Well Edna, if ever you will win the Nobel Prize, just don’t forget Dylan’s pass phrase, “Keep a good head and always carry a lightbulb”

Artwork © WandererRiha

Ice Lolly

Benjamin Arvola – Luca Moroni
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 4, 2017
Scotch Game C45

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4 0-0 8. 0-0 Bb6 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4. If 10. cxd4 then 10. ... d5! 11. exd5 (Black stands better both after 11. Bxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Re8! and after 11. e5 Qg6) 11. ... Nf5 12. Bf2 Nd6! and Black wins the f4-Pawn. That is vintage analysis by 11th World Chess Champion Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (Chess Life, No. 12, December 1964, pp. 294-295). 10. ... d5! 11. exd5. 11. e5 Qg6 also gives Black a more comfortable game, Tkachuk – Coenen, 28th Post Open, Düsseldorf 2012. So maybe White should have been content with 11. Bxd5 Rd8 12. Kh1 Bxd4 13. cxd4 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nc3 Rd8= (15. ... Rxd4? 16. Nd5) – Bobby Fischer’s analysis (ibidem). 11. ... Nf5! 12. Bf2 Bxf2+ 13. Rxf2 Ne3 14. Qb3 Ng4 15. Rf3 Qh4 16. h3 Qe1+ 17. Bf1 Nf6 18. c4 Re8 19. Qc2 Ne4 20. f5? This is Arvola’s crucial mistake, after which suddenly Black’s initiative turns into a storm. White had to play 20. b3 at once. 20. ... Re5 21. b3 Bxf5 22. Qb2 Ng5 23. Rf2

23. ... Bxh3! The storm begins. 24. Nc3 Qe3 25. gxh3. 25. Qd2 Qg3 26. Qf4 Qxc3 (Stockfish) is anything but tempting, but what should we say about the text? 25. ... Rf5? More accurate seems 25. ... Qg3+ 26. Kh1 Rae8 leaving White no resource. 26. Nd1? After 26. Bg2 Rxf2 27. Qxf2 Qxc3 Black is a Pawn up and stands clearly better, but it would not have been so easy for him to demonstrate a win. 26. ... Qg3+. Or 26. ... Nf3+ 27. Kh1 Rg5 28. Bg2 (else 28. Rg2 Qg1+ and mate next move) 28. ... Qe1+ 29. Rf1 Qxf1+ 30. Bxf1 Rg1 mate. 27. Kh1 Nxh3 28. Bxh3 Qxh3+ 29. Kg1 Qg3+ 30. Kf1 Qh3+ 31. Kg1 Qg3+ 32. Kf1 Re8 33. Qd2 Qh3+ 34. Kg1 Re1+! 0 : 1. Mate in two follows.

Toblerone

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Marina Brunello
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 4, 2017
Sicilian Defence B94

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qb6. Brunello’s hard fashion, playing à la the Poisoned Pawn. 8. Bb3 e6 9. a4 Qa5 10. Qd2 Be7 11. f3 Nc5. The alternative subject-matter-of-study is 11. ... h6 12. Be3 Nc5 13. Ba2 Qb4 14. 0-0 Bd7 15. a5 Bd8 16. Nde2 Bc7 17. Rfd1 Rd8 18. Qe1 e5 19. Qg3 Kf8 20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. Bxd5 Be6 22. b3 Rb8 23. Qf2 b6 24. Bd2 Qb5 25. Nc3 Qe8 26. b4 Nd7 27. Be3 Qc8 28. Rd3 bxa5 29. bxa5 Kg8 30. Bxe6 fxe6 31. Na4 Bxa5 32. Rxd6 Bb4 33. Rd3 Kh7 34. Rad1 Rb7 35. c3 Be7 36. Qd2 Nf6 37. Qf2 Nd7 38. Qd2 Nf6 39. Qf2 ½ : ½ Potkin – Sorokin, 70th Russian Chess Championship, Sochi 2017. 12. Ba2 0-0 13. 0-0 Qc7 14. a5 b5 15. axb6 Qxb6 16. Be3 Qc7 17. Rfd1 Rb8 18. Rab1 Bb7 19. Qf2 Rfc8 20. Qg3 Nh5 21. Qh3 Nf6 22. Nce2 a5 23. Nb5 Qb6 24. Nbc3 Qc7 25. Nf4. Kosteniuk avoids repetition of moves, although objectively she does not have any substantial advantage. 25. ... Ba8 26. Kh1 Re8 27. Rd2 Bf8 28. Qh4 Ncd7 29. Qf2 Ne5 30. Qf1 Qc6 31. Bb3 Rb4! 32. Rd4 Nfd7 33. Ba4 Qb7 34. Nb5 Rc8 35. c3 Rxd4 36. cxd4 Nc4 37. Bc1 Ncb6. Brunello played very well so far (and maybe she’s even got the upper hand), but she also ran short of time. 38. Bb3 a4 39. Ba2 Qa6 40. Bd2

40. ... e5? After thinking for about 3 of her 3 minutes and 30 seconds, Brunello pushes the wrong Pawn, frittering away a game well played. Instead, the thematic 40. ... d5! would have earned Black a perfectly satisfactory game, to say the least. 41. Bxf7+! Kosteniuk’s first move after time control is a lucky one, and it must have been completely overlooked by her opponent. 41. ... Kxf7. Black is forced to give up the Queen as 41. ... Kh8?? 42. Ng6+! hxg6 43. g4 would lead to mate in a very few moves. 42. Nxd6+ Bxd6 43. Qxa6 exf4 44. Ba5. Black’s scattered and uncoordinated survivors cannot do anything against the mighty powers of Her Majesty. 44. ... Rb8 45. Rc1 g6 46. h4 h5 47. Qb5 Ke6 48. Qg5 Nf8 49. Bxb6 Rxb6 50. Qd8 Rb8 51. d5+ 1 : 0.

Seated on the frontstage are Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (left) and Marina Brunello (right). Photo: European Chess Union (@ECUonline).

And Then There Were None

择书如择友。 Zé shū rú zé yǒu. Choose an author as you choose a friend. 温特沃思·狄龙 (Wentworth Dillon)

London System (And please don’t bother him while he’s studying chess openings)

The Ghost-Player

And finally it is Saturday! Autumn is here, dark comes quickly, and there’s no reason to be especially happy. But like every Saturday, it’s a historic day to join the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s Fischerandom chess meeting today afternoon, starting at 16,00.

Artwork & Photo © uvoltopolip

Hey Edna, if ever Cruella should press you to marry the cousin of her husband, take time, wait, and tell her that you have not yet chosen your wedding dress

Artwork © Kelseyalicia

Arcovazzi doesn’t simply concede the divorce. But, my dear Cruella, what else did you expect from him?

Artwork © Hyung86

百萬美元寶貝 (Million Dollar Baby)

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), already sponsored by the Dannish online financial platform Tradimo, signed another strategic partnership with World Chess, a Russian company founded and directed by Ilya Lvovich Merenzon, which named her as its global brand ambassador. Photo: Mike Klein/chess.com.

最后的晚餐 (The Last Supper)

Aerial view of villagers and tourists attending a long table banquet in 龙岩 (Lóngyán), 福建省 (Fújiàn province), China. The banquet is a long-held tradition held every three years to pray for good fortune and a bumper harvest, during which villagers will gather together to eat after worshipping the gods. Photo: VCG/Getty Image.

Sturm und Drang

Veckenstedt, Germany: A gaggle of geese walking over a meadow in formation. Photo: Matthias Bein/AFP/Getty Images.

Dahlia

Arcovazzi and his wife want to promulgate a law according to which everyone would not be allowed to disagree with anything of their ethical governance! The lady is especially furious at freelancers who write nonfiction biographies. Well, no matter whether they can or they can’t. But I and you know what we can do and what we can’t do. So today do not hesitate in getting rid of them as soon as possible and seize your magic on the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s carpet-dance!

Praying mantis dancing on dahlia flower. Photo: Getty Images.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Podrán cortar todas las flores, pero no podrán detener la primavera They can cut all the flowers, but they can’t stop the spring Pablo Neruda

劉勃麟 (Liú Bólín)’s invisible TED talk. Photo: Pinterest.

¿Qué culpa tengo yo de tener la sangre roja y el corazón a la izquierda?

Che Guevara playing someone who looks like 8th World Chess Champion Mikhail Nechemevich Tal in a simultaneous exhibition at Habana, Cuba in 1963. Photo: René Calvo/Granma.

Equal pay for equal work

Prima ballerina Deborah Ribeiro, soloist of the Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Theatre, performs during a protest of the theatre’s artists against the non-payment of their salaries and the economic crisis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Ricardo Moraes/Reuters.

Once Upon a Sofa

André Kertész, Burlesque (Satiric Dancer), 1926 Kertész took this picture in the Montparnasse studio of sculptor Étienne Beőthy, in which dancer Magda Főrstner (who, like the photographer and sculptor, was also a Hungarian émigré) mimics one of Beőthy’s sculptures. Photo credit: André Kertész c/o Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication/Médiathèque de l’architecture et du patrimoine, Dist Rmn © Donation André Kertész.

Alternate Statue of Liberty

Edna Mode on display at “Pixar, 25 years of animation” exhibition on November 14, 2013 in Paris, France. Photo: Getty Images.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Oh, silly me! I was just wondering how Arcovazzi disguised himself for Halloween – and whether his worthy wife disguised herself as well as he wished, just for the sake to recognize each other in the darkness of the overnight giant pumpkin suite. Well, now let them roll off, and let’s talk instead about how much you love dance! So today don’t miss your happy hours of holy ballet and contemporary dance at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”!

Two female Mediterranean mantises wave their forelimbs and raise their wings in an alfalfa field nearby in Nicosia, Cyprus. Photo © Hasan Bağlar.

Don’t Tell Anyone

“Most recently, former Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk didn’t show any interest in chess competitions. It only remains to guess the reason behind this. Perhaps she has lost her motivation after suffering defeat in the Women’s World Chess Championship match with 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) from China. Perhaps there may be some other reasons as well, but unfortunately she will not be playing in Crete...”, Petr Marusenko wrote in his Ukrinform column of October 27, 2017. Photo © SarahVlad.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Joanna Majdan-Gajewska – Tea Gueci
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 1, 2017
8/p4Qpk/6rp/2p5/2P1P3/3qnN2/P5P1/4R1K1 b - - 0 36

Position after 36. Qf5xf7

Yesterday must have been a very hard day’s night for men’s Italy team, crushed today by Ukrainian team 4 – 0. For the girls instead, there was no such bad news as they scored the equaliser against the very strong Polish team. There is just one little regret that Tea Gueci came very close to win, but just could not make it! It all looks very easy: 36. ... Rxg2+ 37. Kh1 Rg3? 2 minutes and 37 seconds left are not enough for Gueci to appreciate the strength of 37. ... Rg4! 38. Qh5 Rg3! 39. Kh2 g6! and White has no more moves. 38. Kh2? Majdan-Gajewska has time, but no inspiration. 38. Qf4 was called for. 38. ... Rg2+!? (38. ... Rg4!−+) 39. Kh1. 39. Kh3?? Qxe4 is the best way to self-mate. 39. ... Rg3? (39. ... Rg4!−+) 40. Qf4. There is not given a third chance. 40. ... Ng2 41. Qf5+ Kg8 42. Qc8+ Kh7 43. Qf5+ ½ : ½.

Shark attack

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – David Navara
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 1, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D28

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bxc4 e6 5. Nf3 c5 6. 0-0 a6 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bd3 cxd4 9. Rd1 Be7 10. a4 bxa4 11. Rxa4 dxe3 12. Bxe3 Nbd7. After 12. ... Bd7 13. Bc2!? Qc7 14. Nc3 0-0 15. Rh4 Nc6 16. Bf4 Qb7 Black could look forward to a comfortable game (but very likely White might have played better), Ibragimov – Baburin, 3rd Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO), London 1999. 13. Nc3 0-0 14. Bg5 Bb7 15. Rd4 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Ne5 17. Qe3 Qb8 18. Bf4 Neg4 19. Qe2 e5 20. Bg3 h5 21. Nd5 Re8? Navara played quite risky so far, but the text is definitely his final bravery, allowing White an ideal attacking position. Black ought to take the White Knight with his Knight. 22. h3! h4 23. Nxf6+ Bxf6 24. Qe4 g6 25. Bc4! Kg7 26. Rd7 Re7 27. Bxh4 Bxh4 28. Qxg4 Bf6

29. R7d6! Stockfish’s 29. Bxf7! Kxf7 30. R1d6! might have been even more ferocious, but, of course, Mamedyarov’s pseudo-inversion is not so bad either. 29. ... Rc7 30. Qf3 Bh4 31. Rd7 Rxd7 32. Rxd7 Qb4 33. Qxf7+ Kh6 34. Qh7+ Kg5 35. f4+! Kf5 36. Qf7+ Ke4 37. Qxg6+ 1 : 0. Mate in two follows.

The Room of Mirrors

Singapore: Employees smash bottles during a demonstration in a “rage room”, where people suffering from stress can vent their frustration. Photo: Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images.

The Midas Touch

Theatrical designer and set maker Debbie Rees Deacon with her creation, a King Midas statue made out of 1,000 one pound coins and other recycled material, at the British Ironwork Centre in Owestry, Shropshire, England. Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire.

So Edna, why do you want to scare people?

Artwork © uhright

Sliding Doors

Marina Brunello – Tea Bosboom-Lanchava
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Re1 c6 8. a4 b6 9. b3 a6 10. Bb2 Bb7 11. Bd3 g6 12. Nb1 exd4 13. Nxd4 c5!? This move, connected with the next one, seems quite well founded. In any event, 13. ... Re8 14. Nd2 Bf8 15. f4 Bg7 16. c3 b5 also seems satisfactory for Black, N. Kosintseva – Bocharov, 8th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2009. 14. Nf3 d5 15. e5 Nh5 16. Nc3 Re8 17. Bf1 Nf8 18. Qd2 Ne6 19. Rad1 Nc7 20. g3 d4 21. Ne4 f5? So far, Black has been playing enterprisingly, but this seems a bit too much! 22. Neg5. The interpolation of 22. exf6 Nxf6 23. Ng5 (Stockfish) might have been more promising. 22. ... h6 23. Bc4+ Bd5 24. Nh3 g5 25. Qe2 Ng7? 25. ... g4? was also met by 26. Nxd4! with disruptive effect, so Black had to try 25. ... Bxc4 26. bxc4 g4 27. c3!? d3!∞ (Stockfish) – very unclear. 26. Nxd4! cxd4 27. Rxd4 Nge6 28. Rxd5 Nxd5 29. Rd1 Nec7 30. Qh5!? Oh, White feels that 30. Bxd5+ Nxd5 31. c4+− is too trivial for her powers. 30. ... Bf8 31. Qg6+ Bg7 32. e6 Qe7? 32. ... Re7 was most imperatively called for, after which might have followed 33. Bxg7 Rxg7 34. Qxf5 Qf6 with a (big) mess. 33. Bxd5 Nxd5 34. Rxd5. Threatening Rd5-d7. 34. ... Rad8. 34. ... Rf8 is elegantly met by the zwischenzug 35. g4! (Stockfish) with the tactical pointe of 35. ... fxg4 36. Nxg5! hxg5 37. Rd7 and finis. 35. Rxf5 Rf8

36. Nxg5! Obviously, Brunello does not miss her last sacrifice! 36. ... hxg5 37. Rxg5 Rd1+ 38. Kg2 Qb7+ 39. Kh3 Rxf2 40. Qxg7+ Qxg7 41. Rxg7+ Kf8 42. e7+ Ke8 43. Ba3 1 : 0.