Tuesday, November 11, 2014

加法

Artwork: SilentBeforeTheStorm

你生命是你所有选择的结果。
Nǐ shēngmìng shì nǐ suǒyǒu xuǎnzé de jiéguǒ.
Life is the sum of all your choices.

Once in a Lifetime

https://twitter.com/Chess__News/status/532184379611942912
Sochi, November 11, 2014. All lined up for the autograph of Spassky...

化身


Expressly annotated by Miss Lonelyhearts


Viswanathan Anand – Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championship; match game 3; Sochi, November 11, 2014
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 Nbd7 7. c5 c6 8. Bd3. A “game clone” is 8. h3 (the only exception!) 8. ... b6 9. b4 a5 10. a3 Ba6 11. Bxa6 Rxa6 12. b5 cxb5 13. c6 Qc8 14. c7 b4 15. Nb5 a4 16. Rc1 Ne4 17. Nd2 Ndf6 18. f3 Ra5 19. Nxe4 Nxe4 20. fxe4 Rxb5 21. Qxa4 Ra5 22. Qc6 bxa3 23. exd5 Rxd5 24. Qxb6 Qd7 25. 0-0 Rc8 26. Rc6 (the position is the same as the actual game, except that here White’s Pawn is on h3 and not on h2) 26. ... h6 27. Rfc1 Kh7 28. Qa6 Rf5 29. Bd6 Bh4 30. Qxa3 Bf2+ 31. Kh1 Rd5 32. Bf4 f5 33. Qc3 Bh4 34. Rb6 Bg5 35. Be5 Bd8 36. Rb8 1 : 0 Tomashevsky – Riazantsev, 61th Russian Superfinal, Moscow 2008. 8. ... b6 9. b4 a5 10. a3 Ba6 11. Bxa6 Rxa6 12. b5! cxb5 13. c6 Qc8 14. c7. “Everyone is saying this is a solid line for Black. But... isn’t that a White Pawn on c7?”, Fabiano Caruana tweeted. 14. ... b4 15. Nb5 a4 16. Rc1 Ne4 17. Ng5 Ndf6. “Could very well be that Magnus remembers the game Aronian – Adams, [Bilbao] 2013 and nothing more than that. Not a good game to follow...”, Anish Giri said. 18. Nxe4 Nxe4. If 18. ... dxe4 then 19. Bd6. 19. f3 Ra5 20. fxe4! Far sharper than 20. Qe2 Qd7 21. fxe4 Rc8! 22. exd5 exd5 23. axb4 Rxb5 24. 0-0 Rxb4 25. Qa6 h6 26. Rc6 Bg5 27. Bxg5 hxg5 28. Rfc1 Rc4 29. R1xc4 dxc4 30. Qxb6 a3 31. Rxc4 a2 32. Qa5 Qe6 33. Qxa2 Rxc7! 34. Qa8+ Kh7 35. Rxc7 Qxe3+ 36. Kf1 Qf4+ 37. Qf3 Qxc7 38. Qh5+ Kg8 39. Qxg5 Qc4+ 40. Kf2 Qxd4+ ½ : ½ Aronian – M. Adams, Bilbao 2013. 20. ... Rxb5 21. Qxa4 Ra5 22. Qc6! White already holds a powerful grip. 22. ... bxa3 23. exd5 Rxd5 24. Qxb6 Qd7 25. 0-0. Apparently 25. Qa6 it is very strong, but, as tweeted by Pentala Harikrishna, “25. Qa6 is such an easy move with engines running :D in my opinion 25. 0-0 is more human”. 25. ... Rc8


26. Rc6! After the hasty 26. Rb1 Black is just in time to “patch” with 26. ... Bd6(!). And now if 26. Qa6 then 26. ... Rb5! and Black consolidates. 26. ... g5 27. Bg3 Bb4 28. Ra1! Anand’s play is – as usual – very elegant. 28. ... Ba5 29. Qa6! Bxc7 30. Qc4. Of course 30. Qb7?? Rxd4! would be a careless blunder. 30. ... e5 31. Bxe5 Rxe5 32. dxe5 Qe7 33. e6! Kf8 34. Rc1 1 : 0. “Just a fantastic game from start to finish by Anand. I am really curious if he knew the Toma game though. Not sure I believe his answer :)”, Hikaru Nakamura tweeted.

https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Rowson

正常化



Une idée de la sorcière Vianne Rocher

國王的新衣


Notes by Daniel Willard Fiske


Serafino Dubois – Duke of Rignano
Rome, 1844
King’s Gambit C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 h5 6. Bc4 Nh6 7. d4 d6 8. Nd3 f3 9. g3 Nc6 10. Nf4 Ng8 11. Be3 Bg7 12. Nc3 Bd7 13. Nfd5 Na5 14. Qd3 c6 15. Bg5 f6 16. e5 Nxc4 17. Qg6+ Kf8 18. exf6 Nxf6 19. Nxf6 Bxf6 20. Kb1/Re1. This is one of the Italian methods of Castling. For a description of the modes of Castling allowed by the Italian school see page 138 of our present volume.


20. ... Bxg5 21. hxg5 Rg8 22. Qh6+ Rg7 23. Ne4 Nd2+. This sacrifice of the Knight relieves Black for the moment. 24. Nxd2 Qxg5 25. Qxd6+ Kg8 26. Ne4 Qd8 27. Nf6+ Kf7 28. Nxd7 Rg5 29. Ne5+ Kg7 30. Qe6 Qe8 31. Qb3 f2 32. Ref1 Rf5 33. Qxb7+ Kg8 34. Nxg4 Rb8 35. Nh6+ Kf8 36. Qh7 Rf3 37. Qh8+ Ke7 38. Qe5+ Kd7 39. Rxh5 Qxe5 40. Rxe5 Rh8 41. Nf5 Rh2 42. c3 Rg2 43. Kc2 Rg1 44. Ne3 Rxe3 45. Rxe3 Rxf1 46. Rf3 Kd6 47. g4 Kd5 48. Rf4 Rg1 49. Rxf2. And White wins. 1 : 0. This instructive game was played at Rome in 1844. The noble opponent of Mr. Dubois is well known as a strong Italian amateur. (Daniel Willard Fiske, The Chess Monthly, Vol. ii, 1858, pages 302-303).

Il superuomo di massa


Porterebbero via i’ffumo alle candele.

Proverbio fiorentino

Rien ne va plus


Notes by Daniel Willard Fiske


Serafino Dubois – S. Lécrivain
Paris, 1855
King’s Gambit C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5. This opening is known in Italy as the Great Gambit, because Allgaier only examined the variation springing from 5. Ng5. 5. ... h5. 5. ... Nf6 has, within a year or two, come to be regarded as stronger (see Chess Monthly Vol. i pp. 234-236). 6. Bc4 Rh7 7. d4 d6 8. Nd3 f3 9. g3 Ne7 10. Bg5 Bh6


11. Nf4. This is perfectly safe. 11. ... Bxg5 12. hxg5 h4. If 12. ... Ng6 13. Nxh5 Qxg5 14. Nf6+ and wins the Exchange. 13. gxh4 Ng6 14. Nxg6 fxg6 15. Qd2 Qe7 16. Nc3 c6 17. Kf2 Be6 18. d5 Bd7 19. e5 dxe5 20. d6 Qg7 21. Ne4 Bf5 22. Nf6+ Kd8 23. Qa5+ b6 24. Qxe5 Rh8 25. Rhe1 Kc8 26. Qe7 Qxe7 27. dxe7 Bd7 28. Rad1. And White wins. 1 : 0. We owe this unpublished game, with the notes, to the kind attention of Mr. Centurini. (Daniel Willard Fiske, The Chess Monthly, Vol. ii, 1858, pages 272-273).

光棍节

11月11日
光棍节

Artwork: Ukishi13

今天多给单身的朋友一点鼓励!

民族之春


Notes by Paul Charles Morphy


Marmaduke Wyvill – Serafino Dubois
Odds of the Pawn and Move. Rome, 1846
rnbqkbnr/ppppp1pp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

(Remove the Pawn f7).

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. d3 a6 6. a4 Bf6 7. Bd2 Nge7 8. Qe2 Nd4 9. Nxd4 Bxd4 10. Nd1 d5 11. Ba2 0-0 12. 0-0 Nc6 13. c3 Bf6 14. f4 Kh8 15. e5 Be7 16. Nf2 b5 17. Bb1 d4 18. Ne4 Bb7 19. axb5 axb5 20. Rxa8 Bxa8 21. Qg4 Qd5 22. Rf3 dxc3 23. Rg3 Rf7 24. Nxc3 Qd7 25. Rh3. Threatening to play d3-d4. 25. ... g6 26. d4 Nxd4 27. Qxg6 Bf8 28. Qd3 c4 29. Qf1


29. ... Nf3+. Black has managed by his last two or three moves to wrench the attack from his adversary’s hands. 30. gxf3 Qxd2 31. Qd1 Bc5+ 32. Kh1 Rg7 33. Rxh7+. It is evident that White cannot play 33. Qxd2. [Ed. Note: Because of 33. ... Rg1 mate]. 33. ... Rxh7 34. Qxd2 Bxf3+ 35. Qg2 Rg7. And Black wins. 0 : 1. This game was played at Rome in 1846. Signor Dubois plays the latter portion, especially, with great elegance. (Paul Charles Morphy, The Chess Monthly, Vol. ii, 1858, page 240).

Monday, November 10, 2014

Офицер и джентльмен

Robert James Fischer and Boris Vasilievich Spassky in Sveti Stefan (Montenegro), 1992. Photo: Archiv Josip Adžić.

Appeal to President Bush from Boris Vasilievich Spassky

Mr. President,

In 1972 Bobby Fischer became national hero. He smashed me in the match in Reykjavík. The Soviet chess hegemony collapsed. One man won against a whole army. Soon after that Fischer stopped playing. He repeated the sad story of Paul Morphy. At the age of 21, legendary Paul had beaten all leading European masters and became unofficial champion. He stopped playing and finished his tragic life at the age of 47 in New Orleans in 1884.
In 1992, twenty years after Reykjavík, there was a miracle. Bobby resuscitated and we played a match in Yugoslavia. But at that time there were sanctions against Yugoslavia forbidding American citizens any sort of activity on the territory of Yugoslavia. Bobby violated the instructions of the State Department. He became the subject of a warrant for arrest issued on December 15, 1992 by the US District Court. As for me, as a French citizen since 1978, I did not get any sanctions from the French government.
Since July 13, 2004, Bobby has been detained at Narita airport on immigration violations. Further events have been described by media.
It is clear that the law is the law. But Fischer’s case is not usual. I am an old friend of Bobby since 1960 when we played in Mar del Plata and shared 1-2 places. Bobby is a tragic personality. I realized this at that time. He is an honest and good natured man. Absolutely not social. He is not adaptable to everybody’s standards of life. He has a very high sense of justice and is unwilling to compromise as well as with his own conscience as with surrounding people. He is a person who is doing almost everything against himself.
I would not like to defend or justify Bobby Fischer. He is what he is. I am asking only for one thing. For mercy, charity.
If for some reason it is impossible, I would like to ask you the following: Please correct the mistake of President François Mitterand in 1992. Bobby and myself committed the same crime. Put sanctions against me also. Arrest me. And put me in the same cell with Bobby Fischer. And give us a chess set.

Boris Vasilievich Spassky
10th Chess World Champion
08.07.2004

What a Wonderful World

Gilles Andruet – Boris Vasilievich Spassky
14th SchachBundesliga; Koblenz, 1988
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 d5 6. Nc3 0-0 7. e3 Qe7 8. Rc1 Rd8 9. Qc2 Nbd7 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Bd3 Nf8 12. Ne2 c6 13. 0-0 Ng6 14. Ng3 Re8 15. Qc5 Qd8 16. Nd2? Nh4! 17. b4 a6 18. a4 Bd7 19. Rb1 Ng4 20. Qc2 g6 21. b5 axb5 22. axb5 h5! 23. bxc6 bxc6 24. Rfe1 Qf6 25. Ndf1?! (25. Nb3) 25. ... Ra3! 26. Re2 c5! (Δ ... c5-c4) 27. dxc5 Ne5! 28. Bb5


28. ... Qf3!! 0 : 1. For after 29. gxf3 Nexf3+ 20. Kh1 Bh3 Black mates in two moves.

Spassky in his prime. Photo: Kingpin Chess Magazine.

飛機雲 (Contrails)


Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

DANCE SCHOOL
舞蹈学校
CLASSICAL AND FISCHERANDOM CHESS
国际象棋和菲舍尔氏象棋

Any appearances to the contrary notwithstanding,
proudly
we don’t belong to any chess organization!

I due ussari

Boris Vasilievich Spassky speaking out to NRK
Photo: Mads Nyborg Støstad/NRK

– Do you see anything of Bobby Fischer in Magnus?
Spassky has thought for a while.
– Yes. He is determined and stubborn as well. And what I like is that he does not get involved in politics.
World Chess Championship 1972: the Match of the Century
Boris Vasilievich Spassky vs. Robert James Fischer
Photo: AP/AP

“以棋会友”中俄国际象棋青少年友谊赛

北京 (Běijīng), November 9, 2014. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) attending the awards ceremony.
北京时间11月9日,为期三天的“以棋会友”中俄国际象棋青少年友谊赛在中国棋院落幕。
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Italian Racial Laws (Leggi razziali fasciste)


Si fa come quello che si tagliò i’ cinci pe’ fa’ dispetto alla moglie.

Proverbio fiorentino

They call him Fabi

Mauro Barletta, Roberto Messa, “Fabulous Fabiano – Caruana, partite memorabili di un mago della scacchiera”, Brescia, Messaggerie Scacchistiche, 2014. 220 pages. Cover price: €uro 23,00.

Fabolous Fabiano

A copy of this pleasant book has been delivered to us this morning. The work is divided into four parts. i. A short biography of Fabiano Caruana with interviews. ii. 35 games of Caruana deeply annotated. iii. All the 10 games played by Caruana at the 2nd Sinquefield Cup. iv. A series of chess puzzles from the games of Fabiano.
In variety of exposition, neatness of appearance, straightforwardness of arrangement and cheapness of price it is quite a good value. We hope that the book will have a large success, both on account of its intrinsic merits and from the fact that the authors are widely known as two gentlemen, despite their not disinterested aid to a little too “nostalgic” – to say it euphemistically – Italian chess website – obviously not ours!
For orders and inquiries please contact:

Sunday, November 9, 2014



Une idée de la sorcière Vianne Rocher

Best by test

And Bobby says to me: “1. d4 — the best move!”

Boris Vasilievich Spassky often speaks with Bobby Fischer in his dreams. Photo: Chess-News.ru.

查理大帝


Expressly annotated by Miss Lonelyhearts


Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand
World Chess Championship; match game 2; Sochi, November 9, 2014
Spanish C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. This old move seems to have become a favourite with all the leading players! 4. d3. A quiet move which avoids the main lines. 4. ... Bc5. This used to be Morphy’s favourite. 5. 0-0 d6 6. Re1!? A “new” move and perhaps the best chance to keep some initiative. After 6. c3 0-0 7. Nbd2 a6 Black has an easy play and no problems in the centre, Hracek – Kramnik, Prague 2002. 6. ... 0-0 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. h3 Re8 9. Nbd2 Nd7 10. Nc4 Bb6. “10. ... Bb6 looked slightly odd to me. White will play 11. a4, I guess. A smidgen more comfortable for White, but no panic yet”, Grandmaster Nigel Short tweeted. 11. a4 a5 12. Nxb6 cxb6 13. d4 Qc7 14. Ra3!! An elegant addition to the – yet metaphoric – attack. “Those pointing out mistakes (with engine help obv.), please notice 14. Ra3!? by Magnus, breathing life into a dead equal position!”, Grandmaster Anish Giri tweeted. 14. ... Nf8 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nh4 Rd8 17. Qh5 f6 18. Nf5 Be6?! At the press-conference after the game, Anand blamed his 18th move and suggested 18. ... Qf7, in order to dislodge the enemy Queen. Magnus was quite agree. Interesting was also Hikaru Nakamura’s suggestion: “Strange moves by Anand in the middlegame. In particular, the Knight almost always belongs on e6 in these exchange Ruy structures. 18. ... Ne6!”. 19. Rg3 Ng6. We would prefer 19. ... Rd7 (keepng cool) in order to met 20. Bh6 by 20. ... Bxf5 21. gxf5 Rad8 and Black’s position looks still tenable. 20. h4 Bxf5. Dennis Monokroussos prefers the tricky 20. ... Kh8 (with the tactical pointe 21. Rxg6 Qf7). 21. exf5 Nf4 22. Bxf4 exf4 23. Rc3 c5 24. Re6 Rab8 25. Rc4 Qd7 26. Kh2! Relentless prophylaxis. Now, 26. ... Qd1?? would be met by 27. Re8+ winning. 26. ... Rf8 27. Rce4 Rb7 28. Qe2. Alekhine’s gun! 28. ... b5!? The most practical try. 29. b3. “29. b3 is the human move. Supposedly 29. Re7 was stronger, but why bother?”, Short tweeted. 29. ... bxa4. On 29. ... c4 30. axb5 cxb3 31. b6! and White wins, e.g. 31. ... b2 32. Qc4 b1=Q?? 33. Re8+ Qf7 34. Rxf8+ Kxf8 35. Qc8+ and mate next move. 30. bxa4 Rb4


31. Re7. This happy – and easy – move, forcing the Queen to a dilemma, decides the fate of the issue. 31. ... Qd6. The innocent-looking 31. ... Qxf5?? is prettily refuted by 32. Rxb4 axb4 (idem to say 32. ... cxb4) 33. Qc4+ Kh8 34. Qf7! Rg8 35. Re8 and White mates in two moves. 32. Qf3 Rxe4 33. Qxe4 f3+ 34. g3 h5?? “Blunders don’t happen in a vacuum. 34. ... h5?? came after enormous sustained pressure”, Short tweeted. After 34. ... Qd2 35. Qxf3 Qxc2 36. Kg2 White stands much better, but the game is not over. 35. Qb7 1 : 0. “Nice way to end the weekend...”, Magnus tweeted afterwards.

年轻心脏

Artwork: xthumbtakx

别让你不能做的事妨碍到你能做的事。
Bié ràng nǐ bùnéng zuò de shì fáng'ài dào nǐ néng zuò de shì.
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

Surrogato (Ersatz good)


Il vero punge e la bugia unge.

Proverbio toscano

时差问题

快棋赛表演侯逸凡战平男子特级大师莫特列夫
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Alexander Anatolyevich Motylev

The Squaw Man


Expressly annotated by Grandmaster Peter V. Svidler


Viswanathan Anand – Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championship; match game 1; Sochi, November 8, 2014
Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2. The long-awaited 1st game of the World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand ended in a draw after an exciting, but somewhat uneven, play. The early running belonged to Anand, who came well-prepared to a somewhat rare sideline of the 5. Bd2 Grünfeld (an opening Magnus has not played too much before the match). 5. ... Bg7 6. e4 Nxc3 7. Bxc3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Nf3!?, played instantly, and followed up by a very forcing sequence leading up to 13. 0-0-0, resulted in a very sharp position which seemed to favour White. 9. ... Bg4 10. d5 Bxf3 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. gxf3 Ne5 13. 0-0-0 c6 14. Qc3 f6 15. Bh3 cxd5 16. exd5 Nf7 17. f4 Qd6 18. Qd4 Rad8 19. Be6 Qb6 20. Qd2 Rd6 21. Rhe1. The value of White’s idea might depend on whether 21. h4 is an improvement on the conservative option of 21. Rhe1 that Anand opted for. 21. ... Nd8 22. f5 Nxe6 23. Rxe6 Qc7+ 24. Kb1 Rc8 25. Rde1 Rxe6. However, the World Champion handled the position very well – the plan of luring the Bishop to e6 and then exchanging it off by playing ... Rd8-d6 and ... Nf7-d8 neutralized White’s initiative quite effectively, and by move 25 the position became very level. 26. Rxe6. After the slightly optimistic 26. ... Rd8 (I feel 26. ... gxf5 was a better try, although White should hold there as well) White had a very comfortable position, and could play 28. fxg6 hxg6 29. h4, when he has no problems whatsoever. The forced simplification 27. Qe3 Rd7 28. d6!? chosen by Vishy was fine as well, but after two pairs of Pawns came off, Black’s position was slightly easier to play, and after a series of somewhat careless moves in mild time-trouble White’s position deteriorated to the point where, after the 1st time-control, Black had real winning chances. 28. ... exd6 29. Qd4 Rf7 30. fxg6 hxg6 31. Rxd6 a6 32. a3 Qa5 33. f4 Qh5 34. Qd2 Qc5 35. Rd5 Qc4 36. Rd7 Qc6 37. Rd6 Qe4+ 38. Ka2 Re7 39. Qc1 a5 40. Qf1 a4 41. Rd1 Qc2. Black’s best chance came on move 42, when 42. Rd4 could have been met by 42. ... Re3!?, which would leave White with a difficult choice between an unpleasant Rook endgame after 43. Qd1 and a similarly difficult Queen ending after 43. Rd7 Kh6 44. Rb7 Rb3! 45. Rxb3 axb3 46. Ka1 Qxh2. Instead Magnus chose 42. ... Re2, which looked very promising but allowed White to escape with a brilliant 43. Rb4 b5


44. Qh1!! Once the Queen became active, Black’s edge disappeared, and the game ended in a perpetual 5 moves later. 44. ... Re7 45. Qd5 Re1 46. Qd7+ Kh6 47. Qh3+ Kg7 48. Qd7+ ½ : ½.

Viswanathan Anand vs. Magnus Carlsen
Sochi, November 8, 2014
Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich