III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

III Fischerandom Kaos

Notevole affluenza di partecipanti e di pubblico alla III edizione del Fischerandom Kaos! Tetragoni alle dritte di taluni autorevoli counsellori abbiamo riproposto la nostra consueta formula: niente egide ingombranti né coercitive sovrintendenze, ma spazio aperto alla creatività. E così si è svolta la simultanea di scacchi960 tenuta dal Maestro Internazionale Vangjel Buli – sempre amabile, professionale e disponibile – seguita da una rassegna di balletti coreografati da sei giovani danzatrici (in ordine di apparizione: Letizia, Serena, Alessia & Elena, Arianna & Chiara) e addolcita dal ghiotto rinfresco preparato per noi durante la notte dal Mago Silente.
Alla simultanea hanno partecipato in 17 (diciassette), grazie anche alla collaborazione del professor Nazario Renzoni, che ha accompagnato e sostenuto un’agguerrita rappresentanza del Liceo Scientifico Piero Gobetti. Una cura e un affetto che i suoi ragazzi gli hanno ricambiato nell’affollato momento del rinfresco, allorché si sono premurati che il prof. non restasse a bocca asciutta! Molto bravi anche i giovanissimi sestesi e i piccoli fiorentini, ma bravo soprattutto il Maestro Internazionale Vangjel Buli che interpreta i nuovi scacchi in modo da svelarne tutta la ricchezza e la profondità. Molte le patte d’incoraggiamento concesse.
Bravissime e professionali le undicenni ballerine che si esibivano nell’interregno tra simultanea e mangia-mangia e che sono riuscite ad incantare un pubblico non così abituato alla danza.
Infine il rinfresco. Che dire? Il Mago Silente dovrà abbondare un po’ negli anni avvenire, vista la velocità con cui grandi e piccini hanno spazzolato con soddisfazione pizzette e dolcini.
Dovremmo forse dedicare una riga a chi non c’era o a chi non è venuto, ma siccome sono venuti proprio tutti – anche chi atteso non era – più contenti siamo di non doversi dispiacere dell’assenza di nessuno!

Per una prima rassegna di foto rimandiamo al blog dell’Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”.

Winter Apples

王封 (Wáng Fēng), 新棋后 才十六 (The new queen of chess is only sixteen), The Paper, Saturday, December 25, 2010, A12.

Monsieur Dubois

S. Dubois – N. N.
Gambetto di Re C39

Commenta Serafino Dubois, La Stratégie, n. 11, 15 novembre 1868, pp. 238-243.

Giocata con le regole italiane, tra il Signor S. Dubois e un dilettante italiano.

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Cf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ce5 Cf6 6. Ac4 d5 7. exd5 Ad6 8. d4 Ch5 9. Ab5+
Questo scacco è stato a lungo considerato il tratto migliore, ma ha perso molto del suo valore, a causa della seguente graziosa combinazione di Harrwitz: 9. ... c6 10. dxc6 bxc6 11. Cxc6 Cxc6 12. Axc6+ Rf8 (oppure 12. ... Ad7) e in entrambi i casi il Nero resta con un attacco irresistibile, come dimostrano le partite giocate nel 1864 tra i Signori Kolisch e Hirschfeld.
9. ... Rf8
Inferiore.
10. Cc3 a6? 11. Ad3 De7
Le medesime mosse, fin qui, si trovano in una partita tra Erkel e Szen, pubblicata dalla Schachzeitung.
12. Ce4
Giocando con le regole italiane, si può benissimo arroccare. 12. Rg1/Te1 allora probabilmente 12. ... Dxh4 13. Te4 Af5 14. Txf4! Cxf4 15. Axf4 e il Bianco, quantunque con la Qualità in meno, aveva una partita eccellente.
12. ... Axe5
Il Nero poteva qui adottare altre due linee di difesa: 12. ... f6 e 12. ... Af5. La prima guadagna il pezzo ma va a finir male. Esempio: 12. ... f6 13. Cc4 f5 14. Cxd6 cxd6 15. Rg1/Te1 (arrocco all’italiana) 15. ... fxe4 (se 15. ... Dxh4 16. Cxd6 g3 17. Df3 e vince) 16. Txe4 Df6 (se 16. ... Dxh4 17. Axf4 vince) 17. Df1 [dopodiché:]
a) se 17. ... f3 18. Ag5 seguita da Ta1-e1 e vince;
b) 17. ... Af5 18. Txf4! Cxf4 19. Dxf4 Cd7 (se 19. ... Rg7 20. Axf5 h5 21. Ad2 Tf8 22. Tf1 e il Bianco vince) 20. Axf5 Td8 21. Ad2 e preferisco di gran lunga il gioco del Bianco;
c) 17. ... Rg7 18. Axf4 Tf8 19. g3 Af5 (meglio che prendere l’Alfiere col Cavallo) 20. Ag5 Dg6 21. Te7+ Rg8 22. Axf5 Dxf5 23. Dxf5 Txf5 24. Ah6 Cf6 25. Tg7+ Rh8 26. Tf7 Cbd7 27. Te1 per poi portare questa Torre a e7, può perlomeno pattare la partita.
Quanto alla seconda difesa: 12. ... Af5 allora 13. Cxd6 (tratto giusto. 13. De2 sarebbe svantaggiosa a causa di 13. ... Axe4 14. Dxe4 Cg3 15. Dxf4 Cxh1 16. Dh6+ Re8! e il Nero dovrebbe vincere, mi pare. La posizione è ancora delicatissima, senza dubbio, e non posso giurare su quanto detto) 13. ... cxd6 14. Rg1/Te1 dxe5 (se 14. ... Axd3 avrebbe perso in un sol colpo la Donna e la partita) 15. Txe5 Dxh4 16. Txf5 Cg3 17. Axf4 Dh1+ (potrebbe semplicemente contentarsi della Qualità, ma il Bianco conserverebbe sempre il vantaggio di posizione) 18. Rxf2 Dxd1 19. Ah6+ Re7 20. Te5+ Rd6 21. Txd1 Cd7 22. Af4 e vince.
13. dxe5 Dxe5 14. Rh1/Te1
Arrocco all’italiana.
14. ... Dxd5
A 14. ... f3 sarebbe seguito 15. Ah6+ Cg7 16. Cg5 fxg2+ 17. Rxg2 Dxd5+ 18. Ae4 e vince.
15. b3 Cc6
Qui dovremmo considerare, 1° 13. ... c5 e 2° 13. ... Ae6. Nel primo caso: 15. ... c5 16. Ab2 Tg8 17. Ac4! Dxd1 18. Taxd1 e il Bianco ha un attacco troppo forte. Nel secondo caso: 15. ... Ae6 16. Aa3+ Rg7 17. Ab2+ f6 18. Cg5 e quantunque con due Pedoni di meno, il Bianco è in vantaggio.
16. Aa3+ Rg7 17. Ab2+ f6 18. Dd2 Tf8
Se 18. ... Ad7 19. Cxf6 Cxf6 20. Dxf4 Thf8 21. Dg5+ [ma 21. Tf1 vince sul colpo – N.d.R.] 21. ... Dxg5 22. hxg5 miglior gioco per il Bianco.
19. c4 Dd8 20. Dc3 Af5
Contro 20. ... Ce5 il Bianco oppone vantaggiosamente 21. Cxf6 ecc.
21. Cc5

21. ... Dc8?
Sciagurata ritirata che compromette la partita. 21. ... b6 subito era il tratto giusto: allora probabilmente 22. Axf5 bxc5 23. Tad1 Cg3+ 24. Rh2 Cd4 (cedere la Donna per due pezzi non sarebbe un buon affare) 25. Axg4. Chi è in vantaggio? Difficile a dirsi!
22. Tad1 b6
Tardi.
23. Axf5 Dxf5
Lo scacco di Cavallo in g3 costava il pezzo. Esempio: 23. ... Cg3+ 24. Dxg3 Dxf5 25. Dxf4! e vince.
24. Ce6+ Rg8 25. Td5 Dg6
Se 25. ... Ce5 26. Tdxe5 fxe5 27. Txe5 Db1+ 28. Te1 e vince.
26. Tg5 fxg5 27. Dh8+ Rf7 28. Cxg5+ Dxg5 29. Dxh7+ Cg7
Se 29. ... Dg7 30. Dxh5+ Rg8 (la migliore) 31. Axg7 Rxg7 32. Te6 e vince.
30. hxg5 Th8 31. g6+ e il Bianco dà matto alla prossima.

30 aprile: Fischerandom Kaos

Gendering the Fair

周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
42nd Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), April 1, 2011
Catalan Opening E05

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Ne5

7. ... Nc6! The best reply. Black sacrifices a Pawn for the sake of the initiative.
8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 (9. ... Qd6 10. Qa4⩲)
10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Qa4 e5 12. dxe5 Qxe5 13. Qxc4 Be6 14. Qc2 Bf5 15. Qd2

Black has obvious compensation for the Pawn, hence White hurries to give the Pawn back simplifying to a very drawish Rook and opposite-coloured Bishops endgame.
15. ... Rfe8 16. Nc3 Ne4 17. Nxe4 Qxe4 18. Re1 Bg4 19. Qf4. This looks more convincing than the also playable 19. Qc3 Bxe2 20. Be3 Qf3 21. Rac1 a6 22. Bd4 Qg4 23. Be5 f6 24. Bxc7 Kh8 25. Qc6 Rac8 26. b3 h6 27. Rc4 Qh5 28. Rcc1 Bb5 29. Qd6 Be2 30. h4 Re4 31. Bd8 Rxc1 32. Rxc1 Qg6 33. Ba5 Kh7 34. Re1 Qg4 35. Qd2 Qf3 36. Qc3 Qf5 37. Qd2 Qg4 38. Bc3? Qf3 39. Bxf6 gxf6 40. Qd5 Bd3? (40. ... Rg4!−+) 41. Qf7+ Kh8 42. Qf8+ Kh7 43. Qf7+ Kh8 44. Rc1 Bc2 45. Qf8+ Kh7 46. Qf7+ Kh8 47. Qf8+ ½ : ½ Kramnik – Lékó, 38th Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2010.
19. ... Bxe2 20. Qxe4 Rxe4 21. Bf4 c6 22. Rac1

22. ... Bf3! Black has equalised. The Black Bishop heads for the strategic d5-square, from where it attacks and defends at the same time.
23. Rxe4 Bxe4 24. Rc3 f6 25. f3 Bd5 26. Ra3 Bc4 27. Kf2 a5 28. Ra4 Bb5 29. Rd4 a4 30. g4 Re8 31. Be3 Re5 32. f4 Rd5 33. Rxd5 cxd5 34. b3 axb3 35. axb3 Kf7 36. Bc5 f5 37. g5 Ke6 38. Ke3 Kd7 39. Kd4 Kc6 40. h4 Be2 41. b4 g6 42. Ke5 Bh5 43. Kd4 Be2 ½ : ½.

Riding and drawing. Photo: Sina Chess News.

Hit Hard

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 王玥 (Wáng Yuè)
42nd Chinese Chess Championship: 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 31, 2011
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 0-0 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nc6 13. Re1 Re8 14. Bf4 dxc4 15. Bxc4 Bd6 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 17. Bxd6 cxd6 18. Ng5 Bg6 19. h4 Qe7 20. Qg4 h6 21. Nh3. If 21. h5 then 21. ... Bxh5 22. Qxh5 hxg5 23. Rd1 Rf8 24. Rd3 Qe1+ 25. Kh2 Qxf2 26. Qxg5 Qf6 27. Qxf6 gxf6 28. Rg3+ Kh8 29. Rh3+ Kg7 30. Rg3+ Kh8 31. Rh3+ Kg7 32. Rg3+ ½ : ½ Radjabov – 王玥 (Wáng Yuè), 4th ROMGAZ Kings Tournament, Mediaș 2010. 21. ... Qe4 22. Qg3

22. ... Rc8! An indirect defence of d6. 23. Qxd6. The critical alternative is 23. Bf1 Ne7 24. Qxd6 Nf5 (after 24. ... Qxh4 25. Re1 Nf5 26. Qb4 b6 27. Re5 Qf6 28. Nf4 Ne7 29. Qxe7 Qxf4 30. Re3 Qc7 31. d5 the ending is very unpleasant for Black: 31. ... Qxe7 32. Rxe7 Rd8 33. c4 a5 34. Rb7 Rd6 35. Rb8+ Kh7 36. f3 Bf5 37. Kf2 Kg6 38. Ke3 Kg5 39. Kd4 Kf4 40. c5 bxc5+ 41. Kxc5 Rf6 42. g4 Bd7 43. Rb7 Ba4 44. d6 Ke5 45. Re7+ Re6 46. Rxf7 1 : 0 Svidler – Gelfand, 15th Russian Team Chess Championship, Dagomys 2008) 25. Qb4 Nxh4 26. d5 Bf5 (26. ... a5! 27. Qxe4 Bxe4 28. c4 Nf5 29. f3 Bc2 30. Rc1 Bb3 31. Nf2 b5 32. c5 Bxd5 33. Bxb5 Kf8=) 27. Qxe4 (27. Nf4⩲) 27. ... Bxe4 28. c4 Nf5 29. f3 Bc2 30. Rc1 Ba4 31. Kf2 b6 32. Bd3 Nd6 33. Ke3 Bb3 34. Kd4 Nb5+ 35. Ke3 Nd6 36. Kd4 Nb5+ 37. Ke3 Nd6 ½ : ½ Topalov – Gelfand, 12th Amber Blindfold Chess Tournament, Monte Carlo 2003. 23. ... Nxd4! 24. Bd5. After 24. Bxf7+ Bxf7 25. Qxd4 Qxd4 26. cxd4 b5! White’s extra Pawn is as temporary as it is meaningless. 24. ... Nb5 25. Qd7 (25. Bxe4 Nxd6 26. Bxg6 fxg6⩱) 25. ... Qe8 26. Qxe8+ (26. Qxb7 Rc7 27. Qa6 Nxc3 28. Qxg6 Nxd5=) 26. ... Rxe8 27. c4 Nd6 28. c5

28. ... Be4!= 29. Rd1 Bxd5 30. Rxd5 Ne4 31. Nf4 Nf6 32. Rd4 Re1+ 33. Kh2 Re4 34. Rd8+ Kh7 35. g3 g5 36. hxg5 hxg5 37. Nd5 Ng4+ 38. Kg2 Kg7 39. Nb4 Rc4 40. Rd5 Kg6 41. c6 bxc6 42. Rd6+ f6 43. Rxc6 Rd4 44. Rc3 Rd2 45. Nd3 Ne3+ 46. Kg1 Nd1 47. Rb3 a5 48. Kf1 a4 49. Ke1 Ra2 50. Rb4 Nc3 51. Nc5 Re2+ 52. Kf1 Ra2 53. Ke1 Rxa3 54. Kd2 Nd5 55. Rxa4 Rxa4 56. Nxa4 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t succeed in breaking through in his opponent’s rock fortress. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).

Scacchi al Liceo Gobetti

Scacchi classici e 960 al Liceo Scientifico Statale Piero Gobetti
Il Delta della Luna Channel 3

The Queen’s Carpet

From left to right: 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), and 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) posing as models. Photo: taizhou.com.cn.

Scacchi classici e 960 al Liceo Gobetti

Scacchi classici e 960 al Liceo Scientifico Statale Piero Gobetti
Il Delta della Luna Channel 3

Clarice Benini

Alessandra Innocenti & Lorenzo Barsi

Clarice Benini
Omaggio alla Campionessa di Scacchi

versione 0.1 (PDF)

Queen Cobra

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Lilit Maratovna Mkrtchian
FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009–11; 4th stage; Jermuk, June 26, 2010
French Defence C05

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bd3 c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. 0-0 a5 9. a4 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nb4 11. Bb5 0-0 12. Nb1 Nb8 13. Nc3 Bd7 14. Re1 N8c6 15. Bf4 Na7?!TN (15. ... Kh8 16. Qd2⩲↑ Kalod – Kortschnoi, 21st Mitropa Cuo, Leipzig 2002) 16. Bf1 Rb8 17. Re3 b5

18. h4!? A proclamation of her belligerent intentions, but possibly stronger was 18. Ne1 intending Re3-h3. 18. ... Bxh4? Mkrtchian very imprudently plays in her opponent’s hands. 19. Nxh4 Qxh4 20. Bg3. Even stroger seems 20. Ne2! massing on the Kingside. 20. ... Qg5 21. axb5. This and the few next moves dissipate almost all White’s initiative. 21. ... Nxb5 22. Ne2 Ra8 23. Bh2 Qf5 24. Nf4 Qc2 25. Qg4 Nxd4 26. Nh5 Qg6 27. Qh3? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is reluctant to resign herself to 27. Qxd4 Qxh5 with rough equality, and embarks into obscure complications. 27. ... Nf5 28. Rf3 Rfc8? Black misses her best chance here: 28. ... Kh8! 29. Rf4 Qh6 30. Ra3 d4! with excellent counterplay; a sample line is 31. Rxf5 exf5 32. Bf4 Qc6 33. Nf6 gxf6 34. Bb5 Qxb5 35. Qh6 Nd3 36. Bg5 fxg5 37. Qf6+ with perpetual check. 29. Rf4 Nh6

30. Nf6+! gxf6 31. Rxf6 Qg7? 31. ... Nf5 32. Rxg6+ fxg6 was Black’s only chance, though after 33. Bf4 White should win in the long run anyway. 32. Rxh6 Kh8 33. Bf4 Rg8

34. Bg5! 1 : 0.

Three rounds went by and finally the day came, when 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) finally achieved her first win. Photo: Aghasi Inants.

Bodensee

Mauro Berni ci ha inviato una partita di Clarice Benini a noi ancora ignota, dal Torneo Internazionale femminile di Lindau (22 marzo–3 aprile 1959), rinomata località di villeggiatura dell’allora Germania Occidentale. Fonte testuale la Deutsche Schachzeitung del giugno 1959, pp. 169-170. L’avversaria di Clarice è Elfriede (Friedl) Benzinger Rinder (Schrobenhausen, 20 novembre 1905–Monaco di Baviera, 3 giugno 2001). Come chiosa Mauro, “la Benini si lascia tentare da un sacrificio scorretto”.

[Event "Women’s International Tournament"]
[Site "Lindau on Bodensee"]
[Date "1959.??.??"]
[White "Rinder, Friedl"]
[Black "Benini, Clarice"]
[ECO "C04"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "61"]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd7 6.c3 f6 7.exf6 Qxf6 8.Bb5 Bd6 9.O-O O-O 10.Re1 e5 11.dxe5 Ncxe5 12.Re2 c6 13.Ba4 Nc5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.Bc2 Bg4 16.f3 Bh5 17.Nf1 Rae8 18.Ng3 Qh4 19.Be3 Bxg3 20.hxg3 Qxg3 21.Bxc5 Bxf3 22.Qd3 Qg4 23.Qxh7+ Kf7 24.Rf2 Rh8 25.Rxf3+ Qxf3 26.gxf3 Rxh7 27.Bxh7 g6 28.Bd4 b6 29.Kf2 c5 30.Rg1 Re6 31.Bh8 1-0

Dahn, 1959: Friedl Rinder

女超人 (Supergirl)

Teen behind the champion

唐岳 (Táng Yuè), China Daily European Weekly, January 28, 2011

She is the world’s youngest champ, but still wears Mickey Mouse on her jeans

To all appearances, she could have been the girl-next-door, with cute clips in her hair and a pair of jeans spotting Disney appliqus. But unlike most giggling schoolgirls her age, the 16-year-old is very calm and collected, and speaks softly and slowly.
Those measured tones probably come from her years of training with intense concentration at the chessboard, where she now rules.
Still, her youthfulness shows through as she plays with her hair and flips my business card over and over again in her hands. We were sitting down for an interview at the Chinese Chess Academy, where they are still all hyped up over her recent win at the Women’s World Chess Championship last month in Hatay, Turkey.
The New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Nicholas Kristof last month described 侯 (Hóu) as the “human face of rising China”, which Kristof described, “belongs not to some Politburo chief, not to an Internet tycoon, but to a quiet, mild-mannered teenage girl named 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)”.
He went on to describe 侯 (Hóu) as the icon who “reflects the way China — by investing heavily in education and human capital, particularly in young women — is increasingly having a greater impact on every aspect of the world”.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was awarded the Best non-Olympic Athlete of the Year Award at the 2010 CCTV Sports Personality Awarding Ceremony held in 北京 (Běijīng), China on Sunday, January 16, 2011. Photo: sports.163.com.

China has also done an extraordinarily good job of investing in its people and in spreading opportunity across the country. Moreover, perhaps as a legacy of Confucianism, its citizens have shown a passion for education and self-improvement — along with remarkable capacity for discipline and hard work, what the Chinese call 吃苦 (chī kǔ), or “eating bitterness”.
“Only about 1 percent of Chinese play chess, and China has never been a chess power. But since 1991, China has produced four women’s world chess champions, and Ms. 侯 (Hóu) is the one with by far the most promise”.
Eat you heart out. 侯 (Hóu) is clearly a product of the gentle Tiger mama and her Dragon coach.
Kristof goes on to describe how he challenged 侯 (Hóu) to a game of chess, and was soundly defeated in 21 moves, even though she had just got off the plane from Turkey.
The girl herself shrugs it all off.
“I’m still who I am, and I just do what I should do”, she says with a smile, She also refuses to be labeled a “genius” and in all her media interviews, 侯 (Hóu) has always simply admitted that she has been “blessed with some gift in this particular field”.
Her day starts at 8.30 in the morning when she reports at the Chess Academy and plays chess until 11 am. After lunch and a short nap, she returns for another two to three hours’ of training. In the evenings, she may spend some time swimming, “just for exercise and always very slow”.
侯 (Hóu) likes reading, but prefers literature and biography to scientific works. She recently read Hillary Clinton’s autobiography “Living History” and thinks Clinton is a “really great woman”.
Like all young girls her age, she enjoys movies and is a fan of singer 魏晨 (Wèi Chén), who gained fame in Happy Boy, the Chinese version of American Idol. And then, there is the Internet, which 侯 (Hóu) admits she cannot live without.
This is where she expands her social network and keeps up with friends she cannot meet often physically.
And like a normal teenager, too, she argues with her parents often, she says.
“But our family is really democratic. No one always has the final say. It depends on who uses the more reasonable argument”.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has two targets. One is to keep honing her skills in chess.
The other wish is to go to university just like her closest rival, 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi), who is now a doctoral candidate at Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S.
With a career path supported by her country and the unfailing support from her parents, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will be doing all that, before you have time to think “checkmate”.

Queen Sacrifice

Queen’s sacrifice

唐岳 (Táng Yuè), China Daily European Weekly, January 28, 2011

Nurturing a chess champion is a task teetering from amiable dictatorship to forgoing personal ambitions

Yale law professor 蔡美儿 (Amy Chua) raised plenty of hackles recently with her description of the Chinese Tiger Mother — a subject that set off divisive debate and earned her death threats. But while the rest of the world marveled at Chua’s authoritarian ways and even doubted the truth of her narration, Chinese parents and children identified with her story — in varying degrees perhaps, but always with fervent empathy.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is the current Women’s World Chess champion, the youngest ever. Photo: 杨世忠 (Yáng Shìzhōng)/China Daily.

What Chua described is an exaggerated version of what goes on in every Chinese family that respects scholarship and cares about the children’s future.
In most cases, however, the parents also subscribe to another set of Chinese values — that of striking a balance.
Take China’s latest chess prodigy and world champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and her mother 王茜 (Wáng Qiàn). While her mother is the robust pillar behind her discipline and achievements, there is also a lot of support and sacrifice in the nurturing process.
侯 (Hóu), 16, was born in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), a relatively smaller city by Chinese standards of about 1.5 million people in 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province).
Like most only children, she was allowed the luxury of many extra-curricular activities at an early age.
But, she showed no interest in calligraphy, singing lessons or playing the 二胡 (èrhú), a two-stringed fiddle, and deliberately broke several ink-stones so her parents would stop forcing her to practice calligraphy.
They finally tried chess, to see if it would appeal to her already obvious intellectual capabilities.
“She fell in love with chess”, says 王茜 (Wáng Qiàn), 43. “But we didn’t expect her to become a national champion, let alone world champion”.
Her child was then barely out of nursery school.
The expectations grew as 侯 (Hóu) soon outpaced her peers. In just two years, 王 (Wáng) realized her daughter needed better instruction and she took the young child to 童渊铭 (Tóng Yuānmíng), a famous chess coach in 济南 (Jǐnán), 山东省 (Shāndōng province).
童 (Tóng) agreed to coach the girl, but it meant 侯 (Hóu) would have to move 700 km north to 济南 (Jǐnán), then a 15-hour train journey away. 王 (Wáng) contemplated her options for one week, and finally made the decision to quit her job as a nurse and go north with her 7-year-old daughter.
It meant she would have to give up a decent income and leave her husband, 侯雪健 (Hóu Xuějiàn), in 兴化 (Xīnghuà). He would stay on at his job as a procurator at the local government offices to support the family.
Her decision was based on her daughter’s precocity. 侯 (Hóu) would continue to go to school in 济南 (Jǐnán) and because she had started school at 5, she was two years ahead. Even if it did not work out and they had to return to 兴化 (Xīnghuà) after two years, 王 (Wáng) figured there was nothing to lose.
“But what about yourself? You had to give up your career and you were only 33”, I ask.
“I think it was the normal thing for any parent to do. When you find your child has a special gift, you just cannot stay and watch it all go to waste”.
But mother and child would soon be moving, again. Two years later, 9-year-old 侯 (Hóu) had already won the Under-10 World Championship and was about to become the youngest ever to be recruited into China’s national team — in 北京 (Běijīng).
The tiger mother was about to be up-staged by the dragon coach. Training would be strict and very disciplined, and the pre-teen would be groomed to the best of her ability.
It was not an easy decision this time for head coach of the national team, 叶江川 (Yè Jiāngchuān).
“There was some opposition when she entered the team because she was so young and her mother had to live with her, which could disrupt management”, 叶 (Yè) tells China Daily.
“But I found she was unusually talented. She had excellent potential and training with the high-level players in the national squad would definitely help her exploit that ability to the fullest”.
For 王茜 (Wáng Qiàn), there was no hesitation. By now, she knew her daughter’s future was in chess. From 2003 to 2007, she lived with her daughter in a 10-square-meter dormitory room at China’s Chess Academy, and they could only see 侯 (Hóu)’s father a few times a year.
The sacrifices paid off when young 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), at the age of 12, became the youngest player in the Women’s World Chess Championship in Yekaterinburg and the Chess Olympiad in Turin in 2006. She also became the youngest national champion in China.
In 2008, she was the youngest finalist in the history of the World Championships, losing to the Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk in the final in Nalchik, Russia.
As part of the preparation for last month’s World Championships in Turkey, 侯 (Hóu) played in a men’s national competition in May with the approval from the organizers, and pitted her skills again in June against the best 10 male players in China.
To top it all, she played six games against former world champion Anatoly Karpov in a series of matches organized by the Chinese Chess Federation at 三亚 (Sānyà) in 海南 (Hǎinán). She lost 2½ to 3½ but gained “a lot from the master”.
Her coach explains her success.
“With her talent and diligence, she would have won the world championship sooner or later, but it would definitely not be so soon if not for the training and the competitions”, 叶 (Yè) says.
As the regimental training in the national squad sculpts her daughter into a world champion, her mother still supports her unquestioningly in the background, and it was maternal encouragement which boosted 侯 (Hóu) before her championship game.
“I told her it took (Alexandra) Kosteniuk seven years to go from runner-up to champion. And that she need not feel pressured”. It worked. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) defeated defending champion Kosteniuk to take the title.
侯 (Hóu)’s parents may sacrifice everything to make sure their daughter gets the best training possible, but they do not press her to win every game.
“The media labels her a genius and enjoys listing all the records she has broken, but that’s not what I care about. I just want her to live a happy life”, 王茜 (Wáng Qiàn) says. “If she wins, I’m happy of course, but if she doesn’t make it, I’m still proud of her because she is a kind-hearted and humble child”.
The sacrifices are beginning to pay off, both with 侯 (Hóu)’s list of trophies and a family reunion. Her father quit his job three years ago and came to join them, and they now live in a small apartment near the chess academy.
“He thought hard for a long time before coming to 北京 (Běijīng). Our child was without her father since she was 7 and we just decided to make up for it as soon as we could”, 王 (Wáng) says.
“She’s already 16 and more independent. Who knows? Perhaps in a couple of years we can go back home”.

The Sun Also Shines at Night

From the book by Orazio Barbieri, “Guerra e Resistenza nei Servizi Sanitari a Firenze” (“War and Resistance in Health Services in Florence”), Vangelista Editori, Milan, 1993, p. 135, we extract a postcard which Clarice Benini, Vice Women’s World Chess Champion in 1937, sent from the Russian front where, from January 9, 1942 to January 31, 1943, like many well educated young women of good families, she “voluntarily” served as a Red Cross nurse in war hospitals:

SISTER CLARICE BENINI Hospital Reserve No. 1 Dear Sister Inspector, we often remember you with Sister Monterossi, Our companions are already beginning to love you a little. The train huffs and puffs, and the destination, they say, is approaching. Every now and then, we remain without heating and so... true Russia. After some hours, heating at full steam and... equator. Everything must be calculated in order to temper us definitively. We also hope to keep working together because we are very close-knit and the Group Chief is... but I cannot speak of this because this postcard will also bear Her signature. Hopefully a sergeant going to Italy will manage to get you this postcard soon. Affectionate greetings Clarice Many good greetings Monterossi

Batrachomyomachia

Plagium Anch’io M’illumino d’immenso. I too Illumine me with immensity.