Be confident, Edna, within two days at most everyone shall be in your atelier and at your mercy

Artwork © zach

The Cat that Sat

You know, Edna, beautiful minds do not need a social media account to say what they did not say

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

Cats’ Night Out

One thousand and one thanks to our beloved friend Viola, dancer by day and switchboard lady at night, for eagerly joining the Mado Flynn ad campaign for the A.M.A. (Friends of Animal World) Cat Pound.

泰美斯 (Themis)

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) serving as a referee at the 2nd China Chess King Tournament in 温江区 (Wēnjiāng District), 成都 (Chéngdū), 四川省 (Sìchuān province), China, on November 3–4, 2024.

Don’t be superstitious, Edna: black cats do not bring bad luck, only bad people bring it

Artwork © zach

Cats’ Miscellany

The Eve of Another Day

It’s the law of contrappasso, Edna: the wealthier they are, the poorer they feel

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

Twist and Shoot

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) smiling for the photographer in the fan zone at the Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, Sunday, December 8, 2024. Photo: Chess With Lokesh (@chesswithlokesh).

After all, Edna, one cannot be wrong if one follows the rule that “silly questions deserve silly answers”

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

Cats of Many Tails

Arch of Triumph

片尾字幕 (Closing credits)

Of course, Edna, the end is not an end at all; hence it’s not a goodbye, but a see you soon

Artwork © True_Might

Coming Home

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s warm reception upon his return to China after losing the World Chess Championship title to Dommaraju Gukesh: “丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), welcome back home!”. Photo: 梁志华 (Liáng Zhìhuá).

A Week of This

Catwoman

Special acknowledgment goes to our beloved friend Aurora, who once again modeled as Catwoman in a Mado Flynn ad campaign for the A.M.A. (Friends of Animal World) Cat Pound.

You see, Edna, it took just one or two meows for you to get them begging for more

Artwork © True_Might

Meow

Caps ’n Hats

Okay, Edna, see you one of these days

Artwork © jittqs

Cats in the City

Seeing the Invisible

Through the Looking Glasses

Well, Edna, unconfirmed rumours say that he didn’t know how to tell you he was vegetarian

Artwork © stgbr

Final Analysis

Escape from Hat

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Dommaraju Gukesh
World Chess Championship 2024; match game 14; Sentosa, December 12, 2024
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 e6 5. 0-0 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nge7 7. c4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qd1 d4 10. e3 Bc5 11. exd4 Bxd4 12. Nc3 0-0 13. Nb5 Bb6 14. b3 a6 15. Nc3 Bd4 16. Bb2 e5 17. Qd2 Be6 18. Nd5 b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Nf4 exf4 21. Bxc6 Bxb2 22. Qxb2 Rb8 23. Rfd1 Qb6 24. Bf3 fxg3 25. hxg3 b4 26. a4 bxa3 27. Rxa3 g6 28. Qd4 Qb5 29. b4 Qxb4 30. Qxb4 Rxb4 31. Ra8 Rxa8 32. Bxa8 g5 33. Bd5 Bf5 34. Rc1 Kg7 35. Rc7 Bg6 36. Rc4 Rb1+ 37. Kg2 Re1 38. Rb4 h5 39. Ra4 Re5 40. Bf3 Kh6 41. Kg1 Re6 42. Rc4 g4 43. Bd5 Rd6 44. Bb7 Kg5 45. f3 f5 46. fxg4 hxg4 47. Rb4 Bf7 48. Kf2 Rd2+ 49. Kg1 Kf6 50. Rb6+ Kg5 51. Rb4 Be6 52. Ra4 Rb2 53. Ba8 Kf6 54. Rf4 Ke5

55. Rf2?? Apparently oblivious to the Bishop that is stuck at a8, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) commits an awful, melodramatic blunder, by which he throws away both the crown of Caïssa as well as the burden of wearing it. Whether his mistake was deliberate or not, however, is irrelevant for the compilers of the roll of honour: Gukesh is the new World Champion, the youngest ever in chess history!
55. ... Rxf2 56. Kxf2 Bd5! That’s the point. If White could avoid the exchange of Bishops, a draw would still be certain and inevitable.
57. Bxd5 Kxd5 58. Ke3 Ke5 0–1.

“I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) said. “His facial expression showed that he is very happy, excited. It took some time to realize it. Otherwise, it’s not so easy to talk. Maybe I should just wait... So yeah, no game tomorrow”. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.

Cats in the House

To be sure, Edna, the only extra reward one can expect for it is that whoever will win, will get a chance to have dinner with you

Artwork © King Magnifico deserves love (@magnificolover)

韓達拉 (Handala)

Dommaraju Gukesh – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
World Chess Championship 2024; match game 13; Sentosa, December 11, 2024
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nce2. In place of 5. f4 as in the match game 1.
5. ... c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. a3 Be7 8. Be3 Nb6 9. Nf4 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nc4 11. Bxc4 dxc4 12. Nge2. 12. Qg4 might have been better for attacking purpose, but afterwards Gukesh said he didn’t realise it.
12. ... b5 13. 0-0 0-0 14. Nc3 Rb8 15. Nh5 f5 16. exf6 Bxf6

17. Qf3. An interesting conversation occurred between the two combatants in the post-game press conference as they were analysing 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. d5 exd5 19. Qxd5+ Qe6: “I didn’t really see anything special”, said Gukesh; and 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén): “20.Rfd1 I think you are slightly better here”.
17. ... Qe8. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) then regarded 17. ... Nxd4 18. Nxf6+ Rxf6 19. Qd1 e5! 20. Bg5 Bf5 as a potentially better line of play for Black.
18. Nxf6+ Rxf6 19. Qe2 Qg6 20. f3 Rf8 21. Rad1 Ne7

22. Bf4. “I had seen earlier that (when) he plays ... Nc6-e7 I have Be3-f4, a nice trick. I thought once I get Bf4-d6, I should have quite a nice advantage which probably was the case”, Gukesh said. “But I couldn’t see the knockout blow. Maybe there wasn’t one”.
22. ... Rb6 23. Bc7 Rb7 24. Bd6 Re8 25. Bxe7. “I didn’t think allowing ... Ne7-d5 was a great idea. I will still be better but I thought with the Knight on d5 yes, his defensive chances are better”, said Gukesh.
25. ... Rexe7 26. Qe5 a6 27. d5 exd5 28. Qxd5+ Qe6 29. Qc5 Re8 30. Rde1 Qf7? A mistake that could cost 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) dearly. Black had to give up the Queen for two Rooks: 30. ... Qxe1! 31. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 32. Kf2 Re5 33. Ne4 Rbe7 34. Nd6 Re5!= (35. Qc7 can be answered by 35. ... R5e7 and 35. Qc6 by 35. ... R5e6).
31. Ne4? Too much haste to deliver the “knockout blow”. Better first 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 and then 32. Ne4, leaving Black resourceless.

“My first intention was to play 31. ... Rc7 after 31. Ne4 runs into a very nice check 32. Nf6+! I almost gave up. I didn’t find any move to survive, to stay in the game. In the end I found a nice resource 31. ... Rf8”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) said.
31. ... Rf8! 32. Nd6 Rc7. “It was an unpleasant surprise”, Gukesh admitted. “I thought I could still press a bit, but I was hoping to get Queen-Rook with a three vs two Pawns endgame. Once the Queens are exchanged it’s just a draw”.
33. Qe5 Qf6 34. Qd5+ Kh8 35. Re5 Re7 36. Rfe1 Rxe5 37. Rxe5 h6 38. Qc5 Bd7 39. Ne4 Qf4 40. Re7 Bf5 41. Qd4 Rg8 42. h3 Qc1+ 43. Kf2 Bxe4 44. Rxe4 c3 45. bxc3 Qxa3 46. Kg3 Qb3 47. Re7 a5 48. Rb7 Qc4 49. Qe5 Qc6 50. Qxb5 Qxc3 51. Ra7 Qe1+ 52. Kh2 Qb4 53. Qxb4 axb4 54. Rb7 Ra8 55. Rxb4 Ra2 56. Kg3 Kh7 57. Rb5 Kg6 58. f4 Kf6 59. Kf3 Rc2 60. g3 Rc3+ 61. Kg4 Ra3 62. h4 Rc3 63. Rb6+ Kf7 64. f5 h5+ 65. Kf4 Rc4+ 66. Kf3 $0 $11 Rc3+ 67. Kf4 Rc4+ 68. Kf3 Rc3+ ½–½.

“Firstly, I am very tired after a long game”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) said eventually. “Secondly, I am yet to decide what's the strategy for the next game which is a Golden game”. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.

Nevertheless, Edna, as Aslan, the Great Lion, says, “Things never happen the same way twice”

Artwork © Liliya Shakhovaya

The Cat’s Tale

Hey, Edna, one should never ask a superstar diva what she played in an epic romantic film for which she’s most famous

Artwork © jittqs

Kiss of the Black Widow

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Dommaraju Gukesh
World Chess Championship 2024; match game 12; Sentosa, December 9, 2024
English Opening A13

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 d4 5. 0-0 Nc6 6. e3 Be7 7. d3 dxe3 8. Bxe3 e5 9. Nc3 0-0 10. Re1 h6 11. a3 a5 12. h3 Be6 13. Kh2 Rb8. “13. ... Rb8 came as a surprise for me”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) said in the post-game press conference. “I was expecting 13. ... Qd7 I am going to play 14. Qb3 Rad8 if he can put his Queen on c8, I think his position is very solid. Maybe I can take here 15. Qxb7 Rb8 16. Qa6 Rxb2 my calculation stops here. I don’t know if White is better or not”.
14. Qc2 Re8. “Here is another critical moment”, said 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén). “Maybe he can play 14. ... Nd4 15. Bxd4 exd4 to change the structure. I have maybe 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. Rxe4 c5 maybe slightly easier to play for White... Maybe I should play 14. Nb5 already to stop ... Nc6-d4”.
15. Nb5 Bf5 16. Rad1 Nd7? Apparently Gukesh feels so much heavy responsibility after yesterday’s victory, actually too much for him. Better was 16. ... Bf8! 17. Qc3 Qc8 18. Nd2⩲ leaving White with only a slight edge.

17. Qd2! (Δ d3-d4)
17. ... Bg6?! This doesn’t solve Black’s problems, but if 17. ... Nc5 18. d4 Nd3 then 19. d5 Nxe1 20. Qxe1 Nd4 21. Nfxd4 exd4 22. Nxd4 Bg6 23. Qxa5 with two Pawns and a strong bind for the Exchange.
18. d4! e4. More or less forced because 18. ... exd4? 19. Bf4 would be disastrous for Black.
19. Ng1 Nb6 20. Qc3 Bf6. A little better may be 20. ... f5, after which White could continue, similarly to the game, with 21. f3 Bf6 22. fxe4 fxe4 23. Qc2 followed by Ng1-e2.
21. Qc2 a4 22. Ne2 Bg5? The “less worst” was perhaps 22. ... Na5, but then 23. c5 Nbc4 24. Nf4 Bf5 25. Bf1 would win at least a Pawn for White.

23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Bxf4 Rc8 25. Qc3. Game over.
25. ... Nb8 26. d5! White’s advantage is so great that he can afford to snub 26. Na7 with the clear gain of an Exchange.
26. ... Qd7 27. d6 c5 28. Nc7 Rf8 29. Bxe4 Nc6 30. Bg2 Rcd8 31. Nd5 Nxd5 32. cxd5 Nb8 33. Qxc5 Rc8 34. Qd4 Na6 35. Re7 Qb5 36. d7 Rc4

37. Qe3. 37. Qxc4! Qxc4 38. Re8 was a most striking finish, but 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s solution isn’t bad either.
37. ... Rc2 38. Bd6 f6 39. Rxg7+! 1–0.

“It might be the best game I have played in recent times”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) finally said. Photo: Eng Chin An.

And you, Edna, what should she say of you?

Artwork © jittqs

Who’s Who

Singaporean author 趙凱拉 (Kyla Zhào) (right) shows her book May the Best Player Win to 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), the queen of chess. “If there ever was a chess champion that inspired my main character May Li, it would be her :)”, she wrote. Photo: 趙凱拉 (Kyla Zhào).

Kingdom Woman

Whereas women made China a chess superpower, China’s first men’s World Champion, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), apparently failed to turn his success into a springboard for a chess boom in the Celestial Empire. Thus thought 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), a four-time Women’s World Champion, as she was interviewed by Melvyn Teoh for The Straits Times of Monday, December 9, 2024: “Even after his win, not many knew that the world champion was Chinese”, she said. “I think one of the reasons was that 丁 (Dīng) did not give many interviews after his win and he might have missed an opportunity to use his win as a platform to raise China’s profile in chess” — a field in which she instead excels and to which makes a valuable contribution. Now a Professor from the Peking University Physical Education and Research Department, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is indeed here in an academic capacity too: “I hope and am working to help grow chess (in Peking), our director of physical education is here in Singapore to watch this event and do the research required”.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) poses for pictures in the fan zone at the Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. Photos: Desmond Wee/The Straits Times.

Yes, Edna, it’s highly likely that tonight, instead of sleeping, he’ll lie awake wondering whether you’re his little lucky charm

Artwork © Museland.ai

Onstage with the Queen

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) onstage and offstage in Singapore, Sunday, December 8, 2024. Photos: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.