After all, Edna, as Philip Mason said, “a gentleman is always a man in a mask”

Artwork © BluegirlWoomy

The Weight of Being

Alternate Score and Podium

Not all heroes wear capes.

Yes, indeed, Edna, it is quite painful that it takes forever to realise life goes by in a flash

Artwork © ❤ Dana ❤

The Neverending Story

Alice in Wonderland

Across the Technosphere

С днем ​​рождения, Хоу Ифань!

Famous Birthdays on February 27

Good to know, Edna, but the pastry chef put only one candle on the tiramisu as it’s rude to ask a lady’s age

Courtesy of MainStButtonShoppe

Brick by Brick

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 26, 2025
Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Re8 10. d4. 10. Ng5 Rf8 may sound like an invitation for a draw by repetition.
10. ... h6 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Re1 Bf8 13. Bc2 Nb8 14. b3 Nbd7 15. Bb2 c6 16. a4 Qc7 17. c4!? This may be a novelty. If 17. Bd3 then 17. ... d5 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Qxe5 20. Qc2 Bd6 21. Nf3 Qh5 22. e5 Bxe5 23. Nxe5 Rxe5 24. Rxe5 Qxe5 25. c4 d4 26. axb5 cxb5 27. cxb5 Qd5 28. Bf1 Rc8 29. Qd3 axb5 30. Rd1 b4 31. Bxd4 Ne4 32. Bb6 Qe6 33. Bd4 Bd5 34. Re1 Qc6 35. Qe3 Ng5 36. Qg3 Re8 37. Rxe8+ Qxe8 38. Be3 Ne4 39. Qc7 Bxb3 40. Qb7 Ng5 41. Qxb4 Bd5 42. Qg4 Qe4 43. Bxg5 Qxg4 ½–½ 陈琪 (Chén Qí) – Beliavsky, 18th Gibraltar Masters, Catalan Bay 2020.
17. ... b4 18. a5!? 18. c5 exd4 19. Bxd4 Rad8 leaves White with little or nothing.
18. ... Rad8. 18. ... exd4!? 19. Nxd4 g6 was perhaps Black’s most “thematic” treatment.

19. d5! Rc8 20. Bb1 Qd8 21. Nh2 g6 22. Ndf1 cxd5 23. cxd5 Rc5 24. Ra4

24. ... Bc8? The beginning of all trouble. Best was 24. ... Rb5! as after 25. Bd3 Nc5 26. Bxb5 axb5 27. Rxb4 (27. Ra2 Nfxe4 gives Black excellent compensation) 27. ... Qxa5 28. Qd2 Nd3! Black wins back the Exchange with at least an even game.
25. Ne3 Rxa5 26. Rxb4 Rc5 (26. ... Nb6 27. Nc4±)
27. Rc4 Rb5 28. Ba3 Qa5 29. Ra4 Qc7 30. Bd3 Rb8 31. b4 Nb6 32. Ra5 Be7 33. Qf3 Qc3 34. Qe2 Qc7 35. Rc1 Qd8 36. Nhf1 Ra8 37. Ng4 Nh5. Black is suffering on both wings. After 37. ... Nxg4 38. hxg4 she could not avoid the loss of the a-Pawn.
38. Nxh6+ Kg7? 38. ... Kf8 is comparatively better, but 39. Qf3 Nf4 40. Ng4 leaves White a Pawn ahead, with a crushing advantage.
39. Nf5+! Bxf5 40. exf5 Nf4 41. Qf3 Nxd3 42. Qxd3 Qd7 43. Rc6 Reb8 44. fxg6 fxg6

45. Bb2! With the destructive threat of Bb2xe5+.
45. ... Qf5 46. Qxf5 gxf5 47. f4 Bf6 48. Ng3 Kf7 49. Nxf5 Nc8 50. Rxc8! 1–0.

Add another to those heartbreaking case histories entitled “the Spanish Torture”, as Tartakower used to call the Ruy López. Photo: Niki Riga/FIDE.

Come on, Edna, do not take everything so literally and enjoy life as it comes

Courtesy of Craiyon LLC

Epistolary poem

陈漫 (Chén Màn), N°2 Cellphone, 2009. Photo © 陈漫 (Chén Màn). Courtesy of Galerie Loft, Paris.

You know, Edna, no one may calculate exactly how long one’s life span should be; it is simply to be hoped that one may live long enough to ponder about it with Faustian transcendence

Courtesy of Craiyon LLC

Tea in the Desert

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Humpy Koneru
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 24, 2025
Spanish Game C82

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Qd7 10. Nbd2 Rd8 11. Qe2 Nc5 12. Nd4 Bg4 13. Qe3 Ne6 14. Nxc6 Qxc6 15. Qg3 Bf5 16. Nf3 Bc5 17. Kh1 Bd3 18. Re1 Qb6 19. Be3 0-0 20. Rad1 Bxe3 21. Rxe3 Be4 22. Ng5 Nxg5 23. Qxg5 Qg6 24. h4 c6 25. f3 h6 26. Qf4 Bc2 27. Rd2 Bxb3 28. axb3 Rfe8 29. b4 Re6 30. Kh2 Rde8 31. Rde2 h5 32. Re1 Ra8 33. Qg5 a5 34. f4 Qxg5 35. hxg5 g6 36. bxa5 (36. Ra1!? a4 37. Kh3⩲)
36. ... Rxa5 37. g4 hxg4 38. Kg3 Kg7 39. Kxg4

39. ... Ra8?⊕ (39. ... Re8 40. Rh3 Ra4 41. Reh1 Re4=)
40. Rh3 Ree8 41. Reh1 Kf8

42. e6! Ra4 (42. ... fxe6 43. Rh7 b4!? 44. cxb4 Rab8 45. R1h6 Rxb4? 46. Ra7!+−)
43. exf7 Re7 (43. ... Ree4 44. Rh8+! Kxf7 45. R1h7+ Ke6 46. Rf8 Kd6 47. Rg7+−)

44. Rh8+! Kxf7 45. R1h6 Ree4 46. R6h7+ Ke6 47. Rf8 Kd6 48. Rg7 b4 49. Rxg6+ Kc5 50. Rgf6 Re2 51. Rc8 Ra6 52. cxb4+ Kxb4 53. Rcxc6 Ra1 54. Rfd6 Rd1 55. g6 d4 56. Kf5 Rg2 57. Rc7 d3 58. Rcd7 d2 59. g7 Rdg1 60. Rxd2 Rxd2 61. Rxd2 Rxg7 62. Kf6 1–0.

It was like a pool of quicksand after a long walk in the desert. Photo: Niki Riga/FIDE.

Classical modernity

Visitors wearing traditional costumes pose for photos at the 紫禁城 (Forbidden City) in 北京 (Běijīng), China. Photo: Ng Han Guan/AP.

Oh no, Edna, how can one even dream to take over the driver’s seat from you?

NFT artwork © Drea ⭕ (@drea_veve_collectibles)

Two in One

Possibly there is a hidden meaning in the concept of 阴阳 (yīn & yáng). Photo © 罗洋 (Luó Yáng).

Cheer up, Edna, just like everything, winter will pass by too!

Artwork © Izzet Toprak (@zttoprak)

X+Y

Two friends relax by watching a movie after a whole day of browsing the Internet. Photo: Maika Elan.

Of course, Edna, you, and you only, are allowed to do anything — and its opposite, just on a whim

Courtesy of MyPlanetHobby (@myplanethobby)

The Long Afternoon

Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 20, 2025
5k2/1bq1b3/1pp5/4Pp1p/2Pp1PpP/3P2K1/8/Q2BN3 w - - 3 75

Position after 74. ... Bc5-e7

With regard to the diagram, Black has a Pawn ahead and a manifest advantage. So it’s understandable that White rushes to take back her Pawn, so as to balance material. And yet...
75. Qxd4? And yet this is White’s losing mistake as it dramatically eases the entrance of Black’s light-squared Bishop into the scene. White’s best chance lay in 75. Qa7! Ke8 (75. ... c5? 76. Ba4!) 76. c5! sacrificing a second Pawn for light-square horizons and initiative.
75. ... c5! 76. Qc3?! Not good, but 76. Qe3 Qd8 is only another Zugzwang nightmare.
76. ... Qd8!? Or 76. ... Qc6! 77. e6 Kg8 winning by Zugzwang.
77. Ng2 Kg8 78. Bc2 Bxg2 79. Kxg2

79. ... Qa8+! 79. ... Bxh4? 80. Qa1! would give White concrete drawing chances.
80. Kg1 Qf3 81. Qd2 Qg3+ 82. Kf1 Qxh4 83. Qg2 g3 84. Bd1. If 84. Qf3 then 84. ... Qh3+ 85. Qg2 Qg4! and Black should win.
85. ... Qxf4+ 85. Qf3 Qxf3+! Naturally! The ending is easily won for Black in spite of Bishops of opposite colours.
86. Bxf3 h4 87. Kg2 Kg7 88. Bd5 Kg6 89. Kf3 Kg5 90. Bc6 Bd8 91. Bd7 Bc7 92. e6 Bd6 93. Bc6 Kf6 94. Bd5 h3 0–1.

A Long Wait

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 20, 2025
Grünfeld Defence D90

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h4!? dxc4 6. e4 c5 7. d5

7. ... Bg4. The critical alternative is 7. ... b5! 8. h5 0-0 9. hxg6 fxg6 10. e5 Ng4 11. d6 e6 12. Rxh7 Kxh7? (much better is 12. ... Rf5 13. Rh3 Nc6 14. Nxb5 Ngxe5 15. Nxe5 Rxe5+ 16. Be3 Nd4 17. Bxc4 Nxb5 18. Qd3 Nd4 19. Qxg6 Qf6 20. Qe8+ Qf8 21. Qg6 Qf6 22. Qe8+ Qf8 23. Qg6 Qf6 24. Qe8+ Qf8 ½–½ Gledura – Tari, 28th TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament, Malmö 2018) 13. Ng5+ Kg8 14. Qxg4± Rf5 15. Qh4 Rxe5+ 16. Be2 Qe8 17. Nxb5 Qxb5 18. Qh7+ Kf8 19. Qxg6 Rxg5 20. Bxg5 Qxb2 21. Rc1 Kg8 22. Qe8+ Kh7 23. Rxc4 Qa1+ 24. Bc1 Bh6 25. Bd3+ 1–0 鹿妙夷 (Lù Miàoyí) – Moral García, 5th Festival Internacional de Ajedrez, San Cristóbal de La Laguna 2023.
8. Qa4+!? A novelty by Kosteniuk. White usually takes the c-Pawn with the Bishop.
8. ... Bd7. Black gives up a Pawn in order to gain in development.
9. Qxc4 0-0 10. Qxc5 e6 11. dxe6 Bxe6 12. Ng5 Nc6 13. Bf4?!

13. ... Ng4! Threatening ... Bg7-d4. White finds nothing better than to give back her extra Pawn.
14. e5 Ncxe5 15. Rd1 Qe8 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bg3 Rc8 18. Qb5 Qe7?! There is no objective ground to play for a win, if not for training purposes. More realistic was 18. ... Qxb5 19. Bxb5 Nc4 with balanced play.
19. Be2 Rf5? A bad idea which costed 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) much of her thinking time, but she’s caught in the mirage of an attack against the King.
20. Qa4 b5? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) continues to play in pure “coffee-house” style, burning the bridges behind her.
21. Nxb5 Qc5

22. 0-0! Did she perhaps forget that White could still castle?
22. ... Ne3!? The pointe of Black’s sacrificial attack. But Kosteniuk very cooly refutes and rejects all her opponent’s conclusions.
23. b4! Qb6 24. Nd6 Nxf1 25. Nxc8 Nxg3 26. Nxb6 Nxe2+ 27. Kf1 Ng3+ 28. Kg1 Ne2+ 29. Kf1 Ng3+ 30. Ke1 Nf3+ 31. gxf3 Bc3+ 32. Rd2 axb6. The smoke has cleared and Black is left to lick her wounds. Kosteniuk asserts her material superiority with impeccable technique.
33. Qe8+ Kg7 34. Qe7+ Rf7 35. Qxe6 Nf5 36. Kd1 Bxd2 37. Kxd2 Rf6 38. Qe4 Rd6+ 39. Kc1 Kf6 40. a4 Rd4 41. Qc6+ Rd6 42. Qc7 Ke6 43. Qxh7 Ne7 44. h5 gxh5 45. Qxh5 Nd5 46. Qg4+ Ke7 47. Qe4+ Kd7 48. f4 Kc7 49. Kb2 Nf6 50. Qe7+ Nd7 51. Kc3 Rf6 52. Qe4 Rd6 53. Kc4 Rc6+ 54. Kb5 Rd6 55. a5 bxa5 56. bxa5 Rf6 57. Qc4+ Kb8 58. a6 Rb6+ 59. Ka5 Rb1 60. Qd4 Kc7 61. a7 Nb6 62. Qxb6+ Rxb6 63. a8=N+ Kd6 64. Nxb6 Ke6 65. Kb5 1–0.

If anything, the challenger to the title of “chess queen” learned something new today. Photo: Niki Riga/FIDE.

So, Edna, to quote Robert Burton, “All our geese are swans”

Artwork © AP (@artorast)

Swan in the Pond

张晶娜 (Zhāng Jīngnà), Swan, 2022. Photo © 张晶娜 (Zhāng Jīngnà).

And yet, Edna, what more could one expect from a species on the way to extinction?

Photo © Svetlana_lana

Remnant: From the Ashes

The remnant of Israel

Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, February 18, 2025

On that day, the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on the one who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people, oh Israel, were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Isaiah 10:20–22

The prophecy has been fulfilled. Israel is no more. Only a remnant will be saved and it will certainly not be the powerful who govern it and have led it to its end. What matters now is to know that remnant — where it is and how it will survive.

(English translation by I, Robot)

崔岫闻 (Cuī Xiùwén), Angel No. 5, 2006. Photo © 崔岫闻 (Cuī Xiùwén). Courtesy of Ravenel International Art Group.

Right you are, Edna. They have eyes and glasses too!

Artwork © ThomasAnime

The Walls Have Eyes

Walking unmindfully around the suburbs.

Indeed, Edna, as Salinger used to say, “There is a marvelous peace in not publishing”

Artwork © MikeMoon1990

They All Saw a Cat

On a sunny Sunday in February at Villa Vogel in Florence, Italy.

You know, Edna, Paris wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a love story

Artwork © wisely

The Narrow Path

崔岫闻 (Cuī Xiùwén), Angel No. 11, 2006. Photo © 崔岫闻 (Cuī Xiùwén). Courtesy of Eli Klein Gallery, New York.

Oh, Edna, he must still be wondering what luck he has had!

Artwork © DaniellePuppyAllStar

King Ludwig’s Castle

Among the Lesser Gods

Magnus Carlsen – Javokhir Sindarov

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Third-place Final match game 2; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Wangels, February 14, 2025

rkqbrnbn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RKQBRNBN w EAea - 0 1

Position #909

1. d4 d6 2. e4 e5 3. d5 f5 4. f3 f4 5. c4 c5 (5. ... c6 6. Nf2 Nd7 7. Nd2⩲)
6. Nf2 Ba5 7. Nd2 Nd7 8. Nd3 Qc7 9. a3 Bxd2 10. Qxd2 Bf7 11. g3 g5 12. b4 b6 13. Ba4

13. ... 0-0 (13. ... 0-0-0? 14. Bb5! Δ a3-a4-a5→)
14. h4 Bg6 15. gxf4 gxf4 16. Qg2 Nf6 17. Bc6 Rab8 18. Ka2 Nf7 19. Rab1 Kh8 20. Rb3 Nd8 21. Bb5 Bh5 22. Qb2 cxb4? (22. ... Bxf3 23. Nxe5 dxe5 24. Rxf3 Ng4 25. h5⩲)

23. Nxf4! a6 (23. ... exf4 24. Bd4+−)
24. Bxa6 Ra8 25. Bb5 Rxa3+ 26. Rxa3 bxa3 27. Qc3 Be8 28. Bxe8 Nxe8 29. Ne2 Nf6 30. Rb1 Nd7 31. f4 Nb7

32. Nd4! Ndc5 (32. ... exd4 33. Bxd4+ Kg8 34. e5+−)
33. fxe5 dxe5 34. Ne6 Nxe6 35. Bxb6 Qd6 36. dxe6 Nc5 37. Bxc5 Qxc5 38. Rb5 Rf2+ 39. Ka1 Rf1+ 40. Rb1 Rf8 (40... Rxb1+ 41. Kxb1 Kg7 42. Qd2 Qb6+ 43. Ka2 Qxe6 44. Qd5+−)
41. h5 Kg7 42. Rb7+ 1–0.