One-meter rule

Couples kiss on a bench at Alameda Central Park in Mexico City, Mexico. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP.

Zebra crossing

Ballerinas of Ardentía Dance Company, perform at Reforma Avenue, in Mexico City, Mexico during an improvisation to get ballet and dance known outside classic theatres. Photo: AFP/Ronaldo Schemidt.

Street theatre

Ballerinas perform during a red traffic light in Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday, July 28, 2018. The 58-second show – the duration of a Mexico City stop light – is part of the Ardentía Contemporary Dance Company’s attempt to brighten the days of motorists at snarled intersections in this sprawling megalopolis notorious for its clogged roadways. Photo: Emilio Espejel/AP.

Vanity Fair

A police officer takes a selfie during general elections in Mexico City, Mexico. Photo: AFP/Alfredo Estrella.

Broadcast delay

A “Romance in Durango” has really happened at the end of four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s Mexican journey, even if not in Durango, but far more prosaically in one of the classrooms of the Comisión Nacional de Cultura Física y Deporte (CONADE) in Villas Tlalpan, Mexico City, where the Durango-born Woman Candidate Master Ameyalli Ávila Frayre (pictured right) assisted the 13th Women’s World Chess Champion (pictured left) in her interactive chess lessons. Photo: Genaro Gabriel Ascencio Ortega/La Voz de Durango.

Chess, Homeland, and Family

Eduardo González Acosta, Hou Yifan: “Lleva el ajedrez de la mano de su vida y familia” | 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): “My life and family come first than chess”, diariopresente.mx, June 30, 2017

13th Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) from China visited the facilities of diariopresente.mx, where, prior to her lecture in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, had a pleasant conversation with reporters, in which she shared her philosophy as an outstanding sportswoman and also made clear that she is a human being not maniacally focused on her unisex sport science. “The gender issue is irrilevant, it’s the same whether you are a female or a male. That’s one of the prerogatives of chess: it’s unisex!”. – How can chess help today’s society that is troubled by infinite problems? – Chess can help very much to alleviate the pressure and may be a very useful intellectual instrument. I invite people to practice chess because it may help to mitigate, if not cancel, anxiety and pressure, and to focus more reflectively on anyone’s own life. The most important thing is that young people may have hope in their future and the very real possibility of a bright future. – What does chess mean to you? And what is your philosophy of life? – Most of my life is devoted to chess, but not all my life. I have also another life, a life of my own. Chess is my profession, but not the only one. My family lays out my philosophy of life; my family and the people I want to be with. Success is important in life, but not more important than family. One must learn to enjoy life as it is. – Have you ever dreamed to win a medal at the Summer Olympics? – Chess is not included in Summer Olympics, but I have often been the team captain in the biennial chess tournaments named chess olympiads. The matter is of public interest: chess is not easily representable on television, and I guess this is the reason why it is not included in Summer and Winter Olympics.

(Free translation by Nobody’s Perfect)

13th Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) with the President of Mexican Chess Federation Mr. Mario Ramírez Barajas in the Diario Presente offices. Photo: diariopresente.mx.

Romance in Durango

In the morning of yesterday (June 29), four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) fulfilled the main — and most institutional — purpose of her journey to Mexico visiting the facilities of the Comisión Nacional de Cultura Física y Deporte (CONADE) in Villas Tlalpan, Mexico City. She was, as usual, accompanied by the President of Mexican Chess Federation Mr. Mario Ramírez Barajas and was warmly welcomed by the Director of CONADE Mr. Alfredo Castillo Cervantes, with whom she played a partie sans-façon and discussed about how to encourage chess among the young people in the country. And then, she finally held an interactive chess class especially designed for those young players who are to participate in the 28th Pan-American Youth Chess Championships Open and Girls in San José, Costa Rica from June 30 to July 7. All photos: Alfredo Castillo Cervantes (@ACC_Castillo).

Ruta de Vino (Wine Route)

On Tuesday, June 27, 2017 four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) paid a visit to Tequisquiapan, a tourist town on Querétaro’s Ruta de Vino (Wine Route), where as usual she talked with fans and signed autographs. Photo: Francisco González/Diario de Querétaro.

The Windmill

After having paid homage to Emiliano Zapata, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) moved to Mérida, in the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, Mexico, which – not incidentally – was the birth town of Mexican Grandmaster Carlos Jesús Torre Repetto (“The Windmill”). On June 26, after the official presentation speeches (that surely won’t change the world), 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) played a 25-board simultaneous chess exhibition at Multigimnasio of the Unidad Deportiva y Recreativa Kukulcán (Kukulcán Sports Unit), scoring 21 wins, 3 draws, and one loss. And then, as usual, she met fans and signed boards and cards. On her way to chess evangelisation and mission, she will also visit the Free and Sovereign States of Querétaro and Tabasco, for finally coming back to Mexico City where, as previously agreed with the bosses of the Mexican Chess Federation, she will spend her last Mexican days teaching and preparing the young players who will take part in the 28th Pan-American Youth Chess Championships Open and Girls to be held in San José, Costa Rica from June 30 to July 7. All photos: IDEY YUCATÁN‏ (@IDEY_oficial).

On the Line

Echoes of yesterday’s apparition of four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) at the Metro Zapata station of Line 12 of Mexico City’s Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC) reached also China via web and newspapers, which published a photographic depiction of her crowd mingle as well as of the Großmeister-Remis she conceded to Mr. Jorge Gaviño, Director of Mexico City Metro (STC). All photos: sports.sina.com.cn.

Metro Zapata

Today (Sunday) in the morning the Mexico City Metro (STC) staged a celebration of 200 years of the bicycle with a bike ride of about 12 km through the Metro areas which ended at the Metro Zapata station on Line 12. There, in the lobby of the Metro station named after Emiliano Zapata, 518 chess players were gathered for the start of the 6th Torneo de Verano de Ciudad Ajedrez 2017, which opening ceremony took place in the presence of a special guest of honour: four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) exchanging handshakes with Mr. Jorge Gaviño, Director of Mexico City Metro (STC). Photo: MetroCDMX (@MetroCDMX).

In her welcoming speech, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t hide her surprise about the great number of people who were to play in such a venue. Photo: MetroCDMX (@MetroCDMX).

Viva Zapata!

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), exceptionally assisted by two experienced German tutors, Matthias D. and Matthias K., has finally announced the release of her VIP high-end, customized trading course package — supposedly an advanced level — which as usual aims to combine Tradimo’s youthful beer-dependent yuppism to the Teutonic seriousness. No wonder, you have a free trial for the first month.

And furthermore 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will tour Mexico June 23-30. Tomorrow she will play a 20-board simultaneous exhibiton in the Salón Internacional of the Centro Deportivo Villa Olímpica (Olympic Village Sports Center) in Mexico City, Mexico, which will be followed by a meeting with the local fans.

En busca del paraíso

Mexico City’s lavatories may not cope with its creaking sewage system, but what they lack in efficiency they make up for in creative design. “Incredible improvisation... Unlike most European and U.S. cities, Mexico has no rules to dictate public sanitation design”, says Kurt Hollander, who must also be credited for the above picture.

Sombrero

Mexico City, Mexico: A woman puts a sombrero on a figure of Pope Francis. The pontiff will visit the country next month. Photo: Mario Guzman/EPA.

Étoile

Mexico City, Mexico: A pet pig is dressed as a ballerina. Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images.