Yeah, Edna, sometimes it feels like time passes by and future never comes

Artwork © Artwork © Jas Creative Designs

On the Line

David Antón Guijarro – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Prelims Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 22, 2020

Semi-Slav Defence D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Be2 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Qc2 b6 9. e4 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Qxe4 Bb7 12. Rd1 Qc7 13. c5 bxc5 14. dxc5 Nxc5!?TN (14. ... Bxc5 15. Bf4 Nf6 16. Qxh7+ Kxh7 17. Bxc7 Kg8 18. Nd2 Bb6 19. Be5 Rfd8 20. Bf3 Ba6 21. Rac1 Rac8 22. b3 Bd4= Lékó – Artemiev, 2nd Nutcracker Match of the Generations, Moscow 2015, match game 2) 15. Qc2 Rad8 16. Bg5 Be7 17. Rxd8 Rxd8 18. Rc1 Rd5. Black has already got a very comfortable equality, and it’s astonishing how quickly he breaks the ice and goes in. 19. Be3?! 19. b4 is the move suggested by the engines, forcing conspicuous simplification with “approximate” equality. 19. ... Nd7 20. Nd4 Bc5. Change of the guard. 21. Nb5? A tactical mirage which loses a clear piece. 21. Qc3 Qb6 was anything but pleasant, but it was not so bad as the text. 21. ... cxb5 22. b4

22. ... Qc6! This is the move Antón Guijarro probably overlooked. Now White can’t play 23. bxc5?? because of 23. ... Rd1+ followed by mate on g2. 23. Bf3 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Qb6 25. Bxd5 Qxe3+ 26. Kh1 Bxd5 0 : 1.

Jurassic Pop

Speaking on a talk show broadcast on Rai 1 on November 19, 2020 the Minister for Youth Policies and Sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, said that the closure of dance schools, gyms, cinemas, theatres and museums will be extended until further notice due to the seriousness of the epidemiological situation. He said also that “A difficult period awaits us, but we will be present to help all those who must stay closed up”. Yeah, right, but do not kid yourself — this only means that he and his fellow government members will profusely pour public money on government-backed big sports agencies. And you are not one of them. Thus you know you will fade like a dying swan. In fact, they are likely to have other priorities that they consider more important than your daily useless life. There’s nothing personal about it — they just find that it is more remunerative to sell pay-per-view soccer games than to buy a ticket for the very stage of the Swan Lake. And maybe it’s better so. It’s a good thing not to sit next to certain persons.

The Wall

Ilia Sergeevich Iljiushenok – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 22, 2020
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Nd7 7. Nc4 f6 8. c3 Nf8!?TN (8. ... Nb6 9. Na5 Bd6 10. b4 c5 11. a3 0-0 12. Be3 Nd7 13. 0-0 b6 14. Nc4 Be7 15. d4 exd4 16. cxd4 cxb4 17. axb4 Kh8 18. Bd2 Nb8 19. d5 f5 20. exf5 Qxd5 21. Ne3 Qd3 ½ : ½ Anand – Giri, 82nd Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2020) 9. d4 exd4 10. cxd4 Be6 11. b3 Be7 12. 0-0 Ng6 13. Ne3 Qd7 14. Qc2 0-0 15. Rd1 Rad8 16. Bb2 Nf4 17. Nh4 Rfe8 18. Nhf5 Bf8 19. f3 Qf7 20. Bc3 Rd7 21. Re1 Red8 22. Rad1 Bxf5 23. Nxf5 Ne6 24. Qb2

24. ... a5 25. Bxa5 g6 26. Ne3 Rxd4 27. Rxd4 Nxd4 28. Bc3 c5 29. b4 b6

30. a4. If 30. Nd5 Black replies 30. ... c6 with equality, as the Pawn is taboo (31. Nxb6?? Qa7−+). If anything is to be suggested it may be 30. bxc5 Bxc5 31. Kh1 f5 32. Rd1 Ne6 33. Rxd8+ Nxd8 34. Qd2 with somewhat better prospects for White. 30. ... f5 31. exf5 gxf5 32. a5 Nb5 33. axb6 cxb6 34. bxc5 Nxc3 35. Qxc3 Bxc5 36. Kf1 Re8 37. Nc2 Rxe1+ 38. Nxe1 Qa2 39. Nd3 Qb1+ 40. Ke2 Qg1 41. Nxc5 Qxg2+ 42. Ke3 bxc5 43. Qe5. Of course the Black Queen check from g1 makes the c-Pawn untouchable. 43. ... Qg6 44. Kf2 Qb6 45. Qxf5 c4+ 46. Ke2 Qb2+ 47. Kd1 Qb3+ 48. Kc1 c3 49. Qg5+ Kf7 50. Qf5+ Ke8 51. Qe4+ Kf8 52. Qf5+ ½ : ½.

If one thing is certain, it is that no one will clear the way for Goryachkina as she keeps struggling — so far vainly — to breakthrough the 2600 Elo wall. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.

A Chorus Line

Giselles strike a pose in Paris, 1966 (from left to right): Christiane Vlassi, Liane Daydé, Lycette Darsonval, Josette Amiel, Alicia Alonso, Yvette Chauviré, Nina Vladimirovna Vyroubova, Claude Bessy, and Janine Charrat. Photo: Museo Nacional de la Danza, Havana. Courtesy of Isis Wirth.

Of course, Edna, perfection is not of this world, but it takes more than a mouse and two or three clicks to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee

Courtesy of Querido Clássico (@queridoclassico)

Dance of a Lonely Heart

A dancer wearing a face mask performs in front of the Metropolitan in Via del Corso at Rome, Italy to protest COVID-19 restrictions that have closed dance schools all over the country. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP.

Under the Volcano

The well-preserved remains of two men, who apparently died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, were found during excavations at a villa in Civita Giuliana, 700 meters northwest of the centre of ancient Pompeii, Italy. Photo: Luigi Spina/Parco Archeologico/EPA.

Gendered Resistance

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 21, 2020
Catalan Opening E05

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. d4 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. Nc3 dxc4 7. Ne5 Nc6. Another way is 7. ... c5 8. dxc5 Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 Bxc5 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Be3 Bb6 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. Nxc6 Bb7 15. Nb4 Nd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Nc3 Bc6 18. Rfd1 Rfd8 19. f3 Kf8 20. Kf2 Ke7 with a nearly equal ending, Goryachkina – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 上海 (Shànghǎi) 2020, Women’s World Chess Championship match game 1. 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Qa4 Nd5 12. Qxc4 a5 13. Bd2 Ba6 14. Qc5 Qd7 15. f3!? Goryachkina adds her novel nuance to the theory so far recorded: 15. Rc1 a4 (15. ... Rfb8 16. b3 Nxc3 17. Rxc3 Rb5 18. Qxc7 Qxd4 19. Be3 Qe4 20. 0-0 Rbb8 21. Rfc1 h6 22. f3 Qg6 23. Kf2 a4 24. Qf4 axb3 25. axb3 Qh5 26. h4 Qd5 27. b4 Qb5 28. R1c2 Rc8 29. Rc5 Rxc5 30. bxc5 Bb7 31. Qe5 Bd5 32. c6 Rc8 33. c7 Qd7 34. Qc3 f6 35. Bb6 Qb5 36. Rb2 Qa4 37. e4 Bc6 38. Rd2 Kh7 39. Rd8 Bb7 40. Kg2 Ba6 41. g4 Qb5 42. Bf2 h5 43. gxh5 Qxh5 44. Qa3 Qb5 45. Qe7 Qf1+ 46. Kg3 Qc1 47. Rd7 Qh6 48. Qxe6 Qg6+ 49. Kh2 Bb5 50. Rd8 Rxc7 51. Qg8+ 1 : 0 Oparin – Buhmann, 20th European Individual Chess Championship, Skopje 2019) 16. f3 Rfb8 17. Nd1 f5 18. Kf2 Rb6 19. Rc2 Rab8 20. Ne3 Rxb2 21. Rhc1 Rxc2 22. Rxc2 Qb5 23. Qxb5 Bxb5 24. a3 Nxe3 25. Kxe3 c6 26. Bb4 Rd8 27. Bc5 Kf7 28. Kf4 Kf6 29. h4 Rd7 30. e3 g6 31. g4 fxg4 32. Kxg4 e5 33. h5 exd4 34. Bxd4+ Ke6 35. hxg6 hxg6 36. Bc5 Bd3 37. Rc3 Bb5 38. Kg5 Rd3 39. Rc1 Kf7 40. Kf4 Ke6 41. e4 Kf6 42. Rc2 Rd1 43. Rh2 Bc4 44. Rh8 Rd3 45. Rf8+ Bf7 46. Kg4 g5 47. f4 gxf4 48. Kxf4 Ke6 49. Rc8 Kd7 50. Ra8 Bb3 51. Ra7+ Kc8 52. e5 Rd7 53. Ra8+ Kb7 54. Rh8 Rd1 55. Re8 Rf1+ 56. Kg5 Rc1 57. Bd6 Rg1+ 58. Kf4 Re1 59. Rb8+ Ka6 60. Kf5 Rb1 61. Kf6 Rf1+ 62. Ke7 Rf7+ 63. Kd8 Rb7 64. Rc8 Bd5 65. Bc7 Be6 66. Ra8+ Ra7 67. Rb8 Rb7 68. Ra8+ ½ : ½ Malakhov – Bacrot, 5th Tournament of Peace, Zagreb 2018. 15. ... Rfb8 16. Rb1 Rb6! 17. Kf2. 17. Qxa5 Rc6 is quite critical, with Black having powerful compensation for his temporary two Pawn deficit. 17. ... Rc6 18. Qa3 (18. Qxa5 Qe8!) 18. ... Nb6 19. Be3 (19. Qxa5?? Qxd4+ 20. Be3 Qxe3+!−+) 19. ... Nc4 20. Qb3 Rb6 21. Qc2 Rab8

22. b3!?? An overambitious but far from forced Exchange sacrifice. 22. Ne4 (Δ Ne4-c5) was well worth considering. 22. ... Na3 23. Qd2 Nxb1 24. Rxb1 Rd8 25. Ne4 Rb5 26. Rc1 e5 27. dxe5 (27. Nc5 Qh3) 27. ... Rd5 28. Qc2 Qh3

29. Rh1? Goryachkina cracks under the pressure of time and compensation needs. Best was 29. Kg1! Rxe5 30. Bf4 Re7 31. g4! Rde8 32. Nf2 Qh4 33. e4 with some chances to hold. 29. ... Rxe5. Both White’s King and Rook are dramatically badly placed, and Dubov has easy play in finishing matters with his opponent: 30. Qxc7 Rde8−+ 31. Bf4 (31. Bd4 R5e6−+ Δ 32. g4 Rxe4! 33. fxe4 Qxg4−+) 31. ... R5e7 32. Qxa5 Bxe2! 33. Ng5 Qd7 34. Re1 Qd4+ 35. Kg2 h6 0 : 1.

Today Dubov proved too much of a challenge for Goryachkina. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.

Cultural Dilemmas

On the day before the first leg of the Champions Chess Tour 2020–21 (Skilling Open) begins, The Guardian hosts an in-depth interview with 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen on the gender gap in chess:

• Archie Bland, Magnus Carlsen: “Chess has not been very kind to women over the years”, The Guardian, November 21, 2020

Carlsen humbly admits that “Chess societies have not been very kind to women and girls over the years. Certainly there needs to be a bit of a change in culture”. Of course many questions followed. It seems only one question wasn’t asked — so just don’t ask why no woman was invited to play in the invitational Skilling Open.

Well, Edna, just think of it as a formal summary of a personal interview with questions that do not put the interviewee in a good mood

Artwork © Magealacon

A Dance with Dragons

The November–December 2020 issue of Peón de Rey No. 149 features an exclusive interview with four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): “侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): Dos dragones; una voluntad” [“侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): Two dragons, a will”] conducted by Jorge I. Aguadero Casado. For further information and subscription details visit: https://www.peonderey.com/.

Reskilling for the Wheat and Chessboard Problem

After Morphy in the 1850s and Fischer in the 1970s, Magnus Carlsen, too, hopes — upon the wings of Netflix and by the grace of the fictional Queen Beth Harmon — to incarnate the miracle of a worldwide chess boom. But, unlike his great predecessors, Carlsen faces a much harder challenge, as Leonard Barden writes in his The Guardian chess column of November 20, 2020: “This boom is improbable because it coincides with a contrasting disaster for over-the-board chess. All levels from grandmaster tournaments to weekly club nights have been ruined by COVID-19. Face-to-face games with a human opponent are rarer occurrences than they were during the two world wars”. In spite of their glory, however, both Morphy and Fischer lost their wars in the end (the Civil War and the Cold War), and both ended up spending their young lives in loneliness and isolation. On the contrary, Carlsen is still interested enough in his own happiness. So who knows? Whatever the virus may be up to, he could just be the man who triumphs over Sissa’s impossible odds.

Paratext

Anton Aleksandrovich Demchenko – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 20, 2020
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. exd4 Bf5 7. Bb5 e6 8. Ne5 Qb6 9. c4 dxc4 10. a4 (10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Ndxc4 Qa6 12. Qe2 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Bxd2+ 14. Nxd2 Qb5 15. Nb3 0-0 16. Rc1 Rfc8 17. Rxc6 Qa4 18. Rxc8+ Rxc8 19. 0-0 Qxa2= Aronian – Inarkiev, 8th World Blitz Chess Championship, Moscow 2019) 10. ... Qxd4!? A new though natural move. A recent game continued instead 10. ... Bb4 11. 0-0 Bxd2?! (but better seems 11. ... 0-0 12. Ndxc4 Qxd4 with roughly even chances) 12. Qxd2 0-0 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Nxc4 Qa6 15. Rfc1 leaving Black with many weaknesses, Ushenina – Kosteniuk, 1st Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Final, chess.com, July 20, 2020, match game 18 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move).

11. Nxc6 Qxf4 12. g3 Qc7 13. Nd4+ Nd7 14. Nxf5 exf5 15. Qe2+ Be7 16. 0-0 a6 17. Bxc4. 17. Bxd7+ Qxd7 18. Nxc4 Qe6 19. Rfe1! 0-0! 20. Qxe6 fxe6 21. Rxe6 Bf6 does not seem to offer more than a finely balanced game. 17. ... Ne5 18. Rac1 Nxc4 19. Nxc4 0-0 20. a5 Bg5 21. f4 Qe7. The Rook endgame a Pawn up resulting from 21. ... Be7 22. Nb6 Bc5+ 23. Kh1 Qc6+ 24. Qg2 Qxg2+ 25. Kxg2 Bxb6 26. axb6 Rfc8 27. Rfd1 Kf8 28. Rxc8+ Rxc8 does not promise much more, as after 29. Rd7 Rc2+ 30. Kg1! Rxb2 31. Rxb7 a draw seems most likely. 22. Qxe7 Bxe7

23. Nb6 Rad8 24. Rc7 Bf6 25. b4 Rd2 26. Rxb7 (26. Nd7 Bd4+ 27. Kh1 Rd8! 28. Rxb7 Bc3=) 26. ... Rfd8 27. Nc4 Re2 28. Ne5. Quite justly White sacrifices a Pawn to give way to a very drawish four-Rook endgame. 28. ... Bxe5 29. fxe5 g6 30. Rf2. Otherwise Black doubles Rooks on the second rank. 30. ... Rxe5 31. g4! Rdd5 32. Ra7 Re6 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Rb7 Kg7 35. Rc2 Kg6 36. Kf2 Rd4 37. Ra2 Rdd6 38. b5 axb5 39. Rxb5 Kf6 40. Rb4 Ra6 41. Rb5 Rad6 42. Rb4 Ra6 43. Rb5 ½ : ½.

Well, Edna, after all, as Machiavelli said many moons ago, “The best possible fortress is — not to be hated by the people”

Artwork © MMcreationsMagic

Public Participation in Health

New York’s progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tolled the bell for her party fellows with a tweet that includes a Big Bang: “To get the virus under control, we need to pay people to stay home”. Who knows, maybe, under the effect of such a shocking suggestion, a bipartisan deal on a second stimulus check might be eventually blessed by all the more moderate of both parties as a final victory of capitalism over socialism. Photo: Kathy Willens/AP.

A Theory of Semiotics

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 19, 2020
Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Bb5+. Another continuation is 8. h3 0-0 9. Be3 e6 10. Be2 b6 11. h4 Bb7 12. e5 cxd4 13. cxd4 Nc6 14. h5 Qd5 15. hxg6 hxg6 16. Rc1 Rad8 17. Bc4 Qa5+ 18. Kf1 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Bxe5 20. Bd2 Rxd4 21. Bxa5 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 bxa5 23. Rh3 Rc8 24. Bb3 Bc6 25. Re3 Bb5+ 26. Kg1 Rc5 27. a4 Bc6 28. Re2 Kf8 29. Rc2 Rxc2 30. Bxc2 Ke7 31. Bb3 Bc7 32. Rc1 Kd7 33. Rxc6 Kxc6 34. Bc4 Kc5 ½ : ½ Goryachkina – A. O. Muzychuk, Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020, 2nd stage, Monte Carlo 2019. 8. ... Nc6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Ba3 cxd4 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. cxd4 Bg4 13. Bc5 Re8 14. Rb1 e5. The most usual is 14. ... Qd7, after which there could follow 15. Rb4 a5 16. Ra4 Qb7 17. h3 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 e5 19. Rc4 exd4 20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Rxd4 Qb2 22. Ra4 Red8 23. Qb3 ½ : ½ Smejkal – L. Portisch, Interzonal Tournament, Rio de Janeiro 1979. 15. dxe5 Qa5 16. Qc2 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Qd8!? A novelty which shouldn’t make too much difference with respect to 17. ... Bxe5 18. Rfd1 Qc7 19. h3 Bf4 20. Bd4 Be5 21. Be3 Bf4 22. Bd4 Be5 23. Be3 Bf4 24. Bd4 ½ : ½ Bogner – Karthik, 1st Josef Kupper Memorial, Zürich 2019. 18. Rfd1 Qg5+ 19. Kf1 Bxe5 20. Rb7 Rab8 21. Rdd7 Rxb7 22. Rxb7 Bxh2. 22. ... Qf6 23. Qb3 Bxh2 just transposes into the game.

23. Qb3. Goryachkina, perhaps, could aim for more with 23. Bd4, but then Black would give back his extra Pawn by 23. ... c5! in fact rejecting any of White’s claims. 23. ... Qf6 24. Bxa7 h5 25. Bd4 Be5. Clearly not 25. ... Qxd4?? on account of 26. Qxf7+ followed by mate next move. 26. Bxe5 Rxe5 27. Rb8+ Kg7 28. Qa3 (Δ 29. Qf8+ Kh7 30. Rb7+−) 28. ... c5 29. Qb2 h4 30. Ra8. The endgame is pretty equal, and Goryachkina has no difficulty in holding her own. 30. ... Kh6 31. Qb8 Rh5 32. Qf8+ Qg7 33. Qxg7+ Kxg7 34. Kg2 c4 35. Rc8 Ra5 36. Rxc4 Rxa2 37. e5 h3+ 38. Kxh3 Rxf2 39. Kg3 Re2 40. f4 Re1 ½ : ½.

Just like Beth, Goryachkina starts her Queen’s hunt all over again from a man’s world. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.

No, Edna, she did not notice you while you were lifting in triumph a SuperBall crown above her head

Artwork © lopni

First Lady of Song Goes Christmas Shopping

A bronze statue of late singer Ella Fitzgerald stands wearing a hat and protective face mask outside the Metro-North Railroad Station Plaza in Yonkers, New York City, United States. Photo: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters.

November Sneakers

It is not only fiction that to get at the centre stage. In fact, it was Sunday, November 8, 2020, when 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), a four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and presently the highest rated woman in the world, as well as a Rhodes Scholar and the youngest ever Professor at 深圳大学 (Shēnzhèn University), like a triumph of pink satin, dazzled the opening ceremony of the “天元教育论坛·2020” (“Tiānyuán Education Forum 2020”) which was being held at 天元公学 (Tiānyuán College), the Future Sci-Tech City super campus in 余杭区 (Yúháng District), 杭州 (Hángzhōu), 浙江省 (Zhèjiāng province), China. As for the debate, both 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and two-time World 象棋 (Xiàngqí) Champion 王天一 (Wàng Tiānyī) offered their deep insights and advice to make the school’s educational programs more attractive to students. Photos: 天元公学 (Tiānyuán College).

Yeah, Edna, she certainly has the physique du rôle for the part of a queen of spades, but only you have the innate charm of a wayward Cinderella

Artwork © Alan Perches (@elarbol3)

Red Zone Blues

Early morning — but not too early — in Piazza Santa Maria Novella at Florence, Italy. Photo: Olga Calamai.

Of course, Edna, climbing stairs rather than taking the elevator is a good way of exercising without risking to have a coup de foudre at every floor

Courtesy of KSA MA Architectural Visualisation

Catching Fire

In the wake of the success of the Netflix miniseries The Queen’s Gambit, this evening Christiane Amanpour hosted two non-fictional chess guests at her CNN International’s nightly interview program Amanpour, namely, 13th World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov and the all-time women’s No. 1 Judit Polgár, a woman who, in her prime, ranked as high as number eight in the world. In a very relaxed atmosphere, they discussed the gender gap in the chess world, both before and after their epoch. They both agreed that life is not a film, and especially Mrs. Polgár, who, like the anti-heroine of The Queen’s Gambit, has soft auburn hair, but who, unlike Beth Harmon, never encountered opponents as chivalrous as Vasily Borgov: “When I first won against the first grandmaster, he was handling it pretty badly... he was hitting his head into the elevator”, she said. Pictured above are Polgár and Kasparov playing each other at the 18th SuperGM Linares Chess Tournament in Linares, Spain, in February 2001. Photo: Enrique Alonso/AFP.

Yeah, Edna, you’re gonna dance on their ashes like a phoenix facing the sun and a white swan spreading out its wings

Artwork © Christos Christoforos (@webscream)