Okay, Edna, it’s time to study the latest fashion pageants now

Artwork © Sarah Andersen

Shadow on Stone

Fabiano Caruana – Arkadij Mikhailovich Naiditsch
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Baden-Baden, April 4, 2018
8/pp3p1k/7p/5Np1/P7/6PP/1nQ2PK1/3q4 w - - 4 34

Position after 33. ... Qe1-d1

Fabiano Caruana continues his magic moment. In today’s game against Naiditsch he could claim very little, at least until the position of the diagram was reached, when after 34. Qe4, with 4. ... Qd7(!)∞ Black could have probably hold his own. Instead, nerves played a bad joke on Naiditsch: 34. ... Qxa4? 35. Qxb7 Qa2. 35. ... Qe8 36. Nd6 is no better at all. 36. Ne3! Kg7 37. Qb4 Qb1 38. g4 Kg8 39. Nf5 Qc2 40. Qb8+ Kh7 41. Qb7 Kh8 42. Qe7! 1 : 0. For after 42. ... Qc6+ 43. Kh2 Qg6 44. Qe5+ Black loses the Knight.

Fabiano Caruana (left) vs. Arkadij Mikhailovich Naiditsch (right). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

沪汉蓉快速客运通道

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) has finally announced that the vis-à-vis Women’s World Chess Championship match between 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) will be held both in 上海 (Shànghǎi) and 重庆 (Chóngqìng), China from 2 to 20 May 2018. More precisely, 上海 (Shànghǎi) will host the first half (2–9 May), and 重庆 (Chóngqìng) the latter half (11–20 May). For any organisational and financial support China has thus made itself responsible for saving the reliability of the last Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament held in Iran, while any discussion about the “format” of the Women’s World Chess Championship appears to have been postponed until the next General Assembly of FIDE.

Chemistry of the Four Seasons

Levon Grigori Aronian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Baden-Baden, April 4, 2018
Catalan Opening E05

1. c4 e6 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d4 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 c5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Qxc4 b6 11. Ne5 Ra7 12. Nd3 Be7 13. Bf4 Bb7 14. Bxb7 Rxb7 15. Rc1!? Aronian’s personal nuance in a much inflated Catalan landscape. At last year’s World Cup, against the same adversary, Polish Grandmaster Kacper Piorun preferred 15. Nd2, but after 15. ... b5 16. axb5 axb5 17. Qc2 Nd5 18. Be5 Nd7 19. Bd4 Qb8 20. Nf3 h6 21. Rfc1 Rc7 22. Qb3 Rfc8 she never felt any difficulty in equalising: 23. Rxc7 Rxc7 24. Nfe5 Bf6 25. e4 Bxe5 26. Nxe5 N5f6 27. Qe3 Qd8 28. Nd3 Rc4 29. f3 Qb8 30. b3 Rc8 31. Qd2 e5 32. Be3 Qd6 33. Nb4 Qe6 34. Qd3 Nc5 35. Bxc5 Rxc5 36. Kg2 Kh7 37. Ra7 Rc1 38. Nd5 Nxd5 39. exd5+ Qg6 40. Qxg6+ ½ : ½ Piorun – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 7th Chess World Cup, Tbilisi 2017, match game 1. 15. ... Nd5 16. Bxb8 b5 17. axb5 axb5 18. Qb3 Qxb8 19. Nd2 Rc8 20. Nf3 g6 21. Nd4 Rxc1+ 22. Rxc1 Bf6 23. Nc6 Qa8 24. Ncb4 Nxb4 25. Qxb4 Kg7 26. Qe4 Qa7 27. Qc6 Rb6 28. Qc5 Be7 29. Qe3 Qb7 30. Ne5 Ra6 31. h3 Bf6

32. Kh2. Here Stockfish gives a pretty drawing line: 32. Ng4 Bxb2 33. Qh6+ Kg8 34. Qd2! Bxc1 35. Qd8+ Kg7 36. Qf6+ with perpetual check. Aronian’s move seems also solid enough not to lose, but concedes Black a volative initiative, which perhaps would have deserved greater luck. 32. ... h5! 33. Nd3 Ra8 34. Qc5 Ra4! 35. b3 Ra2 36. Rc2 Ra1 37. Rc1 Ra2 38. Rc2 Ra1 39. Rc1 Ra2 ½ : ½.

Levon Grigori Aronian (left) vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (right). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

The Story So Far

Elisabeth Pähtz from Germany and Anna Olehivna Muzychuk from Ukraine won the ACP European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships which took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, from March 29 to April 1, 2018. The Rapid Championship was won by Pähtz, Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk and Muzychuk securing respectively second and third places. The Blitz Championship, instead, was won by Muzychuk, with Pähtz second and Monika Bobrowska-Soćko third.

The 2018 ACP European Women’s Rapid Chess Champion Elisabeth Pähtz. Photo: Graf/Thüringer Allgemeine.

The 2018 ACP European Women’s Blitz Chess Champion Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo: European Chess Union.

Wednesday

Easter holidays are over, so it’s time to give up laziness and come back to your ballet class tomorrow afternoon and evening at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”!

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.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Paris, France: People help a woman who fell on to railway tracks at a station, at the start of three months of rail strikes. Photo: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images.

↑

The Edna Darling White Hardshell Purse is designed and branded by Uptown American.

C’mon, Edna, dark Black days can turn into bright White days!

The Edna Darling Hardshell Purse is designed and branded by Uptown American.

Impossible colours

Taxis parked at a lot in 南京 (Nánjīng), China. Photo: Sipa Asia/Rex/Shutterstock.

A Seat in the Crowd

Richárd Rapport – Vincent Keymer
3rd GRENKE Chess Open; Karlsruhe, April 2, 2018
Queen’s Gambit Declined D54

After long years of waiting another Robert Hübner, Germany can finally celebrate the rise of a new star, namely Vincent Keymer, 13, a pupil of Hungarian Grandmaster Péter Lékó, who was able to win the 3rd GRENKE Chess Open ahead of 49 Grandmasters. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 h6 6. Bh4 0-0 7. Rc1 Nbd7 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 c6 10. Bg3 Re8. A reliable reference for study is 10. ... Nb6 11. Nf3 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. Bh2 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Bd6 15. g4 Bxh2 16. Rxh2 g6 17. h4 Qd6 18. Rg2 Kg7 19. Kd1 Rae8 20. Kc2 Ne4 21. h5 Qe7 22. Qf4 g5 23. Qf5 Nc8 24. Bxe4 dxe4 25. Qa5 f5 26. gxf5 Qd7 27. Kb1 Rxf5 28. Qa4 Qf7 29. Rg4 Nb6 30. Qxa7 Nc4 31. d5 cxd5 32. Qd4+ Kg8 33. Nxe4 dxe4 34. Qxc4 Qxc4 35. Rxc4 Rxf2 36. Rgxe4 Rxe4 37. Rxe4 Rh2 38. a4 Rxh5 39. a5 Rh4 40. Re8+ Kf7 41. Rb8 Ra4 42. Rxb7+ Kg6 43. Rb6+ Kh7 44. Rb7+ Kg6 45. Rb6+ Kh7 46. Rb7+ ½ : ½ Kortschnoi – Short, 15th Interpolis International Chess Tournament, Tilburg 1991. 11. h3 Bb4 12. Nf3 Ne4 13. Bf4 c5 14. 0-0 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Nb6 16. Ne5 f6!? 17. Ng4!? Typically, Rapport goes for sharp. 17. Ng6 might have been a sounder proceeding; for instance: 17. ... Bf5 18. dxc5 Nc4 19. Qh5 and White seems to stand better. 17. ... c4 18. Bb1 h5 19. Nh2!? Rapport probably noticed only now that 19. Nh6+!? gxh6 20. Qxh5 Re7! 21. f3 Ng5 22. Qxh6 Rg7 would lead nowhere for White. 19. ... g5! 20. Qxh5 gxf4 21. f3 Nd6 22. Qh7+. After 22. Bh7+ Kg7 23. Qg6+ Kh8 24. Qh6 Re7! Black defends successfully. 22. ... Kf8 23. Qh6+ Ke7 24. Qg7+ Ke6 25. Rfe1 Re7 26. Qg4+ f5 27. Bxf5+ Nxf5 28. Qg6+? 28. e4(!) seems a much better way to regain a piece, retaining good compensation for the other one (28. ... Kd7 29. exf5). 28. ... Kd7 29. Qxf5+ Kc6 30. Qxf4 Be6 31. e4 Qg8. White has three Pawns for the piece, but the initiative has firmly passed into Black’s hands. 32. Qh6? 32. a4! (Δ a4-a5) was probably White’s best and only chance of survival. 32. ... Kc7 33. Kh1. By now Rapport has lost the thread of the game, and his insoluble conflict between defending and attacking soon ends in catastrophe. 33. ... Rf8 34. Re2 Rh7 35. Qd2 Kb8 36. Rce1 dxe4 37. fxe4 Bd7 38. Rf2 Re8 39. Qf4+ Ka8 40. Nf3 Rf8 41. Qh2 Na4 42. Re3 a6 43. Qe5

43. ... Bxh3! The End. 44. Kg1. If 44. gxh3 then 44. ... Rxh3+ 45. Rh2 Rg3! with mating attack. 44. ... Rg7 45. Nh4 Rxf2 46. Kxf2 Rxg2+ 47. Nxg2 Qxg2+ 48. Ke1 Qf1+ 49. Kd2 Bg4 50. Qe8+ Ka7 51. Qxa4 Qf2+ 0 : 1.

Destino

Lost in Key East

A model looks at her smartphone as she waits backstage before displaying creations from designer 陈野槐 (Grace Chen) on the catwalk during China Fashion Week in 北京 (Běijīng), China. Photo: AFP/Nicolas Asfouri.

All the world’s a stage

The above picture, released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 2, 2018 and taken on April 1, 2018 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre left) speaking to South Korean performers as his wife Ri Sol-ju (far left) and South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan (centre right) look on, after a concert by South Korean musicians at the 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo: AFP/KCNA via KNS.

Kim Jong-un is the first North Korean leader to publicly attend a performance by South Korean artists in Pyongyang and was “particularly interested” in Red Velvet, a K-pop girl band. Photos: AFP/KCNA via KNS.

And finally, here are Kim Jong-un (back, centre) and his wife Ri Sol-ju (second row, sixth from left) posing with South Korean musicians after their performance in the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo: AFP/KCNA via KNS/Getty Images.

Don’t be pessimistic, Edna. I’m sure your collection is already all sold out for tomorrow!

The Edna Mode Glamorous Hardshell Purse is designed and branded by Uptown American.

A Time to Stand

Georg Meier – Fabiano Caruana
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Karlsruhe, April 2, 2018
Spanish Game C69

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. 0-0 Qf6 6. d4 exd4 7. Bg5 Qd6 8. Nxd4 Be7 9. Be3 Nh6 10. Qd2 g5!? Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik docet. 10. ... Qg6 11. f3 Bd7 12. Nc3 0-0-0 is the old vague “book”, Naiditsch – Maiorov, 21st Corsican Circuit “Open Oscaro”, Bastia 2013. 11. Nf3 Rg8 12. h4? It is hard to approve this move without scientific counterdeductions. From a beginner’s viewpoint, White ought to have exchanged Queens. 12. ... Qg6 13. hxg5 Ng4! 14. Nc3 h6! 15. Bf4. I have to confess I thought White was about to get mated, so I changed channel. But then I was surprised by how many moves it took for Caruana to finish it! 15. ... Be6. 15. ... hxg5 16. Bxc7 Rh8 17. Rfd1 Be6 18. Qd4 Qh7 19. Kf1 Rc8 it’s also very good for Black, but not particularly better than the text. Sooner or later Black has to play ... Bc8-e6 anyway. 16. Bxc7 Rc8 17. Bb6 hxg5 18. Ne2 c5 19. Ng3 Rh8 20. Rfd1 Qh6. Threatening 21. ... Nh2 22. Ne1 Bg4 23. f3 Qxb6 and finis. 21. b4!? This looks like desperation, because 21. ... Nh2 seems still very strong. But, of course, Black’s move is not bad either. 21. ... cxb4 22. Bd4 f6 23. c3 bxc3 24. Bxc3

24. ... Kf7? This could have been Caruana’s only regret. Best was 24. ... Nh2! 25. Ne1 (if 25. Nd4 then 25. ... Nf1! 26. Kxf1 Bc4+ 27. Ke1 Qh1+! and mate next move) 25. ... Bg4 26. f3 Rc4! (Δ ... Be7-c5+) 27. Kf2 Qh4 with an irresistible attack. 25. Rac1 Rc4 26. Bd4 b5 27. Qa5 Nh2 28. Qxa6? It’s doubtful Black would have ever won without such a gift. 28. Ne1! seems to offer a robust defence. 28. ... Nxf3+ 29. gxf3 g4. 29. ... Qh2+ 30. Kf1 Rhc8 was a kind of “dual”. 30. f4 Qxf4 31. Rxc4 bxc4 32. Be3 Qf3 33. Rd6 Rh3! 34. Rxe6 Rxg3+ 35. fxg3 Qxe3+ 36. Kh2 Qf2+ 37. Kh1 Qf1+ 0 : 1.

Georg Meier (right) vs. Fabiano Caruana (left). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

Splish Splash

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Karlsruhe, April 2, 2018
English Opening A30

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 g6 4. b3 Bg7 5. Bb2 b6 6. Bg2 Bb7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. d4. On another occasion, against a female opponent at a faster time control, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) continued 8. Nc3 d6 9. e3 Ne4 10. d4 Nd7 11. Qc2 f5!? 12. Rad1 Rb8 13. d5! Ndf6? 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. Ne1 Nf6 17. Nd3 g5? 18. f4! g4 19. Nf2 with a crushing advantage to White, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Stefanova, 1st Silk Road Women’s International Rapid & Blitz Tournament (3+2), 韩城 (Hánchéng) 2016. 8. ... cxd4 9. Qxd4 Nc6 10. Qc3 Qc7!? Vachier-Lagrave is not enthusiastic about repeating 10. ... Rc8 11. Rd1 Qc7 12. Qe1 Qb8 13. Nc3 Rfd8 14. Rac1 e6 15. Ng5 h6 16. Nge4 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 where after 17. ... Ne7? (but 17. ... Ne5 was much more to the point) 18. Ba3! Nf5 19. Bxf5 gxf5 20. Be7 Re8 21. Bd6 Qa8 22. Nb5 White obtained a dream position, Aronian – Vachier-Lagrave, 2017 “Your Next Move” Grand Chess Tour Rapid, Leuven 2017. 11. Rd1 Rad8 12. Na3 a6 13. Rac1 Rfe8 14. Qe1 Qb8 15. Nc2 b5!? 16. c5!? d5!? 17. cxd6. It seems like she’s playing (a little too much) for a draw. Best appears to be 17. Ne3(!) e6 18. Qa5(!) with a definite edge for White. 17. ... Rxd6 18. Rxd6 Qxd6 19. Nfd4 Nd5 20. Ba3 Qd7 21. Nxc6 Bxc6 22. e4 Nc7 23. Nb4 Bb7 24. Rd1 Qc8 25. Qe3. 25. Rc1 seems simpler, aiming for a draw by repetition after 25. ... Qd7 26. Rd1 Qc8, as 26. Bh3! Qd6 27. Nxa6 Qxa6 28. Rxc7 Qxa3 29. Rxb7 Qxa2 (eventually followed by ... Qa2-b2) doesn’t seem to yield White more than a draw either. 25. ... a5! 26. Nd3 b4 27. Bb2 Bxb2 28. Nxb2 Nb5 29. Nc4 Nc3 30. Rd2 Rd8! The trickiest bet. Black gives up the a-Pawn in order to gain a formidable initiative. 31. Nxa5? It’s easy to say that she should have not grabbed it, but sometimes good and/or bad things happen one knows one doesn’t deserve. 31. a4! was called for, with quite a tenable game. 31. ... Rxd2 32. Qxd2 Ba6! Perhaps White had overlooked this move. Now though trouble will come her way.

33. Bf1? A tremendous mistake. White’s only move was 33. Bf3(!), after which Black would have probably played 33. ... Qc5! with the initiative. 33. ... Bxf1 34. Kxf1 Qa8 35. Nc4 Qxe4. Now Black has regained his Pawn with the most interest, and pretty soon the terrible threats of his battery of Queen and Knight will compel White to surrender her game. 36. Kg1 Ne2+ 37. Kf1 Nd4. Now a Pawn must fall. 38. f3 Qxf3+ 39. Qf2 Qh1+ 40. Qg1 Qe4 41. Qf2 f6 42. Ne3 Kf7 43. h4 Qh1+ 44. Qg1 Qxg1+ 45. Kxg1 Ne2+ 46. Kf2 Nc3 0 : 1. A second Pawn falls, and that’s enough even for a pre-holiday day.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (right) vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (left). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

Heaven on Earth

China’s out-of-control 8.5-tonne 天宫一号 (Tiāngōng-1) – literally “Heavenly Palace” – space station re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Monday morning, landing in the middle of the South Pacific, China Manned Space Agency said in a statement cited by 新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency).

A radar image of 天宫一号 (Tiāngōng-1), the Chinese space station that re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on Monday. Credit: Fraunhofer Institute via AP.

Snow Hares

Fehmarn, Germany: Snow hares defy the spring. Photo: Federico Gambarini/AFP/Getty Images.

Oh, Edna, I was sure it was a joke, since you cannot but triumph over their futile resistance!

The Edna Mode Glamorous Hardshell Purse is designed and branded by Uptown American.

Ballet Sequence

Ester Marra, ballerina of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, addressed a special thought to her fellow dancers: “Dear friends, happy Easter, everyone! Yesterday I visited the exhibition entitled Dawn of a Nation. From Guttuso to Fontana and Schifano, staged in Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy where I spotted this painting which I think you might like!”. And so thanks to our special envoy for informing everyone that it is a painting (enamel on canvas), dated 1965, by Tano Festa and that it is called Ballet Sequence. Photo courtesy of Ester.

Fortresses and Castles

Olga Calamai, virtuoso dancer of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, spent her Easter weekend in Parma and surroundings, and didn’t miss the chance to take photos. So, pictured above is, in all its spring splendour, the Ducal Garden of Parma. Photo courtesy of Olga.

The Masone Labyrinth in Fontanellato, nearby Parma, Italy is the world’s largest bamboo maze, and covers about 860,000 square feet (80,000 square meters). Its creation took about 30 years. Photo courtesy of Olga.

And finally, here is the Rocca Sanvitale, or Sanvitale Castle, in the centre of Fontanellato, nearby Parma, Italy. Photo courtesy of Olga.

April Fools’ Day

Magnus Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Karlsruhe, April 1, 2018
Bishop’s Opening C24

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6 4. Qe2. An old move that both Judit Polgár and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) successfully played in the past. 4. ... Be7. Here is the record for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): 4. ... d5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. Qxe5+ Be7 8. Nf3 0-0 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. 0-0 Bd6 11. Qe2 Re8 12. Qd1 Rb8 13. b3 h6 14. Bb2 Nh5 15. Re1 Bg4 16. Nbd2 Nf4 17. Re3 Qd7 18. Qf1 f6 19. Rxe8+ Qxe8 20. h3 Bd7 21. Kh1 c5 22. Ng1 Qh5 23. Re1 a5 24. Ndf3 d4 25. Bc1 Nd5 26. a4 Nb4 27. Re2 g5 28. Nd2 Qg6 29. Nc4 Bc7 30. Ba3 Nd5 31. Bxc5 Nf4 32. Re7 Qf5 33. Bxd4 Kf8 34. Ne3 Kxe7 35. Nxf5+ Bxf5 36. Qe1+ Kf7 37. Qc3 Rc8 38. Nf3 Bd6 39. Qxa5 Be6 40. Qa7+ Kg6 41. Qa6 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Salem, 9th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2010. 5. Nf3 d6 6. c3 Nbd7 7. Bb3 0-0 8. 0-0 a5 9. d4!? And here Magnus departs from Judit’s game: 9. a4 b5 10. Bc2 Ba6 11. axb5 cxb5 12. Nbd2 Qc7 13. d4 a4 14. Bd3 Rfb8 15. Nh4 g6 16. f4 exf4 17. Ndf3 Nh5 18. Bd2 Nb6 19. g4!? fxg3 20. Ng5 Nc4 (20. ... Bxg5 seems better) 21. Nf5 (21. Rxf7!) 21. ... Bxg5 22. Bxg5 f6 23. Bh4 gxh2+ 24. Qxh2 Rf8 25. Be2 gxf5 (25. ... Nd2! might have been even better) 26. Bxh5 fxe4? [26. ... Qg7+! 27. Kh1 (27. Kf2 Qh6) 27. ... Bb7! 28. d5 Qe7 would have left Black on top] 27. Qf4 f5 28. Kh1! Kh8 29. Rg1 Rf7 30. Bxf7 Qxf7 31. Qh6! Rf8 32. Rg6! 1 : 0 J. Polgár – Gelfand, 3rd Chess World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk 2009, match game 2. 9. ... a4 10. Bc2 Re8 11. Re1 Bf8 12. Qd1 b5 13. Nbd2 Qc7 14. Nf1 g6 15. Bg5 h6 16. Bd2 Bg7 17. Ng3 Nb6 18. b3 axb3 19. axb3 Rxa1 20. Qxa1 Bg4 21. Qc1 Bxf3 22. gxf3 h5 23. Bh6 (Δ 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Nf5+!) 23. ... Qe7 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Qg5 Kh7 26. f4 Nfd7 27. Qxe7 Rxe7 28. fxe5 dxe5 29. Rd1 Re8 30. dxe5 Nxe5 31. f4 Ng4 32. Rd6 Re6 33. Rd8 Kg7 34. Nf1 Rf6? Carlsen had obtained nothing special so far, but with the text Black seriously compromises her own position. 34. ... Nf6! 35. Nd2 h4 would have kept the game approximately balanced. 35. h3 Nh6 36. f5! gxf5 37. Ng3! Rg6 38. Kf2? (38. Kh2!) 38. ... fxe4? This seems the losing move, leading Black to suffer the loss of a valuable Pawn for no compensation. Black ought to have played 38. ... Rg5! 39. Bd1 (with the King on h2, White might instead play 39. h4 Rg4 40. Kh3) 39. ... fxe4 40. Nxh5+ Kh7 41. Nf6+ Kg7 42. Nxe4 Rd5 with equality. 39. Nxh5+ Kh7 40. Bxe4 f5 41. Bg2 Nf7 42. Rf8 Ne5 43. Nf4 Rd6 44. Rxf5 Nbd7 45. Ke2 Kg7 46. h4 Nf7 47. Be4 Nde5 48. Nh5+ Kh6 49. Ng3 Re6 50. Ke3 Kg7 51. Rf1 Kf8 52. Nf5 Ng4+ 53. Kf4 Nf6 54. Bf3. Only one seat is free on the f-file! But the show won’t last much longer.

54. ... Nd5+ 55. Bxd5 cxd5 56. Ra1 Kg8 57. Ra8+ Kh7 58. Ra7 Rf6 59. h5 Kg8 60. Rd7 b4 61. cxb4 1 : 0.

Magnus Carlsen (right) vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (left). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

Edna, why don’t you focus your energies on seeking not to spark a world war?

Women in Fashion

China’s censorship authority blocked and banned any mention of Kim Jong-un’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, after several users of Chinese social media commented that North Korea’s First Lady was more elegant and better dressed than Chinese First Lady 彭丽媛 (Péng Lìyuán). Both First Ladies were filmed or pictured in at least three different outfits during Kim’s two-day stay in 北京 (Běijīng), China. Photo collage: iask.ca.