Keep Hope Alive!

As John Lennon said, life can be long and you got to be so strong, especially if you find yourself at morning with little time to eat breakfast seated in front of Arcovazzi. So, when the evening comes, kick him off and join the eversunny dance classes of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”!

High heels in high places: it happened in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Here is Diving Queen 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá), pictured alone and together with her boyfriend 張效誠 (Zhāng Xiàochéng) in the Diamond Court of the 国家网球中心 (National Tennis Center) in 北京 (Běijīng), China, where she was called yesterday to flip the coin and give her blessing to the 20th WTA China Tennis Open Women’s Single first-round match between 张帅 (Zhāng Shuài) and Samantha Stosur. She must become accustomed to her new life, with more time to devote to her own family and content herself in representing her sport walking on ground and no longer flying. She will also have to think about her marriage. All good propositions welcome, of course, but don’t forget that sirens cannot live for long outside Atlantis, so stay tuned for the 17th FINA World Aquatics Championships to be held in Budapest, Hungary from 14 to 30 July 2017! All photos: news.xkb.com.cn.

Asymmetric engagement

Athens, Greece: A pensioner stands in front of riot police after they fired pepper spray at retirees protesting against pension cuts. Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Warsaw, Poland: Women stage a “Black Monday” strike against government plans to ban abortion. Thousands of women missed work and school to join the march. Photo: Radek Pietruszka/EPA.

Feeling Your Way Through

Sofia Nutini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Pressing On

We could reasonably speculate that 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá)’s journey to 北京 (Běijīng), China has not been in vain or, most likely, it would not have been limited only to the tennis court’s splendour. Above is a series of pictures posted by her boyfriend 張效誠 (Zhāng Xiàochéng) on his 新浪微博 (Wēibó) account to give evidence that while they were watching the tennis match, the Diving Queen might have made some significant progress on her long-delayed wedding date. Photos: tianjinwe.com.

Autumn Sun

Autumn can be very sad, especially if you find yourself at evening alone sitting in front of Arcovazzi. So kick him off and join the eversunny dance classes of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”!

The turtles eye each other up while beautiful zebra fish and other tropical species dance around in the warm Coral Sea’s waters, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Photo © Caters News Agency.

Mood ring

The camera seems to catch Diving Queen 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) halfway between two different facial expressions while performing in “Here is the Champion”, the kermesse organised by 上海 (Shànghǎi)’s beauty brand Natural Church CHANDO at the 沈阳站 (Shěnyáng Railway Station) in 沈阳 (Shěnyáng), 辽宁省 (Liáoníng province), China on October 1, 2016. We’re speculating here, but she must have concluded that it is easier to find the balance in herself rather than induce her Prince Charming to hurry marriage. Photos: 22392.com.

The World Saved by Kids

• Kareem Shaheen, Syrian children return to school as airstrikes on Aleppo continue, The Guardian, October 2, 2016

Children climb on the rubble of a building in the Jarabulus district of Aleppo, Syria. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.

Gulliver’s Travels

Diving Empress 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) suddenly appeared today as a distinguished guest at the 国家网球中心 (National Tennis Center) in 北京 (Běijīng), China to flip the coin and give her blessing to the 20th WTA China Tennis Open Women’s Single first-round match between 张帅 (Zhāng Shuài) and Samantha Stosur. Apparently, she brought good luck to her fellow woman, who beat her Australian opponent 6–1 6–2. All photos: sports.ifeng.com.

The Other World

Gaziantep, Turkey: Syrian children wave from a vehicle at the customs gate in the Karkamış district of Gaziantep as they make their way back to Jarabulus, Syria. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.

Age of Wonders

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
3rd Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, October 2, 2016
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. 0-0 a6 8. f4 Qc7 9. Kh1 0-0 10. a4 Nc6 11. Be3 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Bd7 13. e5 Ne8 14. Qb4 Bc6 15. Bb6 dxe5 16. Qa5 Qc8 17. fxe5 g6. Praggnanandhaa’s sister, Vaishali, got a slight edge after 17. ... f5 18. Rf4 g6 19. Rc4 Qb8 20. Rd1 Ng7 21. Bc7 Qe8 22. Bd6⩲ Vaishali – Dordzhieva, 34th World Junior Chess Championship Girls U-20, Bhubaneswar 2016. 18. Bd3!? A new attempt at improving the existing theory offer: 18. Rad1 Ng7 19. Rd3 (⌓ 19. Rd4 Δ Rd4-c4) 19. ... Nf5 20. Rfd1 Nh4 21. Bf1 f5 22. Bf2 f4 23. Kg1 Rf5 24. Ne2 f3 25. Nd4 fxg2 26. Be2 Rxf2 27. Kxf2 Qf8+ 28. Kg1 Bb4 29. Qb6 Bc5 30. Qa5 Rd8 31. Qe1 Qf4 32. c3 Bxa4 33. R1d2 Bb5 34. Qg3 Rxd4 35. cxd4 Bxd4+ 0 : 1 Lastin – Bukavshin, 64th Russian Chess Championship Higher League, Taganrog 2011. 18. ... Bd8 19. Ne4 Bxb6 20. Qxb6 Qd8 21. Qe3 Bxe4 22. Qxe4 Qc7 23. a5 (23. Rf3 Rd8 24. Qf4 Ng7=) 23. ... Rd8 24. b4 Ng7 25. g4 Qe7 26. Rae1 Rd7 27. Rf6 Rfd8 28. Ref1 Rd4 29. Qe3 Rxb4 (29. ... Rxg4! 30. Rxf7 Qh4∞)

30. Rxf7 Qxf7 31. Rxf7 Kxf7 32. Qc5 (32. Qg5!? Rd5 33. h4!?) 32. ... Rbd4 33. Qb6 R8d7 34. h3 R4d5 35. Kg2 Kg8 36. Kf3 Rxe5

37. h4. Critical was 37. Bxa6! Nh5! (37. ... bxa6?? costs the Rook after 38. Qb8+) 38. gxh5 (38. Bxb7 Rf7+ 39. Kg2 Re2+ 40. Kg1 Nf4↑) 38. ... Rf5+ 39. Ke4 bxa6∞ with an unbalanced balance. 37. ... g5? 38. h5? In mutual time trouble, Praggnanandhaa misses 38. Qa7! grabbing the upper hand. 38. ... Ne8 39. Bxa6? Just too late. 39. ... bxa6 40. Qxa6 Kf7 41. Qb6 Re1 42. Qb5 Nf6. The passed a-Pawn doesn’t compensate White fof his material deficit. 43. a6 Ra1 44. Qxg5 Rxa6 45. Qh6 Ke8 46. Ke2 Rf7 47. Qg5 Rd6 48. c4 Rd4 49. Qb5+ Nd7 50. g5 Rf5 51. Qa6 Ke7 52. Qa3+ Rc5 53. g6 hxg6 54. hxg6 Rxc4 55. g7 Rg4 56. Qa1 Re5+ 57. Kf3 Rxg7 0 : 1.

At 16, she was the youngest World Champion ever. Will he succeed in breaking the record? Photo: Mike Klein.

Love Roses

“Love Roses” ™ © Mado Flynn

Handmade in Italy by Mado Flynn

Humanoid robots

London, United Kingdom: Models turned into “humanoid” robots pose on a train at Waterloo station for the launch of new Sky Atlantic TV drama Westworld. Photo: Matt Alexander/PA.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Proposed ban would criminalise all terminations with women punishable by up to five years in prison. [Read more].

• Christian Davies, Women to go on strike in Poland in protest at planned abortion law, The Guardian, October 2, 2016

Women in Warsaw in September protesting against the proposed abortion law. Photo: Maciej Gillert/Gallo Images/Getty Images.

Nothing Short Of

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – James P. Jackson
3rd Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, October 1, 2016
Spanish Game C95

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. a4 c5 16. d5 c4 17. Bg5 Nc5 18. Qd2 Be7 19. Bh6 Nfd7 20. Nh2 bxa4 21. Ra2!?TN a5 22. Rf1 Bc8 23. Kh1 Rb8 24. Be3 Qc7 (24. ... h5!?) 25. Ng4 Nb6 26. Nh6+ Kg7

27. f4!→ Kxh6 (27. ... Rf8? 28. f5+−) 28. fxe5+ Kg7 29. Qf2! Bf8 [29. ... Rf8? 30. exd6 Bxd6 (30. ... Qxd6 31. Bf4+−) 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Bd4+−] 30. e6!? [30. Nh5+! gxh5 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. exd6 Bxd6 33. Qg5+ Kh8! (33. ... Kf8 34. Qh6+ Kg8 35. e5 f6 36. exd6 Qg7 37. Qxg7+ Kxg7 38. Bxc5±) 34. Bd4+ Re5! (34. ... Be5 35. Rxf7! Qxf7 36. Bxe5++−) 36. Rxf7 Qxf7 37. Qxe5+ Kg8 38. Qxb8 Qf1+ 39. Kh2 h4!⇄ Δ 40. Qxb6 Qf4+=] 30. ... fxe6?? (30. ... Nxe6 31. dxe6 Rxe6 32. Ne2⩲) 31. Nh5+! gxh5 32. Bh6+! Kxh6. Or 32. ... Kg8 33. Qxf8+ and mate next move. 33. Qf6# 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Harry Gielen.

Egopoly deadlock

Omnia, Castor, emis. Sic fiet ut omnia uendas. You buy everything in sight, Castor, but you’ll end up selling it all. Tutto tu compri, o Castore. Così sia, perché tutto venderai.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 7, XCVIII
English translation by Brendan Kennelly
Italian translation by Holden Caulfield

Finding Nemo

Il paradiso non mi piace perché verosimilmente non ha ossessioni. I don’t like Paradise as they probably don’t have obsessions there. Alda Merini

English translation by Douglas Basford

A seaweed blenny – a small and usually bottom-dwelling fish recognizable by the branchlike cirri above its eyes – watches from the safety of its hiding spot off the coast of Brazil. Photo: Dan Lublinski/National Geographic Your Shot.

Searching for Sorāyā

Dolce & Gabbana recently released their first hijab and abaya collection targeting Muslim women in the Middle East. Photo: Dolce & Gabbana/AFP/Getty Images.

Think tank

Girl with a Fan

Arianna Settembrini performing in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance showdown at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Photo: Stefano Marmino.

Commitment to Equality

Among the others, one decision has been taken by the 87th FIDE Congress General Assembly, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 13 September 2016:

GA-2016/34. To ratify the recommendation of the Executive Board to authorize Presidential Board to take a final decision on the proposal by the Chinese Chess Association for the modification of the Women’s World Championship cycle.

The Birth Day Letter

Olympic Goddess 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) posted the above and below pictures on her 新浪微博 (Wēibó) account today, on the occasion of the 67th Anniversary of the 国庆节 (National Day of the People’s Republic of China). Her caption reads, “I wish happy birthday to my Great Motherland! I wish everyone a happy People’s National Day!”. All photos: weibo.com/wuminxia.

Southern Flavours

Here is where we’ve eaten last night, in a kebab shop just in front of the Tribunal of Florence. Excellent service, very good food, and a beautiful white orchid plant!

The Eye of the Earth

Johannesburg, South Africa: A child wearing a rhino costume attends a demonstration at the opening of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Photo: Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images.