegeeky)

Dungeonscape

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Divya Deshmukh
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 27, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Qc2 Nc6 9. Rd1 Qa5 10. a3 Rd8 11. Nd2 d4 12. Nb3 Qb6 13. Na4 Bb4+ 14. axb4 (14. Ke2 Qa6 15. Nxd4 Be7 16. Nxc6 Qxc6 17. Rxd8+ Bxd8 18. Kd1 b6 19. Nc3 Ba6 20. Qa4 Qxa4+ 21. Nxa4 Rc8 22. Nc3 ½ : ½ T. V. Petrosian – Lutikov, 5th Soviet Team Chess Cup, Moscow 1966)
14. ... Qxb4+ 15. Nd2 Qa5 (15. ... e5 16. Bg5 Qa5 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. b3 Nb4 19. Qb1 e4 ½ : ½ Ivkov – Musil, International Tournament, Maribor 1967)
16. Qb3. After 16. b3 Nb4 17. Qb1 b5 (17. ... d3 18. f3! leaves Black with little or nothing to show for the sacrificed Bishop, Gheorghiu – P. Ostojić, 8th International Tournament, Monte Carlo 1969) 18. Nb2 Bb7 19. f3 “White repulsed White’s attack in Doroshkievich – Gipslis, [34th USSR Chess Championship, Moscow 1967] preserving his material advantage”, Max Dlugy wrote in his book “Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2: The Classical Variation”, International Chess Enterprises, Seattle, 1990, p. 227, but probably Goryachkina knows more about it than he does.
16. ... e5 17. Bg5 Nb4 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Be2 Bd7 20. Ra1 dxe3 21. fxe3 b5 (21. ... Bc6? 22. Ra3+−)
22. 0-0. And not 22. cxb5? because of 22. ... Be6 23. Qd1 Rac8 24. 0-0 Nc2 winning the Exchange.
22. ... bxa4 23. Qc3 f5 (23. ... Nc6 24. Ne4±)
24. Nf3 f6 25. Nh4

A critical position from a theoretical point of view, which Goryachkina has deeply studied and thought over.
25. ... Qc5? The same cannot be said for Deshmukh who, apparently, is oblivious of the dangers inherent to her weakened Kingside Pawn formation. The theoretical debate is focused on 25. ... Nc6 26. Qa3 e4 27. Bd1! Ne5 28. Bxa4 Qxa4 29. Qxa4 Bxa4 30. Rxa4 f4 and now:
a) 31. Rxf4 Rd1+ 32. Rf1 Rxf1+ 33. Kxf1 Rb8 34. b4 Nxc4 35. Nf5 Rb5= Aronian – Caruana, 10th London Chess Classic, London 2018, match game 3 (time control: 25 minutes plus 5 seconds per move);
b) 31. c5 fxe3 32. Rxe4 Rab8 33. Rxe3 Rxb2 34. h3 Rc2 35. Rxf6 Rxc5 36. Ra6! Nc6 37. Nf3 Rc8 38. Re6 Rc7 39. Kh2 Kg7 40. Ra4 h5 41. Ra6 Ne7 42. Nd4⩲ Karjakin – Anand, 6th Gashimov Memorial, Shamkir 2019.
26. Nxf5 Bc6? 26. ... Bxf5 27. Rxf5 Nd3! 28. Rf3! e4 29. Rg3+ Kf7 30. Rf1 was also very embarrassing for Black, but nothing better comes to mind.

27. Qe1! Her Majesty moves to the Kingside for the final assault.
27. ... Kh8 28. Qh4 Qf8 29. Ng3 Qe7 30. Rxf6 Nc2 (30. ... Rd6 31. Raf1 Rxf6 32. Rxf6 Rg8 33. Nf5! Rxg2+ 34. Kf1 Rxh2 35. Rxc6!+−)
31. Nf5 Qb7 32. Rf1 Rg8

33. Rxc6! Qxc6 34. Bf3 Qb6 35. c5! Qd8 36. Qe4 Qc7 37. Qxc2 1 : 0.

As Goryachkina said in a recent interview, “In most cases, opening preparation takes longer than the game itself”. Photo: ChessBase India.

Coming Out Within

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Antoaneta Stefanova
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 27, 2023
2r3k1/1q1r1ppp/1pb1pn2/pN6/PbPP4/1Q2B2P/5PP1/2RR1BK1 w - - 1 22

Position after 21. ... Rd8-d7

22. c5!? Rcd8?! (22. ... bxc5 23. dxc5 Ne4)
23. Nd6 Qa8?! (23. ... Rxd6 24. cxd6 Qd7)
24. Bg5 Kh8 25. Qg3 Rxd6?! (25. ... bxc5)
26. Bxf6! (26. cxd6 Ne4)
26. ... gxf6 27. cxd6 Bxd6 28. Qh4

28. ... Be7? (28. ... Kg7 29. d5! Bxd5 30. Bc4!→)
29. Bd3 f5 30. Qxe7 Bxg2 31. Rc7 Rg8 32. Qf6+ Rg7 33. Qxf7 1 : 0.

There can be no compromise for 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), who’s running to catch the flight to Canada. Photo: ChessBase India.

Sorry, Edna. The battery must have died at the very climax of the play

Artwork © Principe Art Space

Of Sea and Sand

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Pauline Guichard
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 26, 2023
3r2rk/1p5p/p1pp1p1q/5P2/1PP1P1Rp/P2P4/7Q/6RK w - - 2 36

Position after 35. ... Rf8-g8

On the eve of time control, Goryachkina shocks her opponent with a spectacular Queen sacrifice, which, unluckily for her, is — at least in absolute terms — far from being a win for White:
36. Qxd6! h3? (36. ... Rgf8 37. Qh2 Rg8!∞)

37. Qg3? 37. e5! Rgf8 38. Qc7 still gives White good winning chances.
37. ... Rxg4 38. Qxg4 h2 39. Rg3 b5 40. c5 Ra8. The time control is reached, and no win is in sight.
41. Qh3 Qc1+ 42. Kxh2 Qxa3? A risky take, to say the least. 42. ... Qd2+ 43. Kh1 Qc1+ 44. Rg1 Qf4 seems to easily hold a draw.

43. Qh6? If nothing else, 43. Qg4 Qa2+ 44. Kh3 Qf7 45. d4 a5 46. bxa5 Rxa5 47. e5 Ra8 48. e6 would have kept alive White’s chances of winning.
43. ... Qb2+ 44. Rg2 Qe5+ 45. Kh3 Rg8 46. Rxg8+ Kxg8 47. Qe3 Qc3 48. Qg3+ Kf7 49. Qc7+ Kg8 50. Qd8+ Kf7 51. Qd7+ Kg8 52. Qd6 Qa1 53. Kg2 Qb2+ 54. Kf3 Qa1 55. Qxc6 Qf1+ 56. Ke3 Qe1+ 57. Kd4 Qa1+ 58. Ke3 Qe1+ ½ : ½.

It was not an easy start for Goryachkina in the Isle of Man. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Future in the past

Divya Deshmukh – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 26, 2023
r7/1p3kbp/4b1p1/3p1p2/NB2p3/1P2P1P1/P4P1P/3R2K1 w - - 0 28

Position after 27. ... c6xd5

The position in the diagram is the result of a Leningrad Dutch, and may be assessed as being comfortably equal for Black, but hardly anything more — especially if White had now played 28. Rc1. Instead, it takes only one bad move to wipe out a hard-won and barely defensible comfort zone:
28. Rd2? g5! 29. Bc3 Rc8 30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. b4 Rc1+ 32. Kg2 Bf7 33. Nc5

33. ... Bh5!? Black intends to weave a mating net by 34. ... Bf3+ 35. Kh3 Rg1, but first 33. ... d4! (also menacing ... b7-b6) would have been much stronger.
34. Ne6+ Kf6 35. Nd4 Bd1! 36. Ne2? White misses her only resource, that is, 36. a4!, with the idea 36. ... Bxa4 37. Ne2 followed by Ne2-c3.
36. ... Rb1 37. a3 Ra1 38. h3 Ke5 39. Nd4

39. ... h5! 40. b5 g4 41. hxg4 hxg4 42. Kh2 Bf3! 43. Nxf3+ gxf3 44. Rc2 Rxa3 45. Rc7 Ra2 46. Rxb7 Rxf2+ 47. Kg1 Rb2 48. Rb8 d4 49. Re8+ Kf6 50. exd4 Rxb5 51. Kf2 Kf7 52. Ra8 Rb2+ 53. Kf1 e3 54. Ra1 Ke6 55. Re1 Rf2+ 56. Kg1 Rg2+ 57. Kh1 e2 58. g4 Rxg4 59. Kh2 Kd6 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) is more than ever determined to show that she be not past her prime. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

A Seat at the Table

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 26, 2023
Modern Defence B06

1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d6 5. Be3 Nh6?!

6. h3! A thematic refutation. Muzychuk is not interested in what improvements Matnadze Bujiashvili might have prepared over 6. Qd2 Ng4 7. Bg5 f6 8. Bh4 Qb6 9. Bc4 Qxb2 (by the way, it’s hardly credible that Black can afford to take such a poisoned Pawn without serious consequences) 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. 0-0 Qa5 12. Rfe1 Qc7 13. h3 Nh6 14. e5 fxe5 15. dxe5 d5 16. Bxd5! with crushing advantage for White, Osmanodja – Matnadze Bujiashvili, 11th European Women’s Team Chess Championship, Reykjavík 2015.
6. ... f6 7. Qd2 Nf7 8. 0-0-0. Of course it makes sense, albeit 8. Bc4 0-0 9. a4 Nd7 10. Bb3 a5 11. h4 also gave White a very strong initiative in Sampouw – D. Cox, 21st Chess Olympiad, Nice 1974.
8. ... b5?! (8. ... Na6 9. h4 Nc7 10. Kb1±)

9. d5 b4 10. Ne2 Qa5 11. Kb1 e5? This costs Black a Pawn at least. However, after 11. ... c5 12. Nf4 Nd8 13. h4 White still dominates the board.
12. dxe6 Bxe6 13. a3 0-0 14. Qxb4 Qxb4 15. axb4 a5 16. Nf4 Re8 17. b5! cxb5 18. Bxb5 Bd7

19. Bc4! Rxe4. A desperate and vain Exchange sacrifice, trying to move something. On the other hand, if 19. ... Rc8 then 20. Ba2 Ba4 21. Rd2 Nd7 22. Nd5 Bf8 23. Nc3 Bc6 24. Nd4 with a dominant advantage.
20. Bd5 Bc6 21. Bxe4 Bxe4 22. Nd2 Bc6 23. Nc4 Na6 24. Nxd6. That’s all. The rest is easy for White.
24. ... Ne5 25. Nd5 a4 26. Ne7+ Kf8 27. Nxc6 Nxc6 28. Nc4 a3 29. Nxa3 f5 30. Rd6 Rc8 31. Re1 Kg8 32. Nb5 Be5 33. Na7 Nxa7 34. Rxa6 Nc6 35. Bc5 Nb8 36. Re6 Nd7 37. R6xe5 1 : 0.

Over, Around, and Within

The Mona Lisa Code

“Chess is a gnosis of complex give-and-take. Seize the secret: one move to win!”

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
13th Women’s World Chess Champion

Yes, Edna, it’s again time to break your diet and have triple-decker tiramisu

Queen of Jacks

Chinese AI company 科大讯飞 (iFlytek)’s Spark Cognitive Model put down its four aces! Pictured, right to left, are four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), economist 薛兆丰 (Xuē Zhàofēng), founder, chairman and CEO of Sohu, Inc. 张朝阳 (Zhāng Cháoyáng), and The Knockout’s screenwriter 朱俊懿 (Zhū Jùnyì). Playbill: 科大讯飞 (iFlytek).

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

An Atlantic Passage

Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 25, 2023
8/6p1/5k2/p2b1P1B/P2Pp2P/1p2K3/5r2/6R1 b - - 3 50

Position after 50. Kf4-e3

In a crazy game, Goryachkina went from riches to rags and rags to rugs:
50. ... Rxf5?? Blundering the Exchange and the game. 50. ... Rc2 would have won easily.
51. Bg4 Rf3+ 52. Bxf3 exf3

53. h5? A tragedy of errors begins and ends within a couple of moves. 53. Rc1 is the winning move here, for if 53. ... f2 (otherwise Rc1-c5-b5 follows) then 54. Rf1+− (54. Kxf2?? Be4−+).
53. ... Bf7? (53. ... Kf5 54. Rg6 f2! 55. Kxf2 Ke4 56. Ke2 Kxd4 57. Kd2 b2 58. Rb6 Bc6! 59. Rxb2 Bxa4=)
54. Rc1? (54. Rb1)
54. ... Be8= 55. Rc8 Bxa4 56. Rb8 Ke6 57. Kxf3 Kd5 58. Ke3 Kc4 59. Kd2 Kxd4 60. Rb7 Be8 61. Rxb3 Bxh5 62. Rb5 Bf7 63. Rxa5 g6 64. Ra7 Be6 65. Rg7 Bf5 66. Ke2 ½ : ½.

Apparently, Goryachkina still has to acclimatise herself to her new environment. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

Perfidious Albion

Elisabeth Pähtz – 艾丽斯·李 (Alice Lee)
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 25, 2023
English Opening A20

1. c4 e5 2. g3 c6 3. d4 e4 4. Nc3 d5 5. Nh3 Bb4 6. Qb3 Ba5 7. Bg5 f6!? Nothing trascendental, but 7. ... Qb6 8. cxd5 h6 9. Bd2⩲ isn’t entirely satisfying either, J. J. Cox – Hillarp Persson, 7th London Classic Open, London 2015.
8. Bd2 dxc4 9. Qxc4

9. ... b5. 9. ... f5 10. Nf4 is also quite unpleasant for Black.
10. Qb3 Qxd4!? Very risky.
11. 0-0-0 Qe5

12. Nxe4? Too hasty. More methodical would have been 12. Bg2 Be6 13. Qc2 with advantage for White.
12. ... Qxe4?? The young Asian American hope, at her début on the world stage, pays the price of her inexperience, and will soon see the worst of it. Simply 12. ... Bxd2+ 13. Nxd2 a5! would have left Black with a perfectly playable game.
13. Bxa5+− Be6 (13. ... Nd7 14. Bg2! Qxg2 15. Qe3+ ~ 16. Nf4+−)

14. Bg2! Qe5. Not 14. ... Qxg2 because of 15. Qxe6+ followed by mate.
15. Rd8+ Kf7 16. Qa3! The King hunt proceeds inexorably.
16. ... b4 17. Bxb4 g5 18. Bc3 Qb5 19. Qf8+ Kg6 20. Qe8+ Bf7 21. Be4+ f5 22. Rd6+ Kh5 23. Bf3+ 1 : 0.

In the Garden

On Saturday morning, October 21, 2023, the opening ceremony of the 20th Peking University International Culture Festival “Meeting the World at PKU” kicked off in the Centennial Lecture Hall of Peking University, involving Chinese and foreign students from over 100 countries and regions. On occasion, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and newly appointed Professor from the Physical Education and Research Department, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), took everyone — students and teachers alike — to a magical mystery chess tour at 燕园 (“Yàn Yuán”) Garden. Photo: 李香花 (Lǐ Xiānghuā)/Peking University. Photo: 李香花 (Lǐ Xiānghuā)/Peking University.