淘金潮 (Gold rush)

It’s almost time for the Goldmoney Asian Rapid to begin. The 7th stage of the Champions Chess Tour 2021 will actually start at 13.00 CEST/16.30 IST on Saturday, June 26 at chess24.com with a 3-day Prelims Tournament which will determine who among the 16 contenders will win a spot in the quarterfinals. All eyes will be upon four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), the grand débutant in the “for men only” super-élite. Playbill courtesy of Champions Chess Tour (@ChampChessTour).

The Golden Fish

Stockfish – Stoofvlees

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 21 — Division P; tcec-chess.com, June 22, 2021

Sicilian Defence B81

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g4 Be7 7. g5 Nfd7 8. h4 Nc6 9. Be3 0-0 10. f4 Qb6 11. a3!? Indirectly defending the b-Pawn. Instead, the human theory gave only 11. Rb1 d5 12. e5⩲ Kruppa – Golod, 57th Ukrainian Chess Championship, Kharkov 1988. 11. ... d5. Of course not 11. ... Qxb2?? because of 12. Na4 trapping the Queen. On the other hand, it would be disconcerting, to say the least, if the text move were the cause of Black’s calamities. And yet... 12. exd5 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Bc5 14. Bxc5 Nxc5 15. Qd4 exd5. Again here, if 15. ... Qxb2? then 16. Qxc5! Qxa1+ 17. Kd2 with overwhelming compensation for the Exchange. Maybe 15. ... e5 could be considered, even if also in this case White would have little to worry about: 16. Qb4! exf4 17. 0-0-0 with powerful advantage. 16. 0-0-0 Bg4. If Stoofvlees were a human being rather than a machine, it could be inferred that “he” had relied a lot upon this move. 17. Nxd5 Qa5

18. h5! This gain of tempo proves devastating. 18. ... Ne6. The Rook is taboo, since 18. ... Bxd1? 19. h6! Ne6 20. Ne7+ Kh8 21. hxg7+ Nxg7 22. Qxd1 gives White a mating attack. 19. Qe5 Qc5 (19. ... Bxd1?? 20. Ne7++−) 20. b4 Qf2 21. Bd3 Rfd8. The Rook is untouchable for the same reason as mentioned above: 21. ... Bxd1? 22. Ne7+ Kh8 23. h6! with mating attack. 22. h6. Threat: Bd3xh7+. 22. ... g6. If 22. ... Rxd5!? (just hoping for 23. Qxd5?? Qxf4+ 24. Kb2 Bf3∞) then 23. Bxh7+! winning by force. 23. Ne7+ Kf8

24. Nxg6+! hxg6. If 24. ... fxg6 then 25. Qf6+ Kg8 (or 5. ... Ke8 26. Bb5+ followed by mate) 26. Bc4! with mate in a few moves. 25. h7 Ke7 26. Qf6+ Kd7 27. Qxf7+ Kc6 28. Be4+ Kb5 29. Qxb7+ Qb6

30. h8=Q! Bxd1. Or 30. ... Rxh8 31. Qd7+! followed by mate in two. 31. Qe5+ Nc5 32. Bc6+ Kc4 33. Qf7+ Ne6 34. Qfxe6+ Rd5 35. Q6xd5# 1 : 0.

Of course, Edna, you are not second to anyone in the universe

Artwork © EMRYS (@jawbelly)

Not the End of Me

“Life is not a parabola, and youth, my youth is not age”, the legendary 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) said in an interview for a documentary. At 35, she is an eight-time World Champion, and a five time Olympic and Asian Champion, but nonetheless, she feels and believes that her most beautiful days she hasn’t seen yet. Photos: 北京千龙新闻网 (Běijīng Qiānlóng Net).

Zwischenzug

Anya Taylor-Joy, alias Beth Harmon, The Queen’s Gambit fictional anti-heroine, swathed in a Grecian-inspired sheer gold gown, makes her arrival at the Dior Croisière (Cruise) 2022 fashion show at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece.. Photos: Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images.

Yeah, Edna, whatever he does, no matter whether he mates or not, he will have to reckon with you, because, as the proverb says, “lucky at play, unlucky in love”

Artwork © Art Geek (@artastic.gold)

Parallel Arrays

An aerial view shows a person walking along the shore line of colourful parasols on a beach of the Ionian Sea in Dhërmi, Albania. Photo: Florion Goga/Reuters.

Yes, indeed, Edna, the last thing a fashion stylist wants to do is to wake three time zones earlier into an unmade bed with all her own clothes on

Artwork © chichiney_san (@nyu_con_runny_nose)

Gates of horn and ivory

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Gulnar Mammadova

2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; round of 16 match game 14; time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, June 20, 2021

Modern Defence B06

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be3 a6 5. h4 h5 6. f3 b5 7. Qd2 Bb7 8. a4 b4 9. Nd1 a5 10. c3 (10. Nh3 Nd7 11. Ng5 Ngf6 12. c3 bxc3 13. bxc3 e6 14. Bd3 Qe7 15. Nf2 Nb6 16. 0-0 d5 17. Qc2 Bc6 18. Bc1 Nc4 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Re1 0-0-0 21. Qb3 Ndb6 22. Ba3 Qe8 23. Bc5 Kb7 24. Nfe4 1 : 0 van der Wiel – A. Jones, 29th Chess Olympiad, Novi Sad 1990) 10. ... bxc3 11. bxc3 Nf6. Or similarly 11. ... Nd7 12. Rb1 Qc8 13. Bb5 c6 14. Bd3 Ngf6 15. Ne2 e5 16. Nf2 0-0 17. 0-0 d5?! (17. ... Ba6!?) 18. Bh6⩲↑ Savić – Lee Jun Hyeok, Mix za norme — third Saturday 108, Novi Sad 2019. 12. Nh3 Nbd7 13. Rb1 Nb6. Here 13. ... Qc8 14. Bb5 c6 15. Bd3 Ba6 was worth considering without any obvious disadvantage for Black. 14. Bb5+ Nfd7? This unfortunate move puts Black into a very unpleasant situation. ⌓ 14. ... c6 15. Bd3 Ba6 was probably a better bet. 15. Ng5 e6 16. 0-0 0-0 17. Nf2 Ba6 18. Bxa6 Rxa6 19. Qd3 Ra8 20. c4? A diversion that could cost dearly. Consistent was 20. f4 (Δ f4-f5) 20. ... d5 21. e5 with a powerful bind. 20. ... d5? (⌓ 20. ... e5!∞) cxd5 exd5 22. e5 Nc4

23. e6! fxe6 (23. ... f6 24. Nf7) 24. Qxg6 Rf6 25. Qh7+ Kf8 26. Rfe1 Rb8 27. Rxb8 Qxb8 28. Qxh5 Nxe3 29. Rxe3 Qb1+ 30. Kh2 Ke7

31. Rxe6+! Rxe6 32. Qf7+ Kd8 33. Nxe6+ Kc8 34. Qe8+ Kb7 35. Qxd7 Bh6 36. Qxc7+ Ka8 37. Qxa5+ Kb7 38. Qb5+ 1 : 0.

Only supernatural beings are supposed to be capable of being in two time zones places at the same time. Screenshot from the live stream.

Through the Square Window

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Gulnar Mammadova

2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Round of 16 match game 6; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, June 20, 2021

French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qa4. “Known mostly as the Portisch-Hook Variation, this sets particularly difficult tactical and strategic problems for both players”, writes Grandmaster Nick de Firmian (Mechanics Institute Chess Club Newsletter #964, June 27, 2020). 8. Qg4 Kf8 (8. ... g6 9. Nf3!?) 9. Qd1! Her Majesty back home after her job was done. 9. ... b6 10. Nf3. Much of what is going to happen dates back to the 1970s: 10. h4 Ne7 11. h5 h6 12. Rh4 Ba6 13. Bxa6 Nxa6 (⌓ 13. ... Qxa6 in order to reply to 14. Rf4 with 14. ... Nbc6 15. Qf3 Nd8) 14. Rf4 (Fischer suggested afterwards 14. ... Qe8) 14. ... Qd7 15. Qf3 Nc6 16. Nh3 Rc8 17. g4→ Qe8 18. g5 Ne7 19. gxh6 gxh6 20. Rf6 Nf5 21. Nf4! Ke7 22. Nxd5+ Kd8 23. Ne3 Nxe3 24. Bxe3 Rc7 25. dxc5 Nxc5 26. Rd1+ (or 26. 0-0-0+) 26. ... Ke7 (26. ... Rd7 27. Rxf7+−) 27. Bxc5+ bxc5 28. Rxe6+! 1 : 0 R. J. Fischer – Hook, 19th Chess Olympiad, Siegen 1970. 10. ... Ba6 11. Bxa6 Qxa6!? Less usual than 11. ... Nxa6 12. h4!? h5!?∞ (if, instead, 12. ... Ne7 then 13. h5 h6 14. Rh4⩲↑ Bulmagă – Cosma, 66th Romanian Women’s Chess Championship, Băile Olănești 2013). 12. a4. In the 10th game the young Chinese star deviated with 12. h4 Nc6 13. h5 h6 14. dxc5 bxc5 15. Be3 Qa5 16. 0-0 Nge7 17. Rb1 Qxc3 18. Qe2 Nxe5 19. Rb7 Nxf3+ 20. Qxf3 d4?? (⌓ 20. ... Re8) 21. Rb3+− Rc8 22. Rxc3 dxc3 23. Qb7 f5 24. Rd1 Re8 25. Bxc5 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mammadova, 2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event, chess.com, June 20, 2013, round of 16 match game 10 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move). 12. ... Ne7TN (12. ...Nd7 13. Qe2 Qxe2+ 14. Kxe2 Ne7 15. a5 cxd4 16. axb6 Nxb6 17. Rhb1 Nec8 18. cxd4 Ke7 19. Bb4+ Kd7 20. Rb3 Nc4 21. Nd2 Rb8 ½ : ½ Kollars – Stupak, 6th Riga Technical University Open, Riga 2016) 13. h4 h6 14. a5! bxa5 15. h5 Nd7 16. Rh4

16. ... c4? This turns out to be a big strategic mistake that leaves White with a free hand. ⌓ 16. ... Nc6 is probably Black’s best reply. 17. Rf4 Ke8 18. Nh4 Rb8 19. Qf3 Rf8 20. Rg4. Transferring the Bishop at once to a3 (via c1) would also be strong here, and perhaps stronger than the text. 20. ... Rg8?! A little better seems 20. ... a4, but then after 21. Bc1! g5 22. hxg6 fxg6 23. Qh3 g5 24. Ba3!→ White’s attack continues at full steam. 21. Qg3 Kf8

22. Rxg7! Rh8 (22. ... Rxg7 23. Bxh6+−) 23. Bc1! Rb6 24. Ba3 Qb7 25. Bxe7+ Kxe7 26. Ng6+ Kd8 27. Nxh8 Rb1+ 28. Rxb1 Qxb1+ 29. Kd2 a4 30. Nxf7+ Kc7 31. Qh4 Kc6 32. Nd8+ 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) defeated Mammadova 15 – 6 in the round of 16 and advances to the quarterfinals of the 2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event. Screenshot from the live stream.

Well, Edna, it goes without saying that almost all mankind is called to spend half the afternoon in prayers of adoration and worship

Artwork © 박지원 (@atelier._.z0ne)

Inbetweening

Gotta stay tuned. Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is to take on Azerbaijani International Master Gulnar Mammadova in her début match (Round of 16) at the 2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event to be held online at chess.com on Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 4.30 A.M. PT/13.30 CEST. For further details, click here.

Window on the Seine

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Levon Grigori Aronian

6th Grand Chess Tour; 2nd stage; Paris Rapid; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Paris, June 19, 2021

English Opening A13

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Bd7 6. Qxc4 c5 7. Ne5 Qc8 8. b3 Nc6 9. Nxd7 Qxd7 10. Bb2 Be7 11. 0-0 Rc8 12. Rd1 0-0 13. Nc3 a6!?TN (13. ... Rfd8 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. Qxe4 b6 16. Rac1 Bg5 17. h4 Bh6 18. Bc3 g6 19. e3 Bg7 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. d4 Ne7 22. Bf3 cxd4 23. Rxc8 Qxc8 24. Rxd4 Rxd4 25. Qxd4+ Kg8 26. h5 Qc7 27. Qf6 Nf5 28. Kg2 Ng7 29. hxg6 hxg6 30. Be4 Ne8 31. Qd4 Nd6 32. Bf3 Nf5 33. Qd2 Qe5 34. a4 Kg7 35. Qd3 Qc5 36. Qd2 a5 37. Qb2+ Kf8 38. Qf6 Ke8 39. Qh8+ Ke7 40. Qb8 Qd6 41. Qc8 Qb4 42. Qc7+ Kf6 43. Qd8+ Kg7 44. Qd3 Qc5 45. Qd2 Nd6 46. Qd3 Kf6 47. Qd2 Ke7 48. Qd3 Ne8 49. Qe4 Nf6 50. Qb7+ Kf8 51. Qb8+ Kg7 52. Qd8 Qb4 53. Qd3 Ne8 54. Kf1 Kf8 55. Qc2 Nf6 56. Kg2 Qd6 57. Qc8+ Kg7 58. Qc3 Qd8 59. b4 axb4 60. Qxb4 Kg8 61. Qc3 Nd7 62. Kg1 Nc5 63. a5 Qc7 64. axb6 Qxb6 ½ : ½ Harika – L. van Foreest, 80th Tata Steel Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2018) 14. Rac1 b5 15. Qf4 h6 16. d3 Rfd8 17. Qd2 Qa7 18. e3 Qb6 19. Qe2 Nb4 20. a3 Nbd5 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. d4 Nf6 23. dxc5 Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Bxc5 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Qh5

26. ... Bxa3? It’s hard to say what Aronian may have been thinking as he captured such a poisoned Pawn. Instead he should give up a Pawn by 26. ... Be7 27. Qxh6 (now Black can reply to 27. Rd7 with 27. ... Rc7) 27. ... Rd8 with good chances for defence. 27. Rd7! Rf8 28. Be4! f5 29. Qxh6 fxe4. Or 29. ... Qc5 30. Qg5+ Kh7 (if 30. ... Kh8 then 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Bf3 and the threat of Qf6-g5+ followed by Rd7-d4 costs Black a heavy price) 31. Rd5! Qc6 (not 31. ... exd5 on account of 32. Bxf5+ followed by mate in two) 32. Qh4+ Kg7 33. Rxf5! winning handily.

30. Rd5! The Rook joins the mating attack, thanks to the pin on the 6th rank. After that there is nothing for Black to do but leave the stage: 30. ... Qxe3 31. Qxe3 exd5 32. Qg5+ Kh8 33. Qxd5 f5 34. Qd4+ Kg8 35. b4 Bc1 36. Qb6 Rf7 37. Qxa6 e3 38. Qc8+ 1 : 0.

Of course, there is at least one obvious reason why Nepomniachtchi is interested in showing that he is in pretty good form. Photo © Lennart Ootes.

Yeah, Edna, their hypertrophic egos and exaggerated narcissism may be your most precious asset — even more than pure gold

Artwork © TovioRogers

The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

And here is the poster with which the Champions Chess Tour 2021 masterminds invite their followers to a celebration of the début of four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in the wildest Seventh Seal of wildcard dates, namely, the Goldmoney Asian Rapid, which will take place online at chess24.com from June 26 to July 4, 2021. Playbill courtesy of Champions Chess Tour (@ChampChessTour).

Last Tango in Paris

Wesley So – Richárd Rapport

6th Grand Chess Tour; 2nd stage; Paris Rapid; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Paris, June 18, 2021

Nimzo-Indian Defence E41

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Ne2 cxd4 7. exd4 d5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. 0-0 Nf6 10. Bc2 0-0 11. a3 Bxc3 12. bxc3 e5!?TN (12. ... Qa5 13. c4 Rd8 14. Bb2 Qh5 15. Qe1 b6 16. d5 exd5 17. Nf4 Qh4 18. Nxd5 Be6 19. Nxf6+ gxf6 20. Qe4 Qxe4 21. Bxe4 Rd6 22. Rac1 Rc8 23. Bxf6 Nd4 24. Rfd1 Ne2+ 25. Kf1 Ng3+ 26. hxg3 Bxc4+ 27. Kg1 Rxf6 28. Rd7 a6 29. Bd5 b5 30. Rc3 Rb8 31. Bxc4 bxc4 32. Rxc4 Rb1+ 33. Kh2 Rxf2 34. Rd8+ Kg7 35. Rg4+ Kf6 36. Rf4+ Rxf4 37. gxf4 Kf5 ½ : ½ del Rio de Angelis – Salgado López, 7th Ibero-American Chess Championship, Linares 2019) 13. Bg5 exd4 14. Nxd4 Nxd4 15. cxd4 h6 16. Bh4 Re8 17. Qd3 Bd7 18. d5 Rc8 19. d6 (Δ Bh4xf6) 19. ... g5 20. Bg3

20. ... Ne4? This seems to be the losing move, leaving White in command of the central files. Probably better was 20. ... Qa5 so as to reply to 21. Rac1 with 21. ... Qd5 forcing the exchange of Queens and remaining with a tenable game. 21. Rae1 Rc3 22. Qd1 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 Be6. Yet Black cannot take on a3 because of the penetration of White’s Rook to e7. 25. Qd2 Rxa3. Now finally, he does it. 26. Rd1. But the d-file is also enough for the White Rook. 26. ... Bd7 27. Qb4 Ra2 28. Qb3 Ra5 29. Qxb7 Kg7 30. Re1 Rc5 31. Qe4 Qf6 32. Qh7+ Kf8 33. Re7 Be8. After all, one must be grateful to Rapport for allowing his opponent to finish in style rather than to provide a prosaic display of technique (as would have happened in case of 33. ... Rxc2 34. Qxc2 Qxd6 35. Re1).

34. Bg6! 1 : 0. A devilish interference: if 34. ... fxg6 then 35. Qxh6+ followed by mate in two, while in case of 34. ... Qxg6 35. Qh8+ Qg8 36. Qxh6+ (or 36. Rxe8+) 36. ... Qg7 37. Rxe8+ White takes it all.

Candy cakes

Women enjoy the sun on a deserted beach along the shores of mucilage-covered Marmara Sea in Darıca district of Kocaeli, Turkey. Photo: Yasin Akgül/AFP.

No, Edna, they can’t guess from which spring you will come

Artwork © Joanna Price (@jomprice97)

Between Stage and Screen

Footage of four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) performing in the “银丰杯 (Yínfēng Cup) Chess Grandmaster Challenge” in 济南 (Jǐnán), 山东省 (Shāndōng province), China on Sunday, June 13, 2021. Video: 大众日报 (Dàzhòng Daily).

Midas Touch

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) becomes the first woman to figure in the Champions Chess Tour 2021, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, a $1.6 million series of 10 online super-tournaments featuring the world’s top players. In particular, thanks to a wildcard invitation, she will make her début in the 7th stage of the Tour, namely, the Goldmoney Asian Rapid, which will take place online at chess24.com from June 26 to July 4, 2021. For further details, click here.

Well, Edna, to quote Alda Merini, a genius poet who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder by shrinks, “It’s not the mad but the sane who do harm”

Artwork © hotdanial (@tripledotcomics.co)

Touchscreen

And finally Anna, Beatrice, Carolina, Emma, and Federica got together again for a day of nostalgia and friendship under the watchful eye of Alessandra and Viola.

Diet for Dancers

And finally, when asked if they wanted a snack, all dancers unanimously choose frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.

A World of Grace

In the aftermath of the New Normal, Viola reinvents herself as a pet sitter for Carolina’s dog named Grace.

One Year After

A year has passed since the last rendez-vous of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” in Piazza Vincenzo Fardella da Torrearsa at Campo di Marte in Florence, Italy. It’s worth noting, too, that in the meanwhile “The girl in the pullover” took her own precautions to safeguard herself from the Delta variant.