LABIRINTI E CASEMATTE: June 2024

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Yeah, Edna, your wish is their command!

Artwork © Corey Rivera

Saturday, June 29, 2024

第九轮 (Round Nine)

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 29, 2024

Catalan Opening E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Ne5 Bc6 10. Nxc6 Nxc6 11. e3 Na5 12. Nd2 c6. More reserved than 12. ... c5 13. dxc5 Qc7 14. b4 cxb3 15. Nxb3 Nxb3 16. Qxb3 Rab8 17. Ba3 Nd7 18. Rfc1 Nxc5 19. Bxc5 Bxc5 20. Bxb7 Qe7 21. Rab1 a5 22. Qc4 Bxe3 23. Qc7 Qxc7 24. Rxc7 Bd2 25. Rd7 Rfd8 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8 27. Rd1 g5 28. Bg2 Rd4 29. Kf1 Bc3 30. Rxd4 Bxd4 31. Ke2 Kg7 32. Bc6 g4 33. Bg2 Kf6 34. h3 gxh3 35. Bxh3 Ke5 36. f4+ Ke4 37. Bg2+ Kf5 38. Bh3+ Ke4 39. Bg2+ Kf5 40. Bh3+ Ke4 ½–½ Danielian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, 2nd stage, 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) 2011.
13. Nxc4 Nxc4 14. Qxc4 a5 15. Bd2 Nd5 16. Qb3 Bb4 17. Bc3 Qe7 18. Bxd5 cxd5 19. Bxb4 Qxb4 20. Qxb4 axb4 21. Rfc1 Rfc8. 21. ... Ra5!= seems even more accurate.
22. a5!

22. ... Rc6? The zwischenzug 22. ... Rc4! was here called for, since after 23. b3 Rc6 24. Rxc6 bxc6 the unavailability of the b3-square for the White King would make Black’s position apparently impenetrable.
23. Rxc6 bxc6 24. Kf1 Kf8 25. Ke2 Ke7

26. Kd2? But White lets her chance slip, and she will not be given a second one! After 26. Kd3! Kd6 (26. ... Ra6 27. Kc2! Kd6 28. Kb3+−) 27. a6! (27. Kc2? would transpose into the game) 27. ... c5 28. b3 White might well be playing for the win.
26. ... Kd6 27. Kc2 c5! Now Black saves a draw by temporarily sacrificing a Pawn.
28. Kb3

28. ... c4+! The brilliant point of Black’s previous move.
29. Kxb4 Rb8+ 30. Kc3 Rb3+ 31. Kc2 Kc7 32. g4 Kb7 33. a6+ Ka7 34. g5 Rb6 35. Rg1 Kxa6 36. Rg3 Rb8 37. Rh3 Rh8 38. Rf3 Rf8 39. Rh3 Rh8 40. Rf3 ½–½.

The two femmes fatales of Eurasian chess finally come face-to-face in what is to be a “high noon” climax. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

第八轮 (Round Eight)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 29, 2024

Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nf5 8. Nf3 0-0 9. d4 d5 10. c3 Bd6 11. Bd3 Re8 12. Nbd2 Rxe1+ 13. Qxe1

13. ... Nfe7. Basically similar is 13. ... Qe7 14. Qxe7 (or 14. Qd1 Ne3!= 15. Qe2 Nf5 offering to repeat moves) 14. ... Nfxe7 15. Nf1 Bf5 16. Be2 Re8 17. Ne3 Bd7 18. Bd3 f6 19. h4 Nd8 20. g3 Nf7 21. Bd2 c6 22. Re1 b6 23. Nf5 Nxf5 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8 25. Bxf5 g6 26. Bh3 Kf8 27. Kf1 Ke7 28. Ke2 Bd7 29. Bxd7 Kxd7 30. Ne1 Ke6 ½–½ Vidit – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 15th Chinese Chess League, 沈阳 (Shěnyáng) 2019.
14. Nf1 Bf5 15. Qe2 Qd7 16. Bg5 h6 17. Bxe7 Nxe7 18. Bxf5 Nxf5 19. Re1 c6 20. Ng3 Nxg3 21. hxg3 Qf5 22. Nh4 Qd7 23. Nf3 ½–½.

第七轮 (Round Seven)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 29, 2024

Four Knights Game C47

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 d5 9. Qf3 Bxc3 10. bxc3 dxe4 11. Bxe4 Nxe4 12. Qxe4 Qd5

At this point a draw was agreed in Hovhannisyan – Antón Guijarro, 19th European Individual Chess Championship, Batumi 2018. On her own part, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) finds out for herself that it is just a draw:
13. Qxd5 cxd5 14. Rb1 Bf5 15. Be3 c6 16. Rb7 a5 17. Rfb1 Bxc2 18. R1b6 Ba4 19. h4 h5 20. Rc7 Bb5 21. Rbb7 Rac8 22. Rd7 Rcd8 23. Rdc7 Rc8 ½–½.

Friday, June 28, 2024

And yet, Edna, no one would ever believe that “тирамису” was the only word you needed to know

Artwork © 凜星✰ (@urboirinn_)

Between Worlds

Besides 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), the only other woman who managed to keep pace with men was Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, who, in spite of her great talent, has few opportunities to shine beyond national borders. Before the war and the pandemic, she was courted by organisers of most European countries, but in the last two years her marketability ended up swallowed almost whole in the Western embargoes and reprisals against Russia.

Seyyed Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 28, 2024

Queen’s Pawn Game D04

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. dxc5 e6 5. b4 a5 6. c3 axb4 7. cxb4 b6 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10. a4 bxc5 11. b5 Bd6 12. Bb2 Qc7 13. Nbd2. 13. 0-0 was preferred by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) in the 12th game of her Women’s World Championship match against 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), but even then Black could have played 13. ... g5!? with sharp play.
13. ... Rg8 14. h3 g5

15. g4. White can hardly abstain from this move without falling into serious trouble: 15. Qc2 h5 16. Bc3? g4!∓ Nguyễn Huỳnh Minh Huy – Droin, BSSZ One Week GM-A, Budapest 2023.
15. ... c4 16. Qc2 Bb4 17. Bc3 Qa5 18. Bxb4 Qxb4 19. 0-0 h5

20. e4? This opens up the game to Black’s favour. 20. Rfb1 Qf8 21. Kg2 (allowing the Rook to move to h1 in case, for example, of ... Qf8-h6) 21. ... hxg4 22. hxg4 and if 22. ... Nxg4 then 23. Nxc4! dxc4? 24. Qe4 regaining the piece with interest.
20. ... hxg4 21. hxg4 c3 22. Rfb1 Qc5 23. Nb3 Qc4 24. Rd1 Nxe4 25. Rd4 Qc7

26. Rxe4. A sad necessity for otherwise ... Qc7-f4 follows.
26. ... dxe4 27. Qxe4 Rc8 28. a5. White hopes that his united passed Pawns will repay him for the Exchange, but the Black c-Pawn runs faster than White’s ones.
28. ... c2 29. Rc1 Qf4 30. Nfd2 Qxe4 31. Nxe4 Ke7 32. b6 Rc4 33. f3 Rb4 34. Ned2 Rc8 35. Kf2 Rc3 36. Na1 Rb5 37. Ne4 Rc4 38. Rxc2 Rxc2+ 39. Nxc2 Rb2 40. Ke3 Rxc2 41. b7 Ra2 42. Nc5 Nb8 43. a6 Kd6. 43. ... Rxa6! is much simpler, but Goryachkina’s way works too.
44. Ne4+ Kc7 45. Nxg5 Rxa6 46. Nxf7 Nd7 47. g5 Kxb7 48. f4 Kc7 49. g6 Nf6 50. g7 Kd7 51. Nh6 Ra8 52. f5 e5 53. Nf7 Rg8 54. Nxe5+ Ke7 55. Kf4 Rxg7 56. Ng6+ Kf7 57. Kg5 Nd7 58. Kh6 Kf6 59. Nf4 Rg1 0–1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Goryachkina at the gala dinner in honour of the opening of the 4th “Tournament of Stars” on the evening of Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

第六轮 (Round Six)

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 28, 2024

Four Knights Game C47

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 cxd5 9. 0-0 0-0 10. h3 c6 11. Qf3 Re8 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. Qxf6 gxf6 ½–½.

Play might continue 15. Ne2 Rb8 16. Nd4 Bd7 17. Nf5 Bxf5 18. Bxf5 Bc5 19. b3 Re2 20. Bd3 Re5 21. c3 Kf8 22. g3 a5 23. Kg2 Ba3 24. Rab1 c5 25. Rfe1 Rbe8 26. Kf1 Rxe1+ 27. Rxe1 Bb2 28. Rxe8+ Kxe8 29. c4 dxc4 30. Bxc4 Ke7 31. Ke2 Bd4 32. f4 f5 ½–½ A. O. Muzychuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2017.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Lagno doing their runway walks. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

第五轮 (Round Five)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 28, 2024

Sicilian Defence B32

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 Be7 7. N1c3 a6 8. Na3 f5 9. exf5 Bxf5 10. Bd3 Be6 11. Nc2 Nf6 12. Bg5 0-0 13. 0-0 Ng4 14. Bxe7 Qxe7

15. Ne3. A new try aiming to improve on 15. h3, which after 15. ... Nf6 16. Qe2 Rae8 offered White little or nothing in Erigaisi – Radjabov, 5th Tata Steel India Rapid Tournament, Kolkata 2023 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
15. ... Nxe3 16. fxe3 Rxf1+ 17. Qxf1 Rc8 18. b3 Qc7 19. Bf5 Qf7 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 21. Qf3 Rf8 22. Qd5 Qxd5 23. Nxd5 Rf7 ½–½.

Yeah, it feels like 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) put a flower in Radjabov’s Kalashnikov. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

第四轮 (Round Four)

Raunak Sadhwani – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 28, 2024

Sicilian Defence B42

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. 0-0 Qc7 7. Qe2 d6 8. c4 Nbd7 9. Nc3 Ne5 10. h3 Be7 11. Be3 Nxd3 12. Qxd3 b6 13. Rac1 Bb7 14. Rfd1 0-0 15. b3 Rac8 16. f4 Nd7 17. f5 Nc5 18. Qb1 Bf6 19. b4 Bxd4 20. Bxd4 Nd7 21. Ne2 Ne5 22. f6 gxf6 23. Rf1 f5 24. exf5 Qc6 25. Nf4 Qe4 26. Qxe4 Bxe4 27. fxe6 fxe6 28. Rce1 Nxc4 29. Nxe6 Rxf1+ 30. Rxf1 b5 31. Re1 Bc6 32. Ng7 Kf7 33. Nf5 Re8 34. Rf1 Kg6 35. Nh4+ Kh5 36. Rf5+ Kh6 (36. ... Kxh4?? 37. Bf2#)
37. Rf6+ Kg5 38. Rf5+ Kh6 39. g4 Ne5 40. Kf2 Kg7 41. Rh5 Be4 42. Kg3 Bg6 43. Nf5+ Bxf5 44. Rxf5

44. ... Kg6? 44. ... Rc8! at once would have saved a tempo and offered chances for a draw.
45. h4! Rc8 46. h5+ Kg7 47. Bxe5+ dxe5 48. Rxe5 Rc3+ 49. Kh4 Kf6 50. Rf5+ Kg7 51. Rd5 Ra3 52. Rd7+ Kg8 53. Kg5! The triumphal epiphany of the King march.
53. ... Rxa2 54. Kh6 Rb2 55. g5 Rxb4 56. Rd8+ Kf7 57. Kxh7 Rh4 58. h6 Rg4 59. g6+ 1–0.

It took only an unfortunate slip for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) to run into a defeat she didn’t deserve. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

Secrets to conceal

From left to right: Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), and Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno chatting (in Russian?) in the backstage of the Crystal Ballroom just before the beginning of the 4th “Tournament of Stars”. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

Nay, Edna, there is no need of a magnifying glass to distinguish who is Othello, and who is Iago

Artwork © spybutterfly🧚‍♀️ (@spybutterfly)

Thursday, June 27, 2024

第三轮 (Round Three)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Evgeny Yuryevich Tomashevsky

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 27, 2024

Spanish Game C89

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Qe2 Bg4 16. Qf1 Qh5 17. Nd2 Rae8 ½–½.

If one is interested in theory as a set of Großmeister-Remisen, there is still much to be learned by heart: 18. f3 Bh3 [18. ... Rxe1 19. Qxe1 Bxf3 20. Nxf3 Qxf3 21. Bd2 Qg4 22. Qd1 Qd7 23. Qf3 Re8 24. Re1 Rxe1+ 25. Bxe1 Bf8 26. a4 Nb6 27. axb5 axb5 28. Bf2 g6 29. Qe4 Nd5 30. Kg2 h5 31. Bd1 Nf6 ½–½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – M. Adams, 10th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2012] 19. Qf2 Rxe1+ [19. ... f5 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. Nf1 f4 22. Bxf4 Bxf4 23. gxf4 Qg6+ 24. Ng3 h5 25. Re1 h4 26. Rxe8+ Qxe8 27. Qe2 Qf7 28. Nf1 Qg6+ 29. Kf2 Kf8 30. Bxd5 cxd5 31. Ne3 Qd6 32. Ng2 Bxg2 33. Kxg2 Qxf4 34. Qe5 Qd2+ 35. Kh3 Qxb2 36. Qd6+ Ke8 37. Qxa6 Ke7 38. Qb7+ Kd6 39. Qb6+ Kd7 40. Qb7+ Kd6 41. Qxg7 Qxa2 42. Qe5+ Kc6 43. Qe8+ Kb6 44. Qb8+ Kc6 45. Qc8+ Kd6 46. Qc5+ Ke6 47. Qxb5 1–0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – A. O. Muzychuk, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, 1st stage, Rostov-on-Don 2011] 20. Qxe1 Bf4 21. Bxd5 Bxd2 22. Bxd2 Qxd5 23. Qe4 Qd7 24. Re1 Be6 25. a3 Re8 26. g4 f6 27. h3 Bf7 28. Qf4 Rxe1+ 29. Bxe1 h6 30. Qe4 Bd5 31. Qe3 Qe6 32. Kf2 Qxe3+ 33. Kxe3 Kf7 34. h4 g6 35. Bg3 h5 36. gxh5 gxh5 37. Bd6 ½–½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Lékó, 75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2013.

They tacitly agreed to save their energy for tomorrow. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

第二轮 (Round Two)

Seyyed Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 27, 2024

Catalan Opening E06

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. Qd3 c6 7. 0-0 b6 8. b3 Nbd7 9. Nc3 Ba6 10. a4 Rc8 11. Bb2 Bb4 12. Rfd1 Qc7 13. e3 h6 14. Rac1 Qb8 15. Qb1 Rfd8 16. cxd5 cxd5 17. Qa1 Ne4 18. Nb5 Bb7 19. Ba3 Bxa3 20. Nxa3 Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Rc8 22. Bf1 Ndf6 23. h3

23. ... Nxf2! An ingenious try to win which in fact ends up with a draw.
24. Rxc8+ Bxc8 25. Kxf2 Ne4+ 26. Ke2 Ba6+ 27. Nb5 Qxg3 28. Qe1! The only move, but a very easy one.
28. ... Qd6 29. Kd1 Bxb5 30. Bxb5

30. ... Qa3! In getting the third Pawn for her piece, Black also equalises the pairs.
31. Nd2 Nxd2 32. Qxd2 Qxb3+ 33. Ke2 a6 34. Bxa6 Qxa4 35. Bd3 Qc6 36. Kf2 Qc7 37. Kg2 Qd8 38. Qf2 Qg5+ 39. Kh2 g6 40. h4 Qe7 41. Qg3 Kg7 42. Kh3 h5 43. Qe5+ Qf6 44. Kg3 Qxe5+ 45. dxe5 f6 46. Kf4 Kf7 47. Be2 Ke7 48. Bf1 Kf7 49. Bd3 Kg7 50. Bb5 Kf7 51. Ba4 Ke7 52. Bc6 Kf7 53. Bb5 Ke7 54. e4 dxe4 55. Kxe4 Kf7 56. Kf4 Ke7 57. Bd3 Kf7 58. Ke4 Kg7 59. Kd4 Kf7 60. Be2 Ke7 61. Bb5 Kf7 62. Bd3 Kg7 63. Ke4 Kf7 64. Kf4 Kg7 65. Ke4 ½–½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) accomplished her goal by making herself enjoy playing. Photo: Irina Anisina/photobyirsn.com.

第一回合 (Round One)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 27, 2024

Richter–Veresov Attack D01

1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6 4. Nb5 Na6 5. e3 Be7 6. Nf3 0-0 7. h4 c5 8. c3 Bd7 9. a4

9. ... cxd4? A grave error, which leaves White with a free hand on the Kingside. Better is 9. ... c4 10. b3 Qa5 11. bxc4 (11. Nd2 might have been less complacent) 11. ... Bxb5 12. axb5 Qxc3+ 13. Nd2 Nb4 14. Rc1 Nd3+ 15. Bxd3 Qxd3 16. Qe2 dxc4 17. Rxc4 Qa3 18. 0-0 Rfc8 19. e4 a5 ½–½ Najer – Sjugirov, 75th Russian Chess Championship, Cheboksary 2022.
10. exd4 Ne4 11. Bd3 Be8 (11. ... Bxb5 12. axb5 Nc7 13. Ng5!)
12. Ng5! Bxg5 13. hxg5 f5 14. Qc1. So, simply, while defending the g5-Pawn, the Queen is heading to e3 and from there to the h-file.
14. ... Bxb5 15. axb5 Nc7 16. Qe3 Qd7 17. Qh3 g6 18. f3 e5 19. Bxe5 Nxg5 20. Qg3 Nge6

21. Rh6! Ne8 22. Kf2 Nf6 23. Rah1 Rae8 24. Bxf5 Re7 25. Qh4 Ne4+ 26. fxe4 dxe4 27. Bf6 e3+ 28. Ke1 Qxb5

29. Rxg6+! hxg6 30. Bxg6 1–0.

Speaking afterwards to TASS correspondents, Gunina explained that her poor form can be attributed to the side effects of the medicines she takes to treat her lupus disease. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Gunina chatting at the gala dinner in honour of the opening of the 4th “Tournament of Stars” on the evening of Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.

莉莉瑪蓮 (Lili Marleen)

The queen of chess, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), the only one that can make the hell a heaven, showed up in grand style on a gala dinner yesterday night in Moscow, Russia, in the white city of Nâzım Hikmet’s best days, to raise her song to all tombs of all unknown soldiers of all wars and to bless all souls.
Today, she just made her debut cameo in the unofficial chess “Tournament of Stars”, an independent brand developed by her old friend Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, a former Vice World Champion who paid his loyalty to his master by his chess career.
Of course 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was perfectly aware of what her choice would have entailed due to her status of chess world’s woman Number One. Indeed, and not unsurprisingly, her joining the “Z” tournament promptly earned her harsh criticism, especially from her Slavic detractors, as well as from Magnus Carlsen’s mentor, Peter Heine Nielsen, who, from the very beginning of the so-called “special military operation”, pledged to recommend a punitive, zero tolerance line against all Russian people, regardless of their involvement and responsibility in any warmongering campaigns and policies. By the irony of fate Nielsen’s protégée will be playing on the same team as 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in the forthcoming FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships, scheduled to begin in Astana, Kazakhstan, on August 1, but, in this case, he decided, at least apparently, to close an eye to the presence of the matryoshka queen of China.
Beyond the vulgar storytelling of “who are the good guys and who are the bad guys”, however, one can and should wonder why a high-ranking diplomat such as 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) willingly exposed herself and her dear ones, through her prayer for peace and love, to the threats and reproaches of Western and Slav war ultras.
They will say, that money is the basis of everything, and yes, it is true that a very important person in China once said, “to get rich is glorious”. But in her case? No, she did not need to be showered with rubles and dessert vouchers. She needs nothing except what she does not have. Next July, she will take a tour of the United States, but in such case her detractors, who manage to make ends meet solely through Uncle Sam’s dollars, will not dare accuse her of being venal — i.e., of being “a material girl in a material world”.
Good money, bad money? Just wars, unjust wars?
No doubt war ultras need you to make easy sense of their Manichean trivialisations and dichotomies. They say they are the “right side of history”, and it matters little that their “fair world” is littered with jails and cemeteries where to lock up and bury anyone and everyone who doubts their doctrine.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) aims much higher than going to war to kill other human beings. She is a cultured lady and an university professor of Education. She believes in peace and arbitration. Wicked warmongers and hireling slanderers cannot even touch her without risking being turned into a still life of rusty rifles and melting of bullets.
Anyone who knows her knows what is worth her heart, and what is not.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) enjoyed her moment on the red carpet at the dinner gala at Peach restaurant in “Moscow Silk” business district on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. In the name of female solidarity she also posed for a group photo with Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno, and Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina. Photos: Irina Anisina/photobyirsn.com.