A Star Called Nona

• Evgeny Surov, Звезда по имени Нона (A Star Called Nona), Chess-News.ru, May 4, 2016

Tbilisi, Georgia, opened its doors to host a liturgical mass celebration of the 75th birthday of five-time Women’s World Chess Champion Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili.

Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili is handed flowers amid the crowd; in front of her (on the right) is FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, who, on the occasion, was accompanied by his family. Major political leaders such as, for instance, former Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili and current Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili joined the party. Photo: Chess-News.ru (@Chess__News).

It was year 1963. Nona Terentevna just became Women’s World Chess Champion. She will wear the crown as Chess Queen four times more. Photo: Chess-News.ru.

The solemn celebration in honour of Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili was staged at the Rustaveli National Theatre in Tblisi, Georgia. FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov (the three pictures above to his credit) acted as master of ceremonies.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

The Werewolf

Jonathan Simon Speelman – Laurent Fressinet
24th Four Nations Chess League; Division 1c; Birmingham, May 1, 2016
Neo-King’s Indian A48

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 d6 4. e3 Bg7 5. Be2 0-0 6. h3 b6 7. 0-0 Bb7 8. Bh2 Nbd7 9. a4 a6 10. c4 Ne4 11. a5 c5 12. axb6. 12. Nbd2 bxa5 13. Nb3 Rb8 appears less convincing, Zatokovenko – Kalegin, City Championship, Ufa 2012. 12. ... Qxb6 13. Ra2 cxd4 14. exd4 e5 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Bf4 Qc6 17. Nd4 Qc7 18. b3 Qe7 19. Rc2 Qh4 20. Be3 f5 21. Nf3 Qf6 22. Bc1 g5 23. Bb2 Rad8 24. Nc3 Nxc3 25. Bxc3 g4 26. hxg4 fxg4 27. Nxe5 dxe5 28. Rd2 Bh6 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 30. Bd3. 30. Bxe5 Qe7 is very unclear, but probably not worse than the text. 30. ... Bg7 31. Qc2? A slip by Jon. Correct was 31. Bxe5 Qxe5 32. Bxh7+ Kxh7 33. Qxd8 Qe4 34. Qh4+ Kg6!? 35. f3 Qd4+ 36. Rf2 Bc8∞ with a very unbalanced balance. 31. ... Qc6 32. f3 Qb6+? Fressinet misses 33. ... Qc5+ 34. Kh2 e4! bringing all his troops against the enemy King. 33. c5! Of course a paradoxical tactician such was (and yet is!) Speelman doesn’t miss this subtle resource! 33. ... Qxc5+ 34. Kh2 gxf3 35. Bxh7+ Kh8 36. Be4 fxg2 37. Kxg2 Bc6 38. Rf3 Rc8 39. Qe2 Kg8? Fressinet’s (last) blind spot, after a very uncertain struggle. After 39. ... Bxe4 40. Qxe4 Qc6 Black – who is a Pawn up – certainly does not risk losing.

40. b4! “This strong move must have escaped Black’s notice. The threat is a decisive check along the a2-g8 diagonal”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett wrote. 40. ... Bb5!? “As good as any, but not good enough to solve the problems”, Spraggett said. 41. Qd2! 1 : 0. “There is a nasty check on d5 coming”, Spraggett said.

John Saunders (@johnchess)

Fashion Babylon

金钱得来不易。
Jīnqián dé lái bu yì.
Money doesn’t grow on trees.

The floral prize awarded to the winners of the third stage of Women’s Grand Prix in Batumi, Georgia. Photo: Eteri Kublahvili.

The Last Apple on the Tree

Jabalia, Gaza Strip: Children play on a tree in the Jabalia refugee camp. Photo: Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images.

When I’m Sixty-Four

From Dunedin to Dhaka, from China to Canada, fans across the globe woke up to a Premier League win like no other. [Read more].

• Eleanor Ainge Roy, Oliver Holmes, Richard Smart Tom Phillips, “Ranieri for President!” Leicester City fans across the world celebrate a miracle, The Guardian, May 3, 2016

With grace and unshakable bond with his players the one-time “Tinkerman” has proved his critics spectacularly wrong with Leicester’s first top-flight title “Claudio Ranieri? Really?”. As much of the planet now knows, with the world’s media descending on Leicester, that was how Gary Lineker last summer received the news that the veteran Italian had been appointed to take charge of a side that narrowly escaped relegation the previous season. Now the charming 64-year-old has masterminded perhaps the greatest fairytale in sporting history, proving a battalion of doubters wrong and winning not only the undying gratitude of all those in Leicester but admiration and no little love from around the world. [Read more].

• Owen Gibson, Claudio Ranieri proves nice guys do not always come second, The Guardian, May 2, 2016

Claudio Ranieri with A.S. Roma, pictured on a football sticker from 1973.

The Flying House

Idomeni, Greece: A woman feeds a child next to railway tracks at refugee camp next to the Greek-Macedonian border. About 54,000 people, many of them fleeing the war in Syria, have been stranded in Greece since the closure of the migrant route through the Balkans in February. Photo: Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images.

Flowers for Algernon

• В Батуми наградили героинь этапа Гран-При (ФОТО, ВИДЕО) | Heroines of Women’s Grand Prix in Batumi Awarded (Photos, Video), Chess-News.ru, May 2, 2015

Once again Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina takes some pleasant memories of Batumi away with her. This time she won the third stage of Women’s Grand Prix. [Read more].

From left: Avtandil Beridze, Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, and Nino Batsiashvili, and Zurab Azmaiparashvili. Photo: Chess-News.ru.

All stars and audience attend the solemn award ceremony. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/ruchess.ru.

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina is handed flowers of spring. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/ruchess.ru.

From left: Almira Skripchenko, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, and her husband Pavel Vladimirovich Tregubov. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/ruchess.ru.

From left: Almira Skripchenko, Anna Muzychuk, and Mariya Muzychuk. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/ruchess.ru.

The Wedding of the Lamb

杭州 (Hángzhōu), China: Couples attend a mass wedding ceremony. Photo: China Stringer Network/Reuters.

Dry Land

Olga Alexandrovna Girya – Almira Fyodorovna Skripchenko
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, May 2, 2016
Philidor Defence C41

1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. e4 Nd7 4. Nc3 e5 5. Be2 Ngf6 6. Be3 c6 7. Nd2 Bxe2 8. Qxe2 Be7 9. a4 0-0 10. 0-0 Re8 11. d5 cxd5. The start of a very dubious plan. For 11. ... Qc7 12. a5 Rec8 13. Rfc1 h6 14. g3 Bd8 15. a6 bxa6 16. Qxa6 cxd5 17. exd5 Nc5 18. Qe2 a5 19. Nb5 Qd7 see Franco Ocampos – Rivas Pastor, Salamanca 1989. 12. exd5 Nb6 13. Qb5 Ng4 14. Bxb6 axb6 15. Nc4 Ra6 16. a5! bxa5 17. Qxb7 Ra8 18. Qb5 Rc8 19. Nxa5. “Black has lost a Pawn and her Queenside is about to fall. Since the endgame would be hopeless, Almira’s last chance lays in a counter-attack on the Kingside”, writes Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly. 19. ... Bh4 20. Qe2 f5 21. Nc6 Qf6 22. Ra4!? e4. “Almira has 8 minutes left, while Olga has 26 minutes left”. (Kouatly). 23. h3. “Now also White has 8 minutes left!”. (Kouatly).

23. ... e3! Black’s best practical chance. 24. fxe3 Nxe3. “Here the computer prefers 24. ... Rxe3 with a confused position”. (Kouatly). 25. Re4!? Bg5 26. Rxe8+ Rxe8 27. Nd1 Re4 28. Nxe3 Bxe3+ 29. Kh1 Qxb2. Almira did the miracle. However, both players have only a minute left to make 10 moves. 30. Qa6. On 30. Rxf5 Bf4! 31. Qf1! g5 the position is unclear but dynamically balanced. 30. ... g6 31. Qc8+ Kg7 32. Qd7+ Kh6 33. Qxd6. Black has gained a Pawn but her passed Pawn on the d-file will have little effect due to Skripchenko’s strong rejoinder: 33. ... Qb5! 34. Qf8+. “With a few seconds left, Girya prefers to repeat the position”. (Kouatly). 34. ... Kg5 35. Qd8+ Kh6 36. Qf8+ Kg5 37. Qd8+ Kh6 ½ : ½.

Olga Alexandrovna Girya
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Almira Skripchenko
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

The Theory of Everything

Mariya Muzychuk – Bela Khotenashvili
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, May 2, 2016
Caro-Kann Defence B19

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. 0-0-0 Be7 13. Kb1 0-0 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. Qxe4 Nf6 16. Qe2 Qd5 17. Ne5. For 17. Be3 Ng4 (for 17. ... Rad8 18. Ne5 Nd7 19. Nd3 see (侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Lalith Babu, 13rd Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2013) 18. Bf4 Qf5 19. g3 Nf6 20. Ne5 c5 21. dxc5 Bxc5 22. f3 Rac8 23. Bc1 Nd5 24. g4 Qh7 25. g5 see M. Muzychuk – Khotenashvili, 4th SportAccord World Mind Games, Women’s Rapid Event, 北京 (Beijīng) 2014. Apparently both Mariya Muzychuk and her recent opponent in the Women’s World Chess Championship match share the same theoretical taste. 17. ... Qe4 18. Qxe4 Nxe4 19. Be1. For 19. Be3 Rfd8 20. g4 c5 21. f3 cxd4 22. Bxd4 Bc5 see 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Negi, Saint Louis 2015, Showdown Blitz match game 8. 19. ... Bd6. After 19. ... Rac8 20. f3 Nd6 21. g4 Rfd8 22. Bf2 Bf6 23. Rhe1 Nb5 24. f4 Rd6 25. c4 Nc7 26. Nf3 b5 27. g5 White obtained a powerful bind (even though she was not able to capitalize on it), M. Muzychuk – Gunina, 40th Women’s Chess Olympiad, Istanbul 2012. If, instead, 19. ... Rfd8 then 20. f3 Nf6 21. Bf2 Rac8 22. g4 Nd7 23. Nd3 with a slight edge, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Gunina, 3rd SportAccord World Mind Games, Women’s Basque Event, 北京 (Beijīng) 2013. 20. f3 Nf6 21. g4 Rfc8 22. Bh4 Nd5 23. Rhe1 b5 24. Nd3 a5 25. c3 a4 26. a3 c5. It’s very hard to get something out of the soporific Caro-Kann, unless you play like Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov was able to do in the ’80s. 27. dxc5 Bxc5 28. Nxc5 Rxc5 29. Rd4 Rac8 30. Ree4 Kh7 31. Kc2

31. ... Nxc3! The position is equal, but Khotenashvili finds a very convincing – and elegant as well – way to draw, sacrificing her Knight for three Pawns. 32. bxc3 Rxc3+ 33. Kd2 Rxa3 34. Rb4 Rc5 35. Be7 Rd5+ 36. Red4 Rxd4+ 37. Rxd4 Rxf3. Black gained a fourth Pawn, but she cannot hope for anything more than a draw. 38. Rb4 Rg3 39. Bd6 Rg2+ 40. Ke3 a3 41. Rxb5 Rxg4 42. Ra5 Rg5. Spes, ultima dea. 43. Rxg5 hxg5 44. Bxa3 Kh6 45. Bf8 f5 46. Kf3 e5 47. Kf2 g4 48. Bd6 e4 49. Kg3! Only thus can the peace be agreed. Not 49. Bf8?? Kxh5 50. Bxg7 f4 and Black wins. 49. ... Kxh5 50. Kf4 g6 51. Be7 Kh6 52. Bh4 Kg7 53. Kg5 Kf7 54. Bg3 Kg7 55. Be5+ Kf7 56. Bf4 Kg7 57. Be5+ Kf7 58. Bf4 Kg7 ½ : ½.

Bela Khotenashvili
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Mariya Muzychuk vs. Bela Khotenashvili
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

In the Shadow of the Crown

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, May 2, 2016
Larsen’s Opening A01

1. b3 d5 2. Bb2 c5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb5 Qb6 6. Na3. This is a very dubious idea since White’s “bulk” development on the Queenside is of any use in respect to her aggressive intentions on the Kingside. For 6. Bxc6+ Qxc6 7. d3 g6 8. Nbd2 Bg7 9. Qe2 0-0 see Nimzowitsch – Kashdan, Frankfurt am Main 1930. 6. ... a6 7. Ba4 e6 8. 0-0 Be7 9. Ne5 0-0 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. c4 a5 12. Qc2 Ne8 13. f4 f6 14. Nd3 Ba6 15. Rf3 a4 16. Rh3. With the “threat” of Nd3-e5 which, however, Black parries very easily, consolidating her superiority. 16. ... g6 17. Nc1 Nd6 18. d3 Bc8 19. Rf3 axb3 20. axb3. If 20. Nxb3 there might follow 20. ... e5 and Black stands better. 20. ... Nf7 21. Rf1 Bd7 22. Nb1. White’s convolute play on the Queenside undoubtedly constitutes the sad leitmotiv in today’s drama of 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě). 22. ... Rxa1 23. Bxa1 e5. Kosteniuk would never have dreamt of starting over the game from such a position. 24. Nc3 Be6 25. Na4 Qa7! The most inspired move of the whole game. Kosteniuk is preparing for the assault. 26. Bb2 Bd6 27. Ne2 d4 28. fxe5 Nxe5 29. exd4? The last true mistake. 29. h3 was the lesser evil, although after 29. ... dxe3 30. d4 cxd4 31. Bxd4 Qb8 32. Bxe3 Bf5 Black keeps the upper hand.

29. ... Ng4! 30. Nf4 Bf5 31. Rf3 cxd4 32. c5 Re8! Kosteniuk concludes the attack with a series of brilliant blows. 33. Qc1 Qa5 34. Rf1 Be5 35. Qc4+ Kg7 36. Bxd4 Qd2! 37. h3 Bxf4 38. hxg4 Re1 39. gxf5 Be3+ 40. Kh2 Rxf1 41. Bxf6+ Kxf6 42. Qe6+ Kg5 43. Qe7+ Kg4 0 : 1. For if 44. Qe4+ then 44. ... Bf4+ and mate in two moves. So far Women’s Grand Prix circuit never brought Alexandra Konstantinovna any luck, but in Batumi, after a bad start, she was able to turn the tables. Maybe it is only the beginning.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě)
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Unlawful Entry

“I Was Tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse!”
by Bobby Fischer
The World Chess Champion

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

I spent about nine months in an isolated cell behind a one-way mirror. It was cruel, degrading and inhumane Shortly after arriving at a makeshift military jail, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in May 2010, I was placed into the black hole of solitary confinement for the first time. Within two weeks, I was contemplating suicide. After a month on suicide watch, I was transferred back to U.S., to a tiny 6 x 8ft (roughly 2 x 2.5 meter) cell in a place that will haunt me for the rest of my life: the U.S. Marine Corps Brig in Quantico, Virginia. I was held there for roughly nine months as a “prevention of injury” prisoner, a designation the Marine Corps and the Navy used to place me in highly restrictive solitary conditions without a psychiatrist’s approval. For 17 hours a day, I sat directly in front of at least two Marine Corps guards seated behind a one-way mirror. I was not allowed to lay down. I was not allowed to lean my back against the cell wall. I was not allowed to exercise. Sometimes, to keep from going crazy, I would stand up, walk around, or dance, as “dancing” was not considered exercise by the Marine Corps. [Read more].

• Chelsea E. Manning, Solitary confinement is “no touch” torture, and it must be abolished, The Guardian, May 2, 2016

“For 17 hours a day, I sat directly in front of at least two Marine Corps guards seated behind a one-way mirror. I was not allowed to lay down. I was not allowed to lean my back against the cell wall”. Photo: Ed Thomas.

Numbers in Presence and Absence

• 国象5月男子等级分：卡尔森仍榜首 丁立人第9 (FIDE published May 2016 Rating List: nine Chinese players ranked among the world’s top 100), sports.sina.com.cn, May 1, 2016

FIDE has published May 2016 Rating List. Norwegian World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen still tops the list, ahead of the newly crowned U.S. Chess Champion Fabiano Caruana and former World Chess Champion Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik. Nine Chinese players are ranked among the world’s top 100. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), who is ranked ninth, keeps intact his status of “China’s big boss”, while current Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is always the only one female player ranked among the world’s top 100. [Read more].

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Photo: sports.sina.com.cn

International Workers’ Day

Lela Javakhishvili – Mariya Muzychuk
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, May 1, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. g4 Bg6 7. Ne5 Nbd7 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. Bg2. Black’s position is sound and solid, but White has the Bishop pair, which can mean a slight plus. 9. ... g5!? It looks like a novelty, but, indeed, the copyright is by Viswanathan Anand: 9. ... e6 10. Nd2 g5 11. 0-0 Be7 12. Re1 Nf8 13. e4 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Rxe4 Ng6 16. Be3 0-0 17. d5 cxd5 18. cxd5 e5 (on 18. ... Qxd5 19. Qxd5 exd5 20. Ra4! White will win back the Pawn with an edge) 19. Qd2 a5 20. d6 (20. a3 Qd6 is unclear) 20. ... Qxd6 21. Qxd6 Bxd6 22. Bxg5 (22. Rd1 Be7 23. Rc4! was worth considering) 23. ... b5 (23. ... b6! is an even clearer claim for equality) 24. Rxe7 Nxe7 25. Rxe5 Rac8 23. Re2 b6 24. Rd1 Bc5 25. Be4 Nf4 26. Bxf4 exf4 27. Kg2 Rfd8 28. Red2 Rxd2 29. Rxd2 g5 30. Rd7 Re8 31. Kf3 Re7 32. Rxe7 ½ : ½ Giri – Anand, 3rd Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2015. 10. 0-0 e6 11. Nd2 Bd6. This is the substantial difference in respect of Anand’s game. Muzychuk allows her opponent to change the Knight for the Bishop. We wouldn’t call it a crazy idea, even though the whole world assumes that two Bishops are stronger than two Knights. But Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin no. 12. Re1 Nf8 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Nc4 Ng6 15. Qb3 Rb8 16. Nxd6+ Qxd6 17. Qa3

17. ... Qc7! This is a very interesting Pawn sacrifice which, however, will not be properly followed. 18. Qxa7 Kd7? It shows that Black was still envisioning a counter-attack based on the open h-file, with doubled Rooks and jumping Knights. It will turn out to be an error of bad judgement which could have costed Mariya Muzychuk very dearly. Now, despite any appearances to the contrary, 18. ... 0-0! is most likely the right idea, with ... f7-f5 soon coming. I cannot swear about it, but Black would seem to have adequate compensation for the Pawn. 19. Bd2! Rh6 20. Rac1! Rbh8 21. Ba5. White stands much better. Anyway in the following Lela Javakhishvili, just a bit in apprehension, preferred not risk losing and contented herself (and her opponent as well) with a draw by repetition. All’s well that ends well.

Lela Javakhishvili
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Adjarian Khachapuri (აჭარული ხაჭაპური)

Chess-News.ru (‏@Chess__News)

Adjarian Khachapuri. Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina wins the Women’s Grand Prix in Batumi, Georgia. For further details, see http://chess-news.ru/node/21391.

The Long Walk Home

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Nana Dzagnidze
Women’s Grand Prix 2015–2016; 3rd stage; Batumi, May 1, 2016
Hungarian Defence C50

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 Bf6 8. Qd3. For 8. Qd5 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qe7 10. Bb5+ Kd8 11. Qd4 Nf6 12. f3 take a look at 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 吴文瑾 (Wú Wénjǐn), 9th “弈诚杯” (“Yìchéng Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 天津 (Tiānjīn) 2013. 8. ... Ne7 9. f4. Colourless is 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Nd5 Nc6 11. Nxf6+ Qxf6 12. Bb5 Bd7 ½ : ½ O’Kelly de Galway – Barcza, Zagreb 1955. 9. ... 0-0 10. 0-0 Be6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. Ne2 b6 13. Qb3 Qd7 14. Be3 Kh8. That’s a really bad idea. Black should hasty to harmonize her position by ... Ne7-c6-a5. 15. Rad1 Ng8. As consistent as bad. 16. e5. Black is in serious trouble. 16. ... Be7 17. Nd4 d5

18. Qb5. Both 18. f5! (18. ... exf5 19. e6) and 18. c4! (18. ... c5 19. Nxe6! Qxe6 20. cxd5) would have offered White far more dynamic perspectives for a vehement breakthrough into her opponent’s castle, but Kosteniuk, feeling a bit insecure, prefers not to take any risk and ensure a smaller but longer-lasting edge. 18. ... Qxb5 19. Nxb5 Rfc8 20. f5 exf5 21. Rxf5 c6 22. Nd4 c5 23. Nb5 d4 24. Bf4 Rf8 25. Rxf8 Rxf8 26. g3 g5 27. Bc1 a6 28. Nc7 h6 29. Rf1 Rc8? It looks like a suicide. 29. ... Rxf1+ 30. Kxf1 a5 gave Black better drawing chances. 30. Nd5 Rc6 31. Kg2 Kg7 32. Kf3 Re6 33. Ke4. An impressive display of centralized power. Black is quite helpless. 33. ... Bd6 34. Rf5 Bb8 35. h4! gxh4 36. gxh4 Rg6 37. Rf2 Rg1 38. Bd2 Rg4+. Black can save everything but the game: if 38. ... b5 then 39. h5 Rh1 40. Nf4 with a hugely dominant position. 39. Kf5 h5 40. Nxb6 Ne7+. On 40. ... Rxh4 41. Nd7 Black loses a Pawn anyway, for if 41. ... Ba7 then 42. Nf6 winning easily. 41. Ke6 Ng6 42. Nd7 Bxe5 43. Nxe5 Re4 44. Rf7+ 1 : 0.

Kosteniuk vs. Dzagnidze. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

盲點

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina – 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě)
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, May 1, 2016
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 c5 5. Bxb4 cxb4 6. g3 0-0 7. Bg2 d6 8. 0-0 Qb6 9. Qd3!? For 9. a3 Nc6 10. axb4 Qxb4 11. b3 e5 12. d5 Nb8 13. Ne1 see Shimanov – Fluviá Poyatos, Spanish Team Chess Championship Honour Division, León 2012. 9. ... Rd8 10. Nbd2 e5 11. Ne4 Nbd7 12. Rad1 Nxe4 13. Qxe4 Re8 14. Qc2 h6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Rd5 e4!?? With her typical style, 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) plays on the razor’s edge and doesn’t hesitate to offer quite a controversial Pawn sacrifice. 17. Nd4 Nf6 18. Rb5. The Knight sacrifice is mere appearance, for after 18. ... Qxd4?? 19. Rd1 Her Majesty would be trapped. 18. ... Qc7. This is the consistent corollary of her previous 16. ... e4. In fact, if 18. ... Qd6 19. Rd1 Qe7 then 20. c5 a5 21. c6! with very pleasant perspectives for White. 19. Rxb4 Bd7 20. c5 Rac8 21. Rc1 a5 22. Rc4. Not 22. Rb6? Re5 and the c-Pawn falls. 22. ... b5! 23. cxb6 Qxb6 24. Qb3

24. ... Qxd4! 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě)’s Queen sacrifice for Rook and Knight is undoubtedly her best practical chance since now all three outcomes are possible! 25. Rxd4 Rxc1+ 26. Bf1 Rec8. 26. ... Bh3? is met by 27. Rd1 winning instantly. 27. Kg2. Clearly not 27. Rd1?? on account of 27. ... a4 and Black wins. 27. ... Re1?? 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) is just getting too excited and chases a mirage – the text threatens ... Rc8-c1, but she overlooked a detail of some importance. Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly recommends: “First, she should have attacked the Queen by 27. ... Be6 for not leaving her own Bishop undefended, and after 28. Qb7 Rb1! in order to take on b2 at the end of the variation: 29. Qxc8+ Bxc8 30. Rd8+ Kh7 31. Rxc8 Rxb2 with equality”. 28. Rxd7! A very easy refutation. 28. ... Nxd7 29. Qb7 Nb6. 29. ... Rcc1 30. Qxd7 Rxf1 31. Qe8+ Kh7 32. Qxe4+ g6 33. Qe7 makes no difference as White will equally win the a5-Pawn, getting two (deadly) united passed Pawns. 30. Qxb6 Rcc1 31. Qxa5 1 : 0.

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina vs. 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě)
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Victory at Last

Johannesburg, South Africa: A crate carrying one of the 33 Lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Columbia is transported to a private reserve. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.

Pursuit of Happiness

Idomeni, Greece: A girl plays with a doll at a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees. Photo: Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images.

Pleasure Before Duty

李超 (Lǐ Chāo) (@lichaochess)

Helianthus annuus

“Sunflower” ™ © Mado Flynn

Handmade in Italy by Mado Flynn

The Unwritten World

预测未来最棒的方式就是创造它。 Yùcè wèilái zuì bàng de fāngshì jiùshì chuàngzào tā. The best way to predict the future is to invent it. 艾倫·科提斯·凱伊 (Alan Curtis Kay)

Students holding umbrellas walk past a statue of 孔子 (Confucius). Photo: Reuters.

As the World Turns

Campaigners say law deals severe blow to non-profit groups in latest phase of 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng)’s clampdown on civil society A Chinese government offensive against civil society that campaigners describe as the worst in nearly three decades has intensified with 北京 (Běijīng)’s approval on Thursday of a controversial new law that gives security forces control over foreign NGOs operating in the country. [Read more].

• Tom Phillips, China passes law imposing security controls on foreign NGOs, The Guardian, April 28, 2016

Volunteers of the 上海 (Shànghǎi) Roots and Shoots NGO dig holes to plant tree saplings in 昆仑旗 (Kūnlún Qí), in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. Photo: How Hwee Young/EPA.