Awards, Honours, and Prizes

Anna Zatonskih – Nigel David Short
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E36

In spite of any appearance to the contrary, everyone knows – I guess – that in the end the gallant giver of the women’s award in Gibraltar will be just him. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 c5!? This is a very interesting Pawn sacrifice which used to be Oleg Mikhailovich Romanishin’s favourite. 7. dxc5 d4 8. Qc2. Here is probably the point where White must seek an improvement. The text is exceedingly prudent, so maybe it is worth considering 8. Qg3(!), hopefully after giving a look at a good theoretical book. 8. ... e5 9. e3 Nc6 10. b4 0-0 11. e4!? In order to complete the development of her Kingside by Bf1-d3 and Ng1-e2. 11. ... a5! 12. Rb1. If 12. b5 then 12. ... Ne7 (less convincing is Romanishin’s sacrificial 12. ... d3!?, which, after 13. Qxd3 Nd4 14. Bb2 seems to turn out badly for Black) followed by ... Ne7-g6 with good and reasonable play for Black. 12. ... axb4 13. axb4 Nh5 14. Bd3. It didn’t figure too well 14. Nf3 Qf6 (deserving consideration is 14. ... f5!? 15. Bd3 Nf6) 15. Be2 Nf4 16. 0-0? (of course, White ought to capture the f4-Knight) 16. ... d3! 17. Bxd3 Nxg2! 18. Be2 Nf4 19. Bxf4 Qxf4 20. Kh1 Ra3! 21. b5 Rxf3! 22. bxc6 Rh3 0 : 1 Nezar – Roussel-Roozmon, 6th International Festival, Nancy 2008. Similarly, after 14. Be2 Nf4 15. Bxf4 exf4 16. Nf3 Bg4 Black seems to stand better. 14. ... Nf4 15. Bxf4 exf4 16. h3 Ra3! 17. Nf3. Not 17. b5?? Qa5+ winning immediately.

17. ... Nxb4! The start of an elegant, little combination which leads to a material gain. 18. Rxb4 Qa5 19. Qd2 Rxd3! 20. Qxd3 Qxb4+ 21. Nd2 Rd8 22. Ke2 Qxc5. Black has finally won a Pawn. 23. Rb1 Qc7 24. Qb3 d3+ 25. Kf1 h6 26. Qb6 Qe7 27. Qb4 Qe6. In spite of her Pawn down, White would have better drawing chances in the endgame after the exchange of Queens. 28. c5 Qe7 29. f3 Be6 30. e5. With her last few moves Zatonskih might have even worsened matters, but it was hard to stop her opponent anyway. Also 30. Qxb7 Qxc5 is hopeless. 30. ... Bd5 31. Re1. If 31. Qxf4 then 31. ... Qxc5 32. Qb4 Qc2 winning easily. 31. ... g5 32. Qa3 Bc6 33. Qb4 Rd5 34. e6. Taking a desperate try to fight. 34. ... fxe6 35. h4 e5 36. Qe4 Kg7 37. h5 Qf7 38. Qc4 Qxh5 39. Qc3 Qe8 40. Nc4 Rxc5 41. Qb2. Hoping for 41. ... Rxc4 42. Rxe5 Rc1+ 43. Re1+ Kg6 44. Qxc1 which would make the ordeal just a bit longer, but... 41. ... Kf6! 0 : 1.

Anna Zatonskih vs. Nigel David Short
Photo: John Saunders

A Gift of the Emperor

Ori Kobo – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E25

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. dxc5 f5 9. Nh3 Qa5 10. Bd2 Qxc5 11. c4 Ne3 12. Qc1 Nxf1 13. Kxf1 Nc6 14. Nf4 0-0 15. Rb1 Rd8 16. Nd3 Qd6 17. c5 Qc7 18. Bc3 e5 19. Qe3 f4 20. Qe4 Qf7. White got nothing out from the opening, but...

21. Nxe5?? But who could imagine that he would have blundered a clear piece? 21. ... Nxe5 22. Qxe5 Rd5 0 : 1.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Photo: John Saunders

The Importance of Being Garfield

Novosibirsk, Russia: A guard dog being trained by a handler at Novosibirsk’s Prison Colony 9. Photo: Kirill Kukhmar/TASS.

The Sword of Damocles

Activists from Greenpeace unfurled a 70ft banner inscribed with the word “RESIST” near the White House on Wednesday morning protesting Donald Trump’s continuous attacks on the environment. Photo: AP.

The Road Home

Olympic Goddess 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) got back to 上海 (Shànghǎi) before the Spring Festival, just in time for reviewing her 25-year gold-plated diving career.

Abbey Road

Thank you very much to Olga Calamai, solo ballerina of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, for her reportage from Camden Town, London, United Kingdom. Pretty soon (within a few hours), dear Olga, we will change our places: you are awaited in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s evening dance class, while I cannot miss my afternoon English tea!

太陽雨 (Sunshower)

Olympic Goddess 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) gives – through her 新浪微博 (Wēibó) account – a competent explanation on why her mole on nose may appear sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right side. It’s simple. It depends from the perspective of the selfie. And her hair, grown longer since she left Atlantis to live among humans on the dryland, will soon be dry and shining. Photo: weibo.com/wuminxia.

Do You Want to Know a Secret

John Saunders (@johnchess)

Nigel David Short vs. Robert Bellin
Photo: John Saunders

Last Tango in Haarlem

Pavel Eljanov – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Haarlem, January 25, 2017
English Opening A13

Just a premise. On his way to Harleem before the game started, Grandmaster Eljanov sought inspiration (and good luck) listening to “Tango in Harlem” by the Touch and Go. 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. b3 c5 5. Bb2 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 Bd6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. d4 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Bc7!? Not the most common, but surely not unexpected to Eljanov. 11. Nd2 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Qd6 13. g3 Bh3 14. Re1 Rac8 15. Bf1!? Finally, departing from the nonclassical matrix: 15. Bd3 Ba5 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. Qh5 Qh6 18. Qxh6 gxh6 19. Red1 Bg4 20. f3 Bh5 21. g4 Bg6 22. Nf1 Bb6 23. Kg2 Rc3 24. Bxg6 hxg6 25. Rxd5 Rfc8 26. Rad1 Bxe3 27. Rd8+ Rxd8 28. Rxd8+ Kg7 29. Nxe3 Rxe3 30. Rd7 Re2+ 31. Kg3 Re3 32. Kg2 Re2+ 33. Kg3 ½ : ½ Malakhov – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), Chinese Team Chess Championship, 绍兴 (Shàoxīng) 2016. 15. ... Bg4 16. Be2 Bf5 17. Bb2 Qe7. Black stands well. 18. a3 Bb6 19. Ra2 Ne4 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Qa1 Rc2 22. Bc3 Rxa2 23. Qxa2 Rd8 24. Qb2 Qg5 25. h4 Qg6 26. Be5 Bg4 27. Qc2 Bxe2 28. Rxe2 Qf5 29. Bf4 h6 30. Rd2 Rd3 31. Rd1 g5 32. hxg5 hxg5 33. Bb8 Kh7 34. Qe2 Kg6 35. b4 Qd7 36. Rc1 Rd2 37. Qe1

37. ... Qd3? 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) was dominating the board and probably he could have tightened the noose around Pavel’s neck by 37. ... f5! (Δ ... f5-f4); for instance: 38. Be5 f4! 39. Bd4 (39. gxf4? Qg4+ 40. Kh2 Rd7! melodramatically runs into checkmate) 39. ... Qh3! 40. Qf1 Qxf1+ 41. Kxf1 Bxd4 42. exd4 f3! with winning endgame. 38. a4 Re2 39. Qc3 Rxe3!? Still playing for the maximum unbalance! 40. fxe3 Bxe3+ 41. Kh1 Bxc1! Black disdains the draw by 41. ... Qe2 42. Qe1 Qh5+ 43. Kg2 Qf3+ with perpetual check. 42. Qxc1 e3 43. Bxa7 e2. Here is the fantastic position 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) was aiming for at move 39. Black has only one Pawn for the Bishop, but the e2-Pawn is a Damocles sword hanging over the opulent White House! 44. Qe1 Kh5 45. b5. 45. Kh2 Kg4 46. b5 transposes into the game. 45. ... Kg4 46. Kh2 Qh7+ 47. Kg1 Qd3 48. Bb6 f5 49. Ba5 b6 50. Bxb6 f4 51. gxf4 gxf4 52. Bc5 Qc4 53. Bb6 Qd3 54. Bc5 Qc4 55. Bb6 Qd3 ½ : ½. Perhaps 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) could have gotten something more, but honour to him (and Eljanov as well) for resisting the prosaic, workaday routine and showing that the tango is a dance of passion, excitement, and seduction.

Pavel Eljanov (@Eljanov)

Moon landing

Melbourne, Australia: A moth lands on the nose of Rafael Nadal during his quarter-final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament. Photo: Reuters.

Code Simplicity

Wesley So – Radosław Wojtaszek
79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Haarlem, January 25, 2017
Catalan Opening E06

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. d4 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. Qc2 c5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. dxc5 d4 9. a3 a5 10. Rd1 e5 11. Nc3 Bxc5 12. Nd5 h6 13. Bd2. This is apparently a new idea. It is clear that Wesley is not afraid of allowing his opponent to advance ... a5-a4. 13. ... a4. So it is worth wondering if the Black Pawn on a4 is more useful than weak. 14. Bb4! Nxb4 15. axb4 Nxd5 16. bxc5 Nb4 17. Qd2 Nc6 18. b4! Qe7. Wesley afterwards said he thought 18. ... Be6 was more suitable for keeping the balance. 19. Qb2 Bg4 20. Re1! Rfd8. Stockfish disapproves Wojtaszek’s decision, but also its recipe 20. ... f5 after 21. Nh4 Kh7 22. Bd5 sounds very encouraging for White. 21. Nd2 Be6. If 21. ... d3 then 22. e3 followed by b4-b5 would soon put Black into a very unpleasant situation. 22. b5 Nb8 23. Qb4 f5

24. Nb3! Very, very elegant and simple. Now the a4-Pawn is doomed, and with it the whole Black’s Queenside. 24. ... Nd7. This hurries the end, but nothing could have avoided it. 25. Bxb7 Rab8 26. Rxa4! Rxb7 27. c6 Qxb4 28. Rxb4 Rc7 29. cxd7 Rxc4 30. Rxc4 Bxc4 31. Rc1! Be6 32. Rc8! Rxc8 33. dxc8=Q+ Bxc8 34. b6 1 : 0. A superb game Wesley made look easy.

Wesley So
Photo: Renée Jones Schneider/StarTribune

Ultimate Marvel

And finally the Ultimate Marvel incarnation of Wasp, the fictional superheroine originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the early 1960s. Issue one of The Unstoppable Wasp by writer Jeremy Whitley and artist Elsa Charretier features Nadia Pym – the previously-unknown daughter of Pym’s from his first marriage, continuing in her adventures under the codename of his second wife. Credit: Elsa Charretier (Marvel Comics).

Red telephone box

Here is again Olga Calamai, solo ballerina of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, on the verge of a red telephone box in London, United Kingdom. I quote from Wikipedia: “Despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, the traditional British red telephone kiosk can still be seen in many places throughout the United Kingdom, and in current or former British colonies around the world. The colour red was chosen to make them easy to spot”. And so thank you very much, dear Olga, for having phoned us from Here, There and Everywhere.

A Hard Day’s Night

Peter Lombaers – Nigel David Short
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 24, 2017
4q3/r4p1k/1R1P2p1/3Q3p/2P4P/5P2/6PK/8 w - - 1 44

Position after 43. ... Qa4-e8

Grandmaster Short, after his very recent tournée in Rasht, Iran, is like protected by a spiritual aura which makes him untouchable. The position in the diagram is an easy win for White, for instance by 44. Qd4 followed by c4-c5, but Lombaers, probably too excited, or maybe unwillingly afraid of the consequences of such an act of unbelief, played the only move... impossible: 44. Rb4?? Qe1! Attacking both the b4-Rook and the h4-Pawn. 45. Qd4 Qxb4 46. Qxa7 Qxd6+ 47. g3 Qd2+ 48. Kh3 Kg7 49. Qa1+ Kg8 50. Qf1 Qc2! White’s extra Pawn is completely meaningless or, as Dylan would say, “Temporary Like Achilles”. 51. g4 hxg4+ 52. fxg4 Qc3+ 53. Kg2 Qc2+ 54. Kf3 f5 55. Qe2 fxg4+ 56. Kf2 Qc3 57. Qxg4 Qd2+ 58. Kf1 Qc1+ 59. Ke2 Qc2+ 60. Ke3 Qc3+ 61. Kf2 Qd2+ 62. Kg3 Qc3+ 63. Kg2 Qc2+ 64. Kh3 Qd3+ 65. Qg3 Qxc4 66. Qxg6+ Kh8 67. Qh6+ ½ : ½. “Having come within a whisker of resigning, I’m greatly relieved that the executioner’s axe somehow missed my neck”, Short afterwards said.

Peter Lombaers vs. Nigel David Short
Photo: John Saunders (@johnchess)

The Squirrel Prince

Here is Olga Calamai, virtuoso dancer of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, having a romantic rendez-vous with a squirrel in Hyde Park, London. Photo courtesy of her herself.

Field Flowers

Atousa Pourkashiyan – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 24, 2017
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 0-0 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. d4 (12. b4 Nc6 13. Bd2 d5 14. Re1 Qd6 15. Na2 Nd7 16. Qe2 d4 17. Reb1 Nb6 18. Nc1 Na4 19. Nb3 Rf7 20. Rc1 Rd8 21. Ng5 Rf6 22. Qh5 h6 23. Nf3 Rdf8 24. Rf1 R8f7 25. Rae1 Bf8 26. h3 g6 27. Qh4 Qe7 28. Qg3 Bg7 29. Na5 Nxa5 30. Nxe5 Nb7 31. Nxg6 Qd8 32. e5 Rf5 33. f4 c5 34. Nh4 Rh5 35. Nf3 Kh7 36. Qg4 Rhf5 37. Nh4 Kh8 38. Nxf5 Rxf5 39. Qg6 Qe7 40. g4 Rf8 41. f5 Qe8 42. Qxe8 Rxe8 43. f6 Bf8 44. f7 Re7 45. Rf6 Nb6 46. Bxh6 Nd7 47. Ref1 cxb4 48. axb4 Bxh6 49. Rxh6+ Kg7 50. Rh5 1 : 0 Caruana – Aronian, 2nd Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2014)
12. ... exd4 13. Nxd4 Qd7 14. Qd3 c5 15. Nf3 Nc6 16. Bg5 Rad8 17. Rad1 h6 18. Bc1 Qe8 19. h3 Qg6 20. Rfe1 Nd7 21. Ne2 Rf6 22. Nh2 Nde5 23. Qe3 Nc4

24. Qg3? The exchange of Queens is very inconvenient for White, as Black enjoys a manifest advantage in the ending — which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has no difficulty in exploiting.
24. ... Qxg3 25. Nxg3 Nd4 26. c3 Nb3 27. Re2 a5 28. Nf3 Rff8 29. Nf1 a4

30. Ne3 Nb6 31. Kf1 Rc8 32. Nd2 Rc6 33. Nf3 Rfc8 34. Ne1 b4 35. Nd3 bxc3 36. bxc3 Bf6 37. Bb2 Rf8 38. g3 Na5 39. Nf4 Kf7 40. Nh5 Nbc4 41. Nxf6 gxf6 42. Bc1 Rb6 43. Nxc4 Nxc4 44. e5 Nxe5 45. Bxh6 Rh8 46. Bf4 Nc4 47. h4 Rb3 48. Ke1 d5 49. Be3 Rc8 50. Rc2 Rxa3 51. g4 Rb3 52. Ra1 a3 53. Bc1 e5 54. f3 e4 55. fxe4 Re8 56. Kf2 Rxe4 57. g5 Rxh4 58. Kg3 Rh1 59. gxf6 d4 60. Kg2 Ne3+ 61. Kxh1 Nxc2 62. Ra2 Rxc3 63. Bd2 Rc4 64. Kg1 Kxf6 0 : 1.

As they say, not a day goes by without her unfolding grace. Photo © John Saunders.

The Left-Handed Fate

Last week, dozens of tech workers stood in the rain in downtown Palo Alto, California, United States protesting about the inauguration of Donald Trump. The tech community, which skews liberal, has spoken out against proposals such as a Muslim registry. Photo: James Lawler Duggan/Reuters.

One Winter Night

Çamlıca, Turkey: Residents dress up in white sheets to celebrate the Bocuk festival commemorating the harshest winter night. Photo: Sedat Suna/EPA.

In the Name of God, most merciful and most compassionate

Nigel David Short (@nigelshortchess)

What Money Can’t Buy

Arcovazzi is so envious that his wife no longer watches television with him, fearing to comment on some handsome characters she’d like to give goodnight kisses. I don’t know what to say, Madam: it is hard to live with a Superman who has no compassion for us miserable humans. You are lucky because you have your Superguy to protect you from the human race, and we, too, won’t complain about the fact that he has not enough free time to devote to us poor humans. So don’t get angry with me if I don’t miss his superpowers and I feel content enough to really appreciate and thank all the people who every day fly on the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s carpet-dance!

Alessandra
Art Director of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Mohamed Abdallah, leader of the independent street vendors’ union in Cairo, Egypt speaking with Giulio Regeni (pictured above) and asking him money, while he was filming him in the face. Here, the snapshots transmitted by the Egyptian investigators to their Italian colleagues, filmed by Abdallah himself, showing his last meeting with the Italian researcher. They discuss the British Antipode Foundation’s project, which issued a grant of up to £10,000 to fund a development project aimed at developing countries. “My wife has cancer”, the street vendor explains to Giulio, “I care only about money, no matter how much”. Regeni answers: “It’s not my money, I cannot give it you. I am a university researcher, I cannot use it for my private interest”. Snapshot by repubblica.it.

The Friday Wings

We remind that the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” will participate in the second edition of the ballet festival “Le ali della danza”, which will be staged at the Teatro Aurora, Via San Bartolo in Tuto, 1, 50018 Scandicci, Florence, on Friday, January 27, 2017, starting at 20,45. The event is organised by Lions Club Fiesole under the patronage of the Comune di Scandicci. As usual proceeds will be donated to support a school of massotherapy for hypo-blind.

Suitcases

Gdańsk, Poland: A preview of one of the exhibits inside the new Museum of the Second World War, which is due to open soon. Photo: Adam Warżawa/EPA.

Jump They Say

Breaking news! Arianna Settembrini (pictured above, photo credit to Stefano Marmino), virtuoso dancer of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, has just bought a new pair of ballet pointe shoes (pictured below, photo courtesy of her herself).

The Lawyer’s Tale

Human rights attorney 谢阳 (Xiè Yáng) says he was shackled, beaten and threatened, in transcripts released in protest at his continued incarceration. [Read more].

• Tom Phillips, “Your only right is to obey”: lawyer describes torture in China’s secret jails, The Guardian, January 23, 2017

Lawyer 谢阳 (Xiè Yáng) before his detention by Chinese authorities. Photo: Supplied.