In A Word

Well, Edna, to quote Horace, “May you praise that you are praised in absentia”

Artwork © Juhmpa

The Baths of Caracalla

Above is a bad quality picture taken from Tolnai Népújság, Saturday, February 5, 2000, p. 12, showing 11th World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer seated on tram #47 heading for the Gellért Baths, Budapest, Hungary. Photo: László Temesi.

The Ineffable In-Betweenness of Being

And so, Edna, to put it in another way, “Love, which, when one is not loved, calls that it be refused”

Artwork © redbunnylips

Nevertheless

A picture taken from the Hungarian periodical A Hét (The Week), No. 12, Friday, March 18, 1994, p. 6, shows Zita Rajcsányi, the woman who brought Bobby Fischer back to chess, in the foreground at the board. The caption reads, “The marriage proposal is just a journalists’ boutade”. Photo: László Polgár’s Archive.

An April After

A pro-Palestinian activist looks on as she participates in the celebrations of the 79th Anniversary of Italy’s Liberation Day from nazism and fascism, in Rome, April 25, 2024. Photo: Yara Nardi/Reuters.

So is life, Edna; it took another thirty years to realise that, whatever the cost, it was well worth it

Courtesy of Supercoloring.com

An Overdue Goodbye

In an in-depth interview with ChessBase, Ukrainian Grandmaster Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin called The World Chess Championship. The Chess Champion Bobby Fischer vs. the Challenger Boris Vasilievich Spassky. The Revenge Match of the Twentieth Century “a fantastic match, though it was, at the time, underestimated because Yugoslavia was under sanctions, and it wasn’t widely publicised. It was even criticised by Kasparov and Karpov for the level, but the level was much higher — as we now realise — than some of their matches”.

Fischer and Spassky shake hands before their first game in the World Chess Championship Revenge Match of the Twentieth Century in Sveti Stefan, Yugoslavia, September 2 1992. Photo: Dragan Filpović/Getty Images.

King Kong

“Love, which, when one is loved, does not allow that it be refused”

In the Serbian magazine Borba of September 19, 2023, Dobrica Jovičić published a biographical article on 11th World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, titled “Сјај и беда генија” (“The glory and misery of genius”), which, if on the one hand says little or nothing new about him, yet on the other hand it features some little known pictorial material covering his journeys to his most beloved Yugoslavia:

Fischer in Yugoslavia in July 1958 with Belgrade TV journalist Miodrag Ilić. Photo: Borba Archive.

Fischer in Belgrade in 1968. Photo: Borba Archive.

Fischer in Yugoslavia, undated. Photo: Borba Archive.

Sveti Stefan and Belgrade, 1992: The World Chess Championship. The Chess Champion Bobby Fischer vs. the Challenger Boris Vasilievich Spassky. The Revenge Match of the Twentieth Century. The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a cease and desist order to enjoin Fischer from any further violation of President George H. W. Bush’s Executive Order 12810 imposing sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). In response, during the inaugural press conference on September 1, 1992, in front of the world’s press, Fischer spat on the U.S. order, saying “This is my reply to the order not to defend my title here”. United States issued a warrant for Fischer’s arrest, and he will never return to his home country. Photo: Borba Archive.

挪亚方舟 (Noah’s Ark)

A drone view shows roads submerged in floodwaters following heavy rainfall, in 清远 (Qīngyuǎn), 广东省 (Guǎngdōng province), China. Photo: 王廷樞 (Wáng Tíngshū)/Reuters.

Yeah, Edna, they just looked and sounded like the characters in Spoon River

Artwork © Folb

The Long Goodbye

Meadows

Homage to Mauro Marè (1935–1993)

Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, April 19, 2024

Er seme der piagne (la vita dell’omo) Da una catorbia d’ombra ummida e llercia sficasse all’aria chiara doppio piagne nell’occhi pe ttutto un fiato d’angelo la storia more in core ar divenì la parlata bbacata un sorcio in bocca èssimo artri èssimo nojjartri crescessimo e umanessimo a scola a ffabbricà lacunoscenza a strazzià li lamenti ne la mente quela galanteria dell’esse gnente che te strozza a ccantà la terra forte fiata controcelo a ccresce in erba e ccavarcà in pratoni campi d’amore pratonico cose più oziose e ccose minuzziose intorno a la bottega ndò se frega domani alegri a ffaticà in mestjeri l’arte d’ammucchià vvento co li forconi a ppoi l’ale a spirale a vvita e ppreci in pizzo pia morte pjatutto umanità piagnente. Il seme del piangere (la vita dell’uomo) Da una prigione d’ombra umida e lercia sbucare all’aria chiara doppio pianto negli occhi ovunque un fiato d’angelo la storia muore in cuore al divenire la parlata bacata un sorcio in bocca altri fummo fummo noialtri crescessimo e umanessimo a scuola a fabbricare lacunoscenza a strazziare i lamenti nella mente quella galanteria di essere niente che ti strozza a cantare la terra fiata forte contro il cielo a crescere in erba a cavalcare in pratoni campi d’amore pratonico cose più oziose e cose minuziose intorno alla bottega dove si fotte domani allegri a faticare in mesti-ieri l’arte di ammucchiare il vento coi forconi e poi le ali a spirale a vite, a preci in pizzo pia morte pigliatutto umanità piangente piglianiente. The seed of crying (the life of man) Out of a prison of damp and filthy shadow all the way up to the crystal clear air double cry in the eyes everywhere an angel’s breath history dies in the heart upon becoming flawed talk a mouse in the mouth we were others we were we ourselves we grew up and we made ourselves human at school to build knowledge of gaps to torment the mourning in the mind that gallantry of being nothing which chokes you to sing the earth blows loudly against the sky to grow up in grass to ride in meadows (pratoni) pratonic love fields more idle things and minute things round the shop where one fritters away cheerful tomorrows toiling in labour’s yesterdays the art of heaping wind with pitchforks and then spiral wings with screw, headlong on top pious death takes all crying humanity takes nothing.

(English translation by I, Robot)

René Magritte, The Lovers, 1928. Courtesy of WikiArt.

Yes, Edna, they should title their flowchart “From Hollywood to Bollywood” — and not worry about copyright infringement

Artwork © Lisa Nolan (@stillheartingfinearting)

Alone in a Crowd

Russian Grandmaster Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi stopped in emotion, midstairs, after his compelling and dramatic drawn game against Fabiano Caruana — a result that didn’t help either of them. (Thank you, Ulises, for reporting it to me). Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Day Not Seized

Old New Thing

Let it go, Edna. He stands above any dress code!

Artwork © Marc Rueda (@marc_rueda)

When Parallel Lines Meet

On Saturday and Sunday, for the sake of our dog and cat friends, L’Arca di Noè (Noah’s Ark) made a stop at the shopping mall “I Gigli” in the industrial suburb of Campi Bisenzio, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy. Just one parallel street back, in the distance, is the Alamo of the former GKN factory, still occupied by its laid-off workers in order to make history and bring out the future.

Naturally, Edna. We are all sure that if a snake were to come up to you and offer you an apple, you would say, “No, never!”

Photo © elvis

Once Upon a Twice

Three-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, pictured above, conceded a quick draw against 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) in the penultimate round of Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024, which means that the next match for the world title will be, once again, an all-Chinese affair. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

Tales of a Diver

Oh, Edna, one can only imagine how it feels like to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

Artwork © Norris Wong 黃綺琳 (@norris_wong_lyricist)

Garfield Goes Hollywood

On Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April 2024 L’Arca di Noè (Noah’s Ark) — a TV program dedicated to the world of animals — will make a stop at the shopping mall “I Gigli” in Campi Bisenzio, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy. Most animal rights associations and organisations will join in — including the A.M.A. (Friends of Animal World) Cattery that will feature the latest creations by Mado Flynn. For further details and information, click here.

Antonio Ligabue, Gatto con cassettone (Cat with chest of drawers), 1954. Courtesy of Arte.Go.

金鵝 (The Golden Goose)

Five-time Olympic gold medal diver 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) wears KEER千叶珠宝 (KEER Chiba Jewelry). Photos: KEER千叶珠宝 (KEER Chiba Jewelry).

Come on, Edna, there are many more beautiful things in life, besides their plays

Photo © elvis

So Light, So Heavy

Rameshbabu Vaishali – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 17, 2024
4k3/8/p2Pp3/3p4/1q3QK1/1P6/P5P1/8 b - - 6 64

Position after 64. Qg5-f4

Yesterday’s result was the second defeat in a row for Goryachkina, meaning that her hope of returning to the limelight as a world challenger is fading away. Her lack of struggle against Vaishali in what, absolutely, was a game to win at all costs, might suggest, if not a lack of preparation, a lack of emphaty with the upper hierarchy of Russian chess, but who knows? In any event, after having been lucky enough not to resign before the time control (at the 40th move), after another twenty or so moves she finally succeeded at reaching at least a drawish Queen ending.
In the position of diagram, the drama reaches its climax. In his annotations for Championat, Grandmaster Dmitry Vadimovich Kryakvin notes that “Black is down a Pawn, but her Queen is active, and there is a good chance of capturing the passed Pawn on d6”.
64. ... d4? Allows the White Queen a crushing centralisation. Black had more ways than one to save herself: 64. ... Qb6, 64. ... Qc3, 64. ... Qe1, and even 64. ... a5 65. Qxb4 axb4 66. Kf4 d4 67. Ke4 e5 would have led to a draw.
65. Qe5!+− d3+. The point is that now 65. ... Kd7 would be refuted by 66. Qg7+! either winning the Queen (66. ... Kxd6 67. Qf8+) or hunting the King to mate (66. ... Kc6 67. Qc7++−).
66. Kf3 Kf7 (66. ... d2 67. Qxe6+ Kf8 68. Qf6+ Kg8 69. Ke2+−)
67. d7 Qb7+ 68. Qe4 d2. If 68. ... Qxd7 then 69. Qh7+ Ke8 70. Qxd7+ Kxd7 71. Ke3 with an easily won Pawn ending.
69. d8=N+! Of course 69. d8=Q would also win for White, but Vaishali is too tempted by a spectacular promotion to Knight.
69. ... Kf6 70. Nxb7 1–0. A piece and a Pawn down, Goryachkina resigned.

Goryachkina did not play in the second half of the tournament with the same confidence that she showed in the first half. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.

Passionately Human

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 17, 2024
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 a5 7. Nbd2 0-0 8. Re1 Be6 9. Bb5 Qb8 10. Nf1 Qa7 11. Re2 a4 12. h3 Qa5 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Ng5 Bb6 15. Ng3 h6 16. Nf3 Rfd8 17. Bd2 Qa6

18. Qc1!? Taking a walk on the wild side.
18. ... Qxd3 19. Bxh6! Who says A must say B.
19. ... gxh6? Muzychuk feels secure enough to accept the gift, and, indeed, it is hard to believe that she was bound to refuse it by 19. ... Nh7! and hold on to balance.
20. Qxh6 Ne8 21. Rd2 Qc4 22. Nxe5?! 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) too cannot be blamed for not seeing what she could not see: 22. Kh2!! (Δ b2-b3) 22. ... f6 23. b3! axb3 24. axb3 Qxb3 25. Rxa8 Rxa8 26. Nh4 Bf7 27. Nhf5 Qe6 28. Nh1!! (Δ Rd2-d3-g3+) 28. ... Ra1 29. Rd3 Rxh1+ 30. Kxh1 Bxf2 31. Rf3 Be1 32. Rf1+− (Stockfish’s analysis).
28. ... dxe5 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Qg5+ Kf8 25. Qxd8 a3!∓ 26. Qd2 axb2 27. Qxb2 Qd3 28. Kh2 Nd6 29. Re1 Nb5 30. c4? White pushes too hard in the heat of an attack without foundation, and inevitably falls into a no return position. She ought to have played 30. Rc1.
30. ... Qc3 31. Qe2 Bxc4 32. Qg4 Nd6

33. Qg5!? A last desperate trick which shouldn’t have fooled a merciless opponent.
33. ... Qxe1 34. Nf5 Nxf5 35. Qd8+ Kg7 36. Qg5+ Kf8 37. Qd8+ Kg7 38. Qg5+ Kh8 39. exf5

39. ... f6! This should win!
40. Qxf6+ Kg8 41. Qg6+ Kf8 42. Qf6+ Bf7? As then pointed out by 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), after 42. ... Ke8 43. Qxc6+ Kd8 44. Qxc4 Kc8! “there must be something for Black” (who will take on f2 next move).
43. Qd8+ Be8 44. Qf6+ Kg8 45. Qe7! Bh5 46. Qg5+ Kf8 47. Qf6+! Just so: for if 47. Qxh5? then 47. ... Qd2! with Black still on top.
47. ... Ke8 48. Qxc6+ Kd8 49. Qd5+ Kc8 50. Qa8+ Kd7 51. Qd5+ Kc8 52. Qa8+ Kd7 53. Qd5+ ½–½.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) somehow managed to climb back out of the abyss where she had fallen. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.

Schematically, yes. However, Edna, as Aristotle said, the now is not the beginning and the end of the same thing

Artwork © Alee Plazas 🌈 (@aleeplazas)

Rhythm and Blues in the Far East

Of course, Edna, nothing is certain, and nothing is won until it is won

Photo © elvis

Behind the Line

An employee works on the production line at the workshop of 安徽京九丝绸股份公司 (Ānhuī Jīngjiǔ Silks Co, Ltd.) in 阜阳 (Fùyáng), 安徽省 (Ānhuī province), China. Photo: VCG/Getty Images.

Eurasian Theatre

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 15, 2024
Slav Defence D14

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 Bf5 7. Bb5 e6 8. Nf3 Nd7 9. 0-0 Rc8 10. Ne5 Ndxe5 11. Bxe5 a6 12. Bxc6+ Rxc6 13. Rc1 f6 14. Bg3 Be7 15. Na4 Rxc1 (15. ... Qd7 16. Qb3 0-0 17. Nb6 Qe8 18. f3 Bg6 19. a3 Kh8 20. Rc3 Bd8 21. Nc8 Rxc3 22. Qxc3 Ba5 23. Qxa5 Qxc8 24. Bc7 Be8 25. Rc1 Bc6 26. b4 Qd7 27. Bf4 Re8 28. Qc7 Qxc7 29. Bxc7 Rc8 30. Bd6 Bd7 31. Rxc8+ Bxc8 32. a4 Bd7 33. a5 Kg8 34. Kf2 Kf7 35. Ke2 Bb5+ 36. Kd2 h5 37. e4 Bc4 38. Ke3 Bb5 39. g3 Bc4 40. h4 Bb5 41. Kf4 Bd3 ½–½ Rakić Vulićević – Girya, 18th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Rhodes 2013)
16. Qxc1 Kf7TN (16. ... 0-0 17. Qd2 Qd7 18. Nc5 Qb5 19. a4 Qc6 20. Rc1 b6 21. Nxa6 Qxa4 22. Nc7 Rc8 23. h3 Kf7 24. Qc3 Qb4 25. Qxb4 Bxb4 26. Rc6 Ba5 27. Bd6 b5 28. Ra6 Bxc7 29. Ra7 Bd3 ½–½ Kunicki – Gajewski, 33rd Polish Junior Team Chess Championship, Łączna 2002)
17. Qc3 h5 18. h3 h4 19. Bh2 Qd7 20. Nb6 Qb5 21. Qc7 Qxb2 22. Bd6 Re8 23. Rc1? Not 23. Nc8? because of 23. ... Rxc8! 24. Qxe7+ Kg6 with advantage to Black. But the text also overlooks a little tactics. There was nothing better than 23. Bxe7 Rxe7 24. Qd8 to which Black would have probably replied 24. ... Re8= offering a draw by repetition.

23. ... Kg6! 24. Bxe7 Rxe7! 25. Qc5 Kh6

26. a4? This creates further weaknesses. Both 26. Na4 and 26. a3 were deserving of consideration.
26. ... a5!∓ 27. Nc8 Rd7 28. Qc3 Qb4 29. Qc5 Kh7 30. Qa7 Qd2 31. Qc5 Bd3? (31. ... Qb4∓)
32. Nb6! Rd6 33. Qxd6 Qxc1+ 34. Kh2 Bf5 35. Nd7 Qc2 36. Nf8+. Goryachkina was too short of time to calculate the consequences of 36. Nxf6+! gxf6 37. Qe7+ which, according to the engines, should lead to a draw.
36. ... Kh6

37. f3?? A Zeitnot blunder. 37. Nxe6! Qxf2 38. Qxd5 would have held on.
37. ... Qf2! 38. Qf4+ (38. Qa3?? Bxh3!−+)
38. ... g5 39. Qc7 Qg3+! 40. Qxg3 hxg3+ 41. Kxg3 e5! White has recovered the Pawn, but her Knight is dominated.
42. e4 dxe4 43. fxe4 Bc8? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) plays too much by inertia, giving her opponent an unexpected chance of recovery. 43. ... Bxe4 44. dxe5 f5! 45. Nd7 f4+ 46. Kf2 Kg6 must win for Black.
44. d5 Kg7 45. Ne6+ Kf7 46. Kf2 b6 47. g3 Bd7 48. h4 gxh4 49. gxh4 Bxa4 50. h5 Bb5 51. Ke3 a4 52. h6 Kg6 53. Kd2 Kxh6 54. d6 Kh5 55. Nf8 Kg5 56. d7 Bxd7 57. Nxd7 a3 58. Kc2 b5 59. Kb3 b4 60. Ka2 f5

61. Nxe5?? Drama accomplishes. 61. exf5! would have crowned White’s defence; for example: 61. ... e4 (or 61. ... Kxf5 62. Nc5 e4 63. Na6!=) 62. Nb8! e3 63. Nc6 e2 64. Nd4 with a draw.
61. ... Kf4! 62. Nd3+ Kxe4 63. Nxb4 f4 64. Na6 f3 65. Nc5+ Ke3 0-1.

To get from a drawish opening to a sharp middle game may turn out to be a mission impossible even for the chess elite. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.