Come on, Edna, just climb to the top and start making it look something like a Christmas tree

Photo © Sheri Rearick (@velvetica)

上风的 (Upwind)

A Chinese tourist uses a friend’s scarf as she struggles to climb an icy section of the 萬里長城 (Great Wall of China) at 八达岭 (Bādálǐng), China. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images.

Echo of Another Time

Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, November 30, 2019

Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. 0-0-0 Qd7 10. Kb1. If 10. h3 then 10. ... h6 11. b3 Bf6 12. g4 0-0-0 13. Bg2 Kb8 14. Rhe1 Rhe8 15. Kb2 a6 16. Re2 Qe7 17. Rde1 Qf8 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Bd7 21. f4 Rxe2 22. Rxe2 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Bxe8= Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016. Likewise after 10. h4 Black has no difficulty in equalising: 10. ... h6 11. c4 0-0 12. Bd3 f5 13. Nd4 Ne5 14. b3 Bf6 15. Nxe6 Qxe6 16. Be2 Ng4 17. Bxg4 fxg4 18. Qd5 Qxd5 19. Rxd5 Rae8 20. Kd2 b6 21. g3 Be5 22. Re1 a5 23. a4 Rf3 24. Re2 Kf7 25. Rd3 Re6 26. c3 Bf6 27. Kc2 Re4 28. Kd2 Re6 29. Kc2 Re4 30. Kd2 Re6 ½–½ Lékó – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 50th Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2017. 10. ... Bf6 11. Bg5 Bxg5 12. Nxg5 0-0-0 13. Nxe6 Qxe6 14. Bb5 Qd7!? A novelty — instead of 14. ... Qf5 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Rhe1 Rhe8 17. f3 c5 18. b3 Kb7 19. Re2 Re6 20. Rxe6 fxe6 21. Re1 e5 22. Qd5+ c6 23. Qd2 Kc7 24. Re4 Qd7 25. f4 exf4 26. Qe2 Qf5 27. Ra4 Kb8 28. Qa6 Qd7 29. Rxf4 Re8 30. Kb2 h6 31. Qd3 Kb7 32. h4 Re6 33. Rf8 Re7 34. g4 d5 35. g5 hxg5 36. hxg5 Rf7 37. Rg8 Re7 38. Rf8 Rf7 39. Rh8 Qd6 40. Qh3 d4 41. Re8 Rf2 42. Qd3 Rg2 43. cxd4 Qxd4+ 44. Qxd4 cxd4 45. Re7+ ½–½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì), 80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2018. 15. Rhe1 Rde8 16. f4 Rxe1 17. Rxe1 Re8 18. a3 a6 19. Bc4 Rxe1+ 20. Qxe1 d5 21. Bd3 h6 22. Qg3 f6 23. h4 Kb8 24. h5 Qe7 25. Qg4 Qe1+ 26. Ka2 Qe7 27. Qf5 Qd6 28. g3 Nd8 29. c4 dxc4 30. Bxc4 Nc6 31. c3 Ka7 32. Qg4 Qe7 33. Bd5 Qc5 34. Be6 Qe7 35. b4 Qd6 (35. ... Nd8 36. Bb3 a5=) 36. Qe2

36. ... a5 37. Kb3 axb4 38. Qe3+ Kb8 0–1. Recording of moves stopped here, still in quite a balanced position, as after 39. axb4 Qd1+ 40. Kc4 Qxh5 41. Bd5! Black’s extra Pawn seems quite meaningless. Topalov must have lost the thread somewhere in the hereinafter, maybe due to time constraints. Who knows, perhaps the final scene shows the Black Queen shining in the sunshine, while Black’s g-Pawn runs faster than White’s b-Pawn!

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) scored a prestigious victory against Topalov in the last round of 2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University, eventually placing fourth in the final ranking. Photo: Ajedrez Salamanca via Flickr.

Sure, Edna, that’s why you gotta teach the youngsters how to tie their sneakers!

Artwork © noobie (@oo84_i)

Rain Man

Shall we play chess960 on a December Saturday afternoon? Yes, we do, so please let’s go for a random dance from four o’clock at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”. Just pray, do not forget to take with you a pair of clean sneakers to be used in the dance room only!

Man Ray, Dancing Stick Man. Courtesy of Artnet.

No, Edna, he never invited her out to a contemporary dance show at theatre and dinner on Saturday night — but that doesn’t mean anything

Artwork © OneWithTheStars

Nativity scene

One of two recently born twin panda cubs at the Berlin Zoological Garden in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Berlin Zoological Garden/EPA.

Oh, Edna, if it’s true that you did your haircut yourself, you will make Elastigirl envious of your new hair colour!

Artwork © Marine | Illustratrice 🖍 (@marinestouppou)

If—

• Judit Polgár, I might never have become a chess grandmaster if I’d stuck to women-only tournaments, The Guardian, November 30, 2019

Imagine if the Chinese grandmaster 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) — who became women’s world champion in 2010 at the age of 16, and is now the highest ranked female player in the world — had played in open tournaments since her teenage years. She has announced that she is not interested in women’s tournaments any more, and it will be interesting to see how much this improves her rating. [Read more].

Judit Polgár playing 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov at the 18th SuperGM Linares Chess Tournament in Linares, Spain, in February 2001. Photo: Enrique Alonso/AFP.

Beatus Paulus

Facere in Lyciscam, Paule, me iubes versus, quibus illa lectis rubeat et sitirata. O Paule, malus es: irrumare vis solus. You bid me, Paulus, write against Lycisca verses At which she would blush and be enraged. O, Paulus, you are a rogue! You want to keep her to yourself!

Martial, Epigrams, Book 4, XVII
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker

Ballet dancer Ekaterina Valentinovna Shipulina performs during a celebration for the 90th birthday of Soviet and Russian composer Aleksandra Nikolayevna Pakhmutova at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Photo: Ilya Pitalev/Sputnik.

Homework for Saturday

Hey, Edna, needless to say that even if you’re too busy to practise, you’re always the best!

Greg Dykstra, Edna Mode “Grin”, 2004. Courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios, © Disney/Pixar.

Breathtaking

Svetlana Yuryevna Zakharova performs in Mauro Bigonzetti’s Come un Respiro (Like a Breath) at the Coliseum Theatre in London, England. Photo: Robbie Jack/Corbis/Getty Images.

Economics of Christmas

Viola Rocchini, ballerina and teacher of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, flew to Brussels, Belgium together with her mother for a two-day shopping expedition into the Christmas markets all around the city, thus significantly increasing the European demand for decorations and package wrapping! Photos courtesy of her herself.

Eye of Ra

陈漫 (Chén Màn) is a fine art photographer born and based in 北京 (Běijīng), China who has been shooting covers and layouts for leading fashion magazines for a long time. Consequently, she is also the “best beloved” photographer of most Chinese divas, and she is said to be the only lenswoman able to make 范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) unveil herself. Photos courtesy of sohu.com.

Yes, Edna, we could venture the hypothesis that finding an impossible balance between “not too much hip” and “not too little hop” is usually enough not to displease either of them

Teddy Newton, Edna Mode Costume Study, 2004. Courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios, © Disney/Pixar.

Dancing Solo

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will challenge Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Vasilyevich Fedoseev to a 12-game rapid and blitz match to be held in the framework of the “一带一路” (“One Belt One Road”) 6th China–Russia Junior Match of Friendship “国奥棋院杯” (“Guó Ào Qíyuàn Cup”) which will take place in 济南 (Jǐnán), 山东省 (Shāndōng province), China from December 11–15, 2019 marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between People’s Republic of China and Russia. Time control is 15 minutes plus 10 seconds additional time per move starting from move 1 for the first four games, and 3 minutes plus 2 seconds additional time per move starting from move 1 for the following eight games. The summit, co-organised by the Chess and Card Sports Management Centre of General Administration of Sport of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Chess Federation, will be staged at the Blue Horizon Hotel.

A girl from the Department of Dance at 山东师范大学 (Shāndōng Normal University) strikes a pose amid blossoming flowers in 济南 (Jǐnán). Photo: VCG/China Daily.

The Spider

Breathless

Ana Turazashvili, a soloist at the Bolshoi Ballet, performs her solo in Mauro Bigonzetti’s ballet Come un Respiro (Like a Breath) at the première of the new program Modanse by Svetlana Yuryevna Zakharova at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Photo: Eugene Odinokov/RIA Novosti.

Dragon Girl

Anish Giri – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 18, 2013
Sicilian Defence B70

Notes by Grandmaster Nick de Firmian, Chess Room Newsletter #893, November 16, 2019.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is another (of three) Chinese players to become women’s World Champion. She follows in the tradition of the first great women’s champion from China, 谢军 (Xiè Jūn). 谢军 (Xiè Jūn) came to play in our Mechanics Institute’s 3rd Pan Pacific International Tournament in 1995, cementing the West Coast – China connection in chess and culture. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) however reached an elite level many talented men would be proud to have done. She is a true chess prodigy and achieved a level far above all other women players of her generation. Her peak ELO rating is 2686, making her borderline super grandmaster in the men’s world. She won the women’s world championship 3 times starting in 2010. Then she seems to have gotten bored with women’s chess and FIDE politics so played only in men’s tournaments.
Many of our club players will remember the fascinating talk 逸凡 (Yìfán) gave here at the Mechanics’ Institute in May last year (2018). She recounted her developing years in China and her current interests. She is a Rhodes’ Scholar! — so studying at Oxford. While in the Bay Area she was doing an internship down on the Peninsula in one of our tech companies (which remains anonymous). She has a delightful aggressive style. I expect our readers will thoroughly enjoy her games below.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6

逸凡 (Yìfán) chooses the aggressive Dragon Variation. She is playing against the super solid Anish Giri, who hardly ever loses a game.
6. g3. A solid, if less aggressive choice.
6. ... Nc6 7. Nde2 Bd7 8. Bg2 Qc8! 9. h3 Bg7. 逸凡 (Yìfán) has played the opening well. ... Qd8-c8 makes it difficult for White to castle and avoid the trade of the fianchettoed Bishop. The game is about even.
10. a4 0-0 11. Bg5 Re8 12. Qd2 Ne5 13. b3 Rb8 14. Ra2!? Nc6 15. Nd5 a5

16. c3?! White could maintain equality with 16. Bxf6 exf6 17. Nb6 Qc7 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. 0-0 f5.
16. ... b5 17. axb5 Rxb5 18. Qd1 Qb8 19. Ra3 Nxd5 20. exd5 Ne5 21. 0-0

21. ... a4! With this shot 逸凡 (Yìfán) starts to get a serious initiave. White has several choices, each with some problems.
22. Nd4?! 22. b4 Rb7 23. Nd4 Rc7 is just somewhat better for Black.
22. ... Rxb3! 23. Nxb3 Nc4! 24. Nc5 dxc5 25. Ra1 Qe5 26. Bf4?! (26. Qc1 Na5 27. Re1 Qxc3 28. Ra2)
26. ... Qxc3 27. Qe2 Na5 28. Rac1 Qb4 29. Bd2 Qb6 30. Bc3 Nb3

Black now has two Pawns for the Exchange and a strong initiative. White is on the defensive.
31. Qb2 a3 32. Qxa3 Nxc1 33. Rxc1 Bxc3 34. Qxc3 Rc8

The dust has settled and Black has a clear extra Pawn.
35. Qe3 Qd6 36. Re1 Re8 37. Rc1 Rc8 38. Re1 e6 39. dxe6 Bxe6 40. Bf1 c4 41. Qc3 Qf8 42. Rxe6?! It is a difficult struggle against the passed Black c-Pawn, but this overreaction gets a technically lost position.
42. ... fxe6 43. Bxc4 Rc6 44. Qd4 Qc8!

The game is technically winning. It takes a while, but there is nothing White can do against proper technique.
45. Be2 Rc1+ 46. Kg2 Rc2 47. Qe4 Qc6 48. Qxc6 Rxc6 49. f4 Kg7 50. h4 Rc2 51. Kf3 Rc3+ 52. Kf2 Kf6 53. Bg4 Rc5 54. Bh3 Rc2+ 55. Ke3 Ke7 56. Bg4 Kd6 57. Bf3 Rc3+ 58. Kf2 Rc5 59. Be4 Ra5 60. Bb7 Kc5 61. Ke3 Ra3+ 62. Kf2 Kd4 63. Bc6 Ra7 64. Ke2 Rc7 65. Ba8 h6 66. Kf2 g5 67. fxg5 hxg5 68. Kf3 gxh4 69. gxh4 Ke5 70. h5 Rh7 71. Kg4 Rg7+ 72. Kh4 Kf5 73. h6 Rg8 74. Bf3 e5 75. Bd5 Rd8 76. h7 Rh8 77. Bg8 e4 78. Kg3 Ke5 79. Kf2 Kd4 80. Ke2 e3 81. Ke1 Kd3. The white Bishop will have to move, now or when the King is stalemated.
82. Be6 e2 83. Bg4 Ke3 84. Bxe2 Rxh7 85. Kf1 Rf7+

86. Ke1 Ra7 87. Bd1 Ra1 is the end. Giri resigned. 0–1.

Of course, Edna, you always seems to be light years ahead of them, even when you are not

Teddy Newton, Edna Mode, 2004. Courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios, © Disney/Pixar.

A Circle Squared

And finally, here is the awarding ceremony of the 2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University which was held on Saturday evening. Circle pictured second from left: Sophie Milliet, Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Miguel Santos Ruiz, Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov, Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli, Amador González de la Nava, Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez, Karina Szczepkowska-Cyfka, and Fernando Castaño. Photo: Ajedrez Salamanca via Flickr.

吹在风中 (Blowin’ in the Wind)

Tourists battle through strong winds on the 萬里長城 (Great Wall of China) in 八达岭 (Bādálǐng), China. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images.

Sensorium

If nothing else, one secret will stay buried in the library of Salamanca University, as 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) succeeded in scoring the consolation goal on her last round game against the winner of last year’s inaugural edition of the “Torneo Magistral”, Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov, by turning a very drawish Queen and Knight (♀) vs. Queen and Bishop (♂) ending into a winning bet, and thus finishing in fourth place behind Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli, Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov, and Miguel Santos Ruiz. The score of the game was not yet made public, apparently due to a broadcasting blackout. Photo: Ángel Almeida/La Gaceta de Salamanca.

Spoon class theory

A young man drinks water as he sits in his cubicle, called a goshiwon (고시원), where he lives in Suwon (수원), South Korea. The sparsely furnished rooms were previously mostly used by less well-off students to temporarily cut themselves off from the outside world while they studied for civil service job tests. Now they are increasingly becoming permanent homes to young people who identify as the “dirt spoons”, those born to low-income families who have all but given up on social mobility. Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters.