Playtime

After all, the most important thing one can do to prepare for the week ahead — the last week of school before graduation — is to play Saturday afternoon at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”.

Round the Moon

Leone, Niccolò, and Riccardo play chess at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” almost every Saturday afternoon.

A Train to Catch

When the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” students miss a chess class it is usually because they are otherwise engaged in important duties, and indeed they always have a very confiderable justification for their absences. The picture on the side, taken at sunset of Saturday, May 9, 2026, was of Niccolò (standing, in red shirt), Riccardo (seated, in blue shirt), and their teammates of the Liceo scientifico statale Antonio Gramsci waiting for the train home at Cesenatico station, on their way back from the 30th Olympiads of Mathematics National Finals, where they reached the semifinals.
They said they are quite content with what they got, which might have been even greater if they had only been just a little more lucky. But more importantly they will keep in their heart forever their Olympic adventure and the youthful feeling of causeless joy and pride in “passing through the crowd with the crowd that was passing through”. Photo courtesy of Niccolò.

Saturdays in May

While ⅔ of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” chess students were in Cesenatico, Italy, to defend the colours of the Liceo scientifico statale Antonio Gramsci in the 30th edition of the Olympiads of Mathematics National Finals, Leone, a young prodigy violinist who astonished audiences everywhere by his wonderful playing, seemed glad that he did not miss his class today.

X – Y
Florence, May 9, 2026
r2q1k1r/ppp3p1/5b1p/3N3B/4P3/4B3/PPP3PP/R4QK1 b - - 0 16

Position after 16. ... c7-c6

In the position of diagram, White intended 17. Bc5+ Kg8 18. Nf4, which would undoubtedly win the day, but Leone was as proud as happy to “spot” a most delightful finish:
17. Bc5+ Kg8 18. Ne7+! 1–0. Black must choose between losing his Queen (18. ... Qxe7 19. Bxe7) or getting mated or both: 18. ... Kf8 (18. ... Bxe7 19. Qf7+ Kh7 20. Bg6#) 19. Qc4! g6 20. Qe6! with mate in a few moves to follow.

Another Spring

Spent Sunday at the Spring Festival flower market in Calenzano, Metropolitan City of Florence, in tow of my friend Mado Flynn, and even this year I took the chance to meet and play chess with Giacomo in memory of happy times spent at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”.

Roll Over Beethoven

No one can deny that the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” enjoys the undivided honour of being the chess school par excellence of the most Beautiful Minds in town! First and foremost Leone, a violinist prodigy who — at sixteen years old — has already played as soloist to auditoriums crowded with ecstatic audiences, and then, second but equally important, Niccolò and Riccardo who, on behalf and in representation of the Liceo scientifico statale Antonio Gramsci, will participate in the 30th edition of the Olympiads of Mathematics National Finals, scheduled in Cesenatico, Italy, on May 7–10, 2026.

Life Through the Seasons

Spent Sunday at the Spring Festival flower market in Calenzano, Metropolitan City of Florence, in tow of my friend Mado Flynn, who displayed her art in the streets. But what emotion I felt on meeting by chance, after years of absence, an old friend of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” and one of its most brightest chess pupils: Giacomo, now a chemistry student at university. There was no tables or chairs, but the sidewalk and an old board were enough to bring us back to happy times gone by.

In the Attic

Neither Santa Claus nor Garfield could stop our beloved friends, Niccolò and Cesare, from attending their Saturday afternoon chess practices in the attic of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”. The meetings will go on through Christmas holidays, so save the date for next Saturday, December 28. The dress code is smart casual.

Two Lines

The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s weekly chess and chess960 classes stop for Christmas holidays and will reopen Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 3.30 P.M.
Have a Happy Christmas and New Year!

Summer Time

The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s weekly classes in classical chess and Fischerandom chess will go on every Saturday at 5 P.M. until Saturday, July 15, 2023.

Hours of Quietude

After two and a half years, the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” is back to its roots! Classes of an hour and a half in classical chess and Fischerandom chess meet weekly every Saturday at 3.30 P.M. For further information contact the secretariat at ildeltadellaluna <at> gmail <dotcom>.

Algorithms and Biorhythms

After two years in clandestinity, the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” is back to the point of just before the Great Reset. Classes in classical chess and Fischerandom chess meet weekly every Saturday at 3.30 P.M. For furter details and information, click here.

rnknbrqb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNKNBRQB w FAfa - 0 1

It was a hot Saturday afternoon in Florence today, but not hot enough to dissuade the aficionados of Fischerandom chess from planting the flag of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” on the summit of nowhere.

rnkrnqbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNKRNQBB w DAda - 0 1

As time passes, places change, but, whatever the sky may do, the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” Fischerandom chess meetings are to be held every Saturday afternoon.

Hit

A Canadian chess documentary which was thus reviewed by the all-time women’s No. 1 Judit Polgár (who, not incidentally, is one of its protagonists): “Interesting recap on nurture vs. nature. My superb table tennis skills also appear in this short film”.

B-Four

A group of people playing chess in a public park in Tehran, Iran on Sunday, August 2, 2020. Photo: Ahmad Halabisaz/新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency).

Another Summer

Spring Break

Still no dance classes nor chess960 dates at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”: another Saturday and another week gone. Maybe you’ll spend your time lying on your bed thinking about where you will first go when you will be free. Maybe we will and maybe we won’t meet with you that day — nobody knows, but sooner or later it will happen, for sure. And for that day, please, do not forget to take with you a pair of clean sneakers to be used in the dance room only.

Spectra22, Almost Alice. Courtesy of Spectra22/DeviantArt.

Time in a Bottle

For all our chess (and chess960) enthusiasts, this Saturday is not a Saturday like others, as the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” is physically closed due to a public health prophylactic measure. Fortunately enough, there are an infinity of interesting things to do other than play around on social media all day. No matter how many square metres a room has, no matter what shoes you have on, the dancing and rehearsing will never end.

South Korean makeup artist Dain Yoon (윤다인) portrays herself in a way that sounds like she means that no robot would be able to travel through a stargate, because only a human being can make it through the portal. Photo: Dain Yoon (@designdain).

Something from the Heart

Well, s’alright, keep the distance, not too far, not too near. To shake or not to shake hands — but that cannot be the question. Fortunately, not every problem can be solved using apps. It’s always a good sign when hours flew away like minutes.