Claim for refund

Well, the time’s come for a showdown in the place of their legal settlement, Prato, Italy. And very soonly we’ll expose them, we’ll sue them, we’ll make them pay.

Artwork © ShearRayne

The Last Supper of Lady Arcovazzi

Dear Lady Arcovazzi, you’ll hopefully agree that your conduct constitutes gross misconduct and that your “explanation” about it only makes your situation worse. Having taken all of the facts and circumstances into account, we urge your headmasters to summarily dismiss you from any employment with immediate effect, otherwise we’ll be forced to take drastic steps with regard to them too. Best regards P.S. The enclosed picture shows you at a “peak”, so that you can be sure of correctly interpreting the objective grounds of our formal recommendation.

Artwork © ShearRayne

Mokaccino & Mocassino at the Crusades

Claim for Refund

Artwork © ShearRayne

CAP 59100

Through untold ages

---

Notes by Daniel Willard Fiske

---

Serafino Dubois – S. Lécrivain
Paris, September 9, 1855
King’s Gambit C33

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 5. Kf1 g5. The game is opened in accordance with the old or so-called classical method of conducting the Bishop’s Gambit. 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. d4 Bg7 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. e5 0-0 9. Ne4 h6 10. h4 b6 11. Kg1 g4

12. Nfg5 Ng6. If 12. .. hxg5 13. hxg5 Qg6 14. Bd3 [Ed. Note: The immediate 14. Nf6+ Bxf6 15. exf6 wins as well] 14. ... Nf5 15. Qxg4 d5 16. Nf6+ Bxf6 17. exf6 and wins. 13. Qd3 Nc6 14. Bd2 a5 15. Rf1 Nce7 16. Rxf4 Nxf4. Permitting his adversary to terminate the contest at once, but in any case White’s position is a winning one.

And Mr. Dubois mates in two moves [Ed. Note: 17. Nf6+ Bxf6 18. Qh7 mate]. 1 : 0. As in many previous instances we are indebted to our correspondent, Mr. Louis Centurini, of Genoa, Italy, for the manuscript of this game. It was played at Paris, September 9th, 1855. (Daniel Willard Fiske, The Chess Monthly, Vol. V, 1861, page 144).

Le professeur Dubois, dans Rome

Above is a little poetry in rhyme dedicated by Ernest Nivernais to Italian chess (Grand)Master Serafino Dubois, included (p. 146) in Nivernais’ article “Il Puttino. – M. Staunton et La Stratégie. – Signor Dubois. – Un Congrès d’Échecs en Angleterre.”, La Stratégie, Volume 2, 1868, pp. 144-147.

Grey smokey eyes

Opening of Second Annual Danlon Women’s International Tournament in Amsterdam on October 17, 1957. Seated from left: Fenny Heemskerk vs. Clarice Benini. Photo: Eric Koch/Nationaal Archief.

Strong black coffee

Charles Doerner – Vincenzo Castaldi
West-European Zonal Tournament; Hilversum, July 21, 1947
Neo-Queen’s Indian Defence A47

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 c5 5. 0-0 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bxg2 7. Kxg2 g6 8. c4 Qc8 9. b3 Bg7 10. Bb2 0-0 11. Nc3 Qb7+ 12. Nf3 Na6 13. Qd2 Nc5 14. Nd5. Another try is 14. Rfd1 d6 15. Rab1 Nfe4 16. Nxe4 Nxe4 17. Qd5 Qxd5 18. Rxd5 Rfc8 19. Nd2 Nxd2 20. Rxd2 Rc5 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Rbd1 a5 23. a4 Kf6 24. e4 Ke6 25. f4 f6 26. Kf3 g5 27. f5+ Kd7 28. Rd5 h5 29. h3 Rh8 30. Ke3 h4 31. g4 Ra8 32. R1d3 ½ : ½ Enevoldsen – Dake, 6th Chess Olympiad, Warsaw 1935. 14. ... Nxd5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. cxd5 f6 17. b4 Na4 18. e4 e5 19. g4 b5 20. h4. Very committal. 20. Rfc1 looks much more natural or, as they say, in the spirit of the position. 20. ... Rac8 21. h5 d6 22. Rh1? This appears to be a bad move as it leaves the c-file to Black Rooks’ control. 22. hxg6 Qd7! is very unclear, but it would perhaps have offered White better chances to complicate matters. 22. ... g5! 23. Ng1 Rc4! 24. f3 Rfc8 25. Kg3 h6. A cruel “waiting move”. 26. Rh2 Rd4! 27. Qe1 Rcc4 28. a3? White’s last chance to avoid disaster was perhaps 28. Rc1, eventually followed by Rh2-c2. 28. ... Nc3 29. Rd2

29. ... Nxe4+! The End. 30.fxe4 Rxe4 31.Qd1 Rxg4+! 32.Qxg4 Rxg4+ 33.Kxg4 Qc8+ 0 : 1.

West-European Zonal Tournament, Hilversum, 15–29 July 1947. 1. Alexander 2. O’Sullivan; 3. Förder; 4. Blau; 5. Plater; 6. Pachman; 7. Trifunović; 8. Kooiman; 9. Spit; 10. Tsvetkov; 11. Castaldi; 12. van Scheltinga; 13. Rossolimo; 14. Doerner; 15. O’Kelly; 16. van Hofwegen; 17. Groosjohan; 18. van Ewijk; 19. Kmoch; 20. Szabó; 21. Eggink; 22. Burgersdijk; 23. Nieukerke; 24. Zittersteyn; 25. de Boer. Photo: Belgian Chess History.

Martian edict

SoloArcovazzi

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

René Magritte (Les Amants, 1928)

About Time

Democratic presidential candidate Bernard “Bernie” Sanders is thinking hard about the question. Photo: Charlie Enscoe.

As a Gentleman Would Say

Artwork © adnrey

唯一比失明更糟的是，你看得见，却没有远见。 Wéiyī bǐ shīmíng gèng zāo de shì, nǐ kàn dé jiàn, què méiyǒu yuǎnjiàn. The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision. 海倫·亞當斯·凯勒 (Helen Adams Keller)

@SerafinoDubois

Artwork © Just-ASimple-Fangirl

In Italy they castle in various manners; the King and Rook being allowed a choice of all the intermediate squares, as well as those on which they originally rested. There is even one mode of castling, extant in Salvio, and other old writers, termed “alla Siciliana”, in which the King made the leap of the Knight. I was formerly of opinion, with Sarratt, that it would improve Chess to introduce the Italian method of Castling into this country. George Walker, “The Art of Chess-play: A New Treatise on the Game of Chess”, London, Sherwood, Gilbert & Piper, 1846, p. 6

La Buena Estrella (The Lucky Star)

Karen H. Grigoryan – Andrea Stella
4th Torneo Internacional de Navidad “Ciudad de Lorca”; Lorca, December 29, 2015
English Opening A27

1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Nc2 d6 7. Nc3 Nge7 8. Be2 0-0 9. h4!? Very bold strategy on White’s part. For 9. 0-0 f5 see Mikenas – Estrin, Leningrad 1971. 8. ... f5 10. h5 f4

11. hxg6. White plays consistently in order to build up his attack. Consideration deserved, however, 11. Nd5 g5 12. h6! Be5 13. Rb1 a5! with very unclear play. 11. ... Nxg6 12. Qd5+ Rf7 13. Qh5 Bxc3+! It’s the right move at the right time. Black’s King will never be in danger, while White will have to deal with his own weaknesses and strive for saving the day. 14. bxc3 Qf6 15. Bb2 Nce5 16. f3 c5 17. Rd1 Bd7 18. Na3 a6 19. Bc1 Ba4 20. Rd2 Kf8 21. Qh6+ Ke8 22. Rh5 Bd7 23. Qg5 Qxg5 24. Rxg5 Ke7 25. Rb2 Rb8 26. Nb1 Be6 27. Nd2 Kd7 28. Kf2 Kc7 29. Rb1 Rh8 30. Rh5 Rg8 31. Ba3 b6 32. Rbh1 Rgg7 33. Bc1 Kc6 34. Rg5 Rf8 35. Rgh5 Rff7 36. Rg5 Rf8 37. Rgh5 Rff7 38. Rg5 ½ : ½.

From left: Italian International Master Andrea Stella is glad of his much deserved first Grandmaster norm, and Jonas Bjerre (11-year-old) can be happy with his first International Master norm. Photo © Torneo Internacional de Navidad “Ciudad de Lorca”.

Gallicism

Serafino Dubois – Jules Arnous de Rivière
Paris, July 20, 1855
Sicilian Defence B21

Notes by Georges Bertola, “1856 La Régence (2)”, Europe Échecs, December 14, 2015.

1. e4 c5 2. f4 e6 3. c4!? Nc6 4. Nf3 f5. Sans doute prématuré mais joué sous l’influence du champion de l’époque Staunton. Voici un exemple: 4. ... g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be2 d6 7. 0–0 Nge7 8. a3 a6 9. Rb1 0–0 10. Qc2 f5=/+ Horwitz – Staunton (Londres 1851). 5. e5. Fermer la position n’est pas la suite critique 5. exf5!?. 5. ... Nh6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Be2 0-0 8. 0-0 a6 9. d3 b6 10. b3 Bb7 11. h3 Qc7. “Les noirs développent leur jeu avec beaucoup de soin et de jugement”. (Dubois). 12. Be3 Rad8 13. a3 d5?! Meilleur 13. ... d6!. 14. exd6? “Si les blancs prennent le pion avec 14. cxd5 les conséquences sont avantageuses pour le joueur en second, supposons 14. ... exd5 15. d4 cxd4 16. Nxd4 Nxe5 17. fxe5? Qxc3 18. Bxh6 Bc5 19. Kh1 Qxd4-+”. (Dubois). Puis près de 20 ans plus tard, il renforça la variante avec 17. Ne6! (17. Rc1!) 17. ... Qxc3 18. Bd4! Qc8 19. Nxd8 avec gain de la qualité pour un pion. 14. ... Bxd6 15. Ng5 Rf6 16. Qd2 Nd4 17. Bxd4 cxd4 18. Na4. “Mauvaise place pour le cavalier”. (Dubois). 18. ... Bc6 19. Nb2 e5! 20. fxe5 Bxe5 21. Bf3 Bg3 22. Bxc6 Qxc6 23. Rf3

23. ... f4? “Permet de dégager le cavalier et force l’échange. 23. ... Qd6!”. (Dubois) 24. Ne4 Rg6 25. Nxg3 fxg3 26. Raf1 Qd6 27. Qb4 Qxb4 28. axb4 b5. “Une très bonne répartie et très inattendue, arrêtant la marche des pions et enfermant le cavalier pour fort longtemps”. (Dubois). 29. c5 Re6 30. Rxg3 Re2 31. Rf2 Rxf2 32. Kxf2 Nf5 33. Rf3 Ne3 34. Rxe3. “Hasardeux; 34. Rf4 était plus sûr”. (Dubois). 34. ... dxe3+ 35. Kxe3 Kf7 36. d4 Re8+ 37. Kf4 Ke6 38. Ke4 Kd7+ 39. Kd5? “39. Kd3 eut probablement sauvé la partie”. (Dubois). 39. ... Re3! 40. Nd1 Rxb3 41. Nf2 Rxb4 42. Nd3 Rb3 43. c6+ Kc7 44. Nc5 Ra3 45. Ne6+ Kc8 46. Kc5 Rc3+ 47. Kb6 b4 48. d5 Rd3 0 : 1.

Paul Charles Morphy (L.) and Jules Arnous de Rivière (R.) playing at Paris, 1858. Photo: Wikipedia.

Up-down cues

Francesco Rambaldi – John Bartholomew
7th CSC London Chess Classic FIDE Open; London, December 8, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Qb3 Qc7 9. Bd2 Be7 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. 0-0-0 dxc4 12. Qxc4 a6 13. Qb3. For 13. g3 b5 14. Qe2 c5 15. dxc5 Nbd7 see Ubilava – Alsina Leal, 13th International Open, Villa de Navalmoral de la Mata 2007. 13. ... b5 14. g3. For 14. e4 c5 15. d5 c4 16. Qc2 e5 17. g4 Nfd7 see Shengelia – Esen, 17th European Team Chess Championship, Novi Sad 2009. 14. ... c5. The position is much easier to play as Black. 15. dxc5 Nbd7 16. Kb1 Nxc5 17. Qc2 0-0 18. e4 Rac8 19. Be3. Driving the Black’s Knight where it was aiming for. Consideration deserves 19. a3, although after 19. ... Na4 20. Qb3 Rfd8 Black stands better anyway. 19. ... Na4 20. Rc1 Qb7 21. Qg2 Nxc3+ 22. Rxc3 Rxc3 23. bxc3 b4 24. c4 b3 25. Qb2

25. ... Nxe4! The decisive blow! 26. Qxb3 Qa8 27. Bd3 Nc5 28. Bxc5 Bxc5 29. Be4 Qa7 30. Kc2 Rb8 31. Qa4 Bb4 32. Rf1 Qe3 0 : 1.

Out of Nothing

Francesco Rambaldi – Simon Kim Williams
7th CSC London Chess Classic FIDE Open; London, December 6, 2015
Sicilian Defence B51

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nc6 4. 0-0 Bd7 5. Re1 Nf6 6. c3 a6 7. Bf1 e5 8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bg4 10. d5 Nd4 11. Be3 Nxf3+ 12. gxf3 Bd7 13. a4 Be7 14. Qb3 0-0 15. Qxb7 Rb8. Or 15. ... Nh5 16. Kh1 f5 17. Bh3 Rb8 18. Qa7 Nf6 19. a5 Qe8 20. Nd2 Ra8 21. Qb7 Rb8 22. Qa7 Ra8 ½ : ½ Delchev – Goumas, 11th International Open, Gazi 2015. 16. Qxa6 Nh5 17. Nd2 f5 18. Nc4 fxe4 19. fxe4 Bc8 20. Qa7 Rb7 21. Qa5 Qe8 22. Bg2 Qg6 23. Kh1 Bh4 24. Rf1 Rbf7. Williams leaves White with a free hand on the Queenside hoping to mount an attack on the opposite flank. Apparently 24. ... Rb3! pursues the same goal without ceding ground. 25. Qb6 Rf6 26. a5 Qg4 27. f3. It’s maybe not the best solution, but the position is very double-edged.

27. ... Rxf3?? As they say, from “illusions” to “hallucinations” there is only a step. Correct was 27. ... Qg6 28. Nd2! Ng3+! 29. hxg3 Bxg3 30. Kg1 Qh5 31. Rf2 Bh3! with a very unclear situation. 28. Nd2 Bd8 29. Qxd6 Rxf1+ 30. Rxf1 Nf4 31. Bxf4 exf4 32. Nf3 Bxa5 33. e5 Bf5 34. e6 Qh5 35. e7 Re8 36. b4 Bd3 37. Re1 1 : 0.

Francesco Rambaldi at Wien in 2015
Photo: Wikipedia

女為悅己者狂

Artwork: DasGhul & 洛伦佐

眼不见心不烦。

Spaghetti Western

Pier Luigi Basso – Luca Moroni
75th Italian Chess Championship; Milan, December 2, 2015
Keres Defence A40

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3. Nd2 b6 4. a3 Bxd2+ 5. Bxd2 Bb7 6. Qc2 f5!? An interesting transformation from Kangaroo to Tulip. 7. e3. For 7. Nf3 Nf6 8. g3 0-0 9. Bg2 Be4 10. Qc3 Qe8 see Kühn – Tereick, Chess Classic Elo Open, Baden-Baden 2013. 7. ... Qe7 8. f3 Nf6 9. Bd3 0-0 10. Ne2 d6 11. Bc3 Nbd7 12. b4 Rae8 13. Ng3 g6 14. Qb3? The b3-square is not suitable for Her Majesty. 14. 0-0 appears to be a far wiser course. 14. ... e5 15. d5

15. ... b5! A very strong coup by which Black breaks up the enemy’s centre. 16. 0-0-0. Decidedly too optimistic, but also 16. 0-0 e4! 17. fxe4 Ng4 looks quite unpleasant for White. 16. ... Nb6 17. Rhe1? The red light flashes, but now it’s hard to suggest any good move for White. 17. ... bxc4 18. Bxc4 Nxc4 19. Qxc4 Bxd5 20. Rxd5 Qf7 21. e4 fxe4 22. fxe4 c6! The coup de grâce. 23. Qxc6 Rc8 24. Qxd6 Rxc3+ 25. Kb2 Nxd5 26. exd5? A blunder, but after 26. Qxd5 Qxd5 27. exd5 Rd3 there is no hope anyway. 26. ... Rxg3! 0 : 1. For if 27. hxg3 then 27. ... Qf2+. The very young, gifted Luca Moroni, though at his first experience in a national Championship, showed both brilliancy and skill.

Pier Luigi Basso (left) vs. Luca Moroni (right). Photo: Scacchierando.it.