Fusilli Member since Aug-09-04 · Last seen Jan-21-22 Mariano Sana, Argentinian living in the US since 1995. Naturalized US citizen in 2015. I am an associate professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University: https://as.vanderbilt.edu/sociology.... Previously, I was at Louisiana State University (2003-2009). My published academic work can be seen here: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/Mar.... My review of Gary Alan Fine's "Players and Pawns" is here: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/d.... My avatar comes from a cartoon of mine drawn by a friend. My username, besides the pasta, is my late cat's name (he died in March 2021, age 19), inspired by this cartoon: http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/F.... My first tournament was at age 12 in 1979. I finished 8th in the Argentine junior championship in 1985. So, I was good enough, but not great. (That same evaluation might still be apt today, on a good day.) Unfortunately, no game scores survived from those years. I started to play again after grad school. I haven't played OTB since 2019. I won the Louisiana State Championship in 2007, featuring the Swiss gambit. I lost the first game and then won six in a row. This was my last round win, where I got lucky after playing the opening pretty terribly: J Rousselle vs M Sana, 2007. I also won the under 2200 section of the US Open in 2014. Again, Swiss gambit. Lost the first one, then won five in a row, lost game 7, and won games 8 and 9. My last round win was featured as a Tuesday puzzle: K Gulamali vs M Sana, 2014. I'd say that I am essentially a good but inconsistent player. My playing style is a mix of strategic and tactical. I'm usually very willing to sac a pawn or allow positional weaknesses in exchange for active piece play. For years I hovered around 2200, down to mid 2100s a few years ago. On a good day, well rested and inspired, I may beat an FM or IM (T Bartell vs M Sana, 2009, R Burnett vs M Sana, 2012, M Sana vs C Blocker, 2014, M Sana vs R Burnett, 2015). But on a bad day, I can play horribly and lose against whoever is sitting in front of me, losing tons of rating points at once. Lately, my tournament play has been limited to Nashville events. Sometimes I travel. If you see me at a tournament, feel free to say hi. I am a friendly fellow! My participation on this website goes through ebbs and flows, and 80+ percent of my posts are about chess. I often post on my own forum just to keep records, for myself. Everyone is welcome to visit and share! (But please don't post about politics here.)

Fusilli has kibitzed 4877 times to chessgames   [more...]

Jan-21-22 Karjakin vs Adams, 2016   Fusilli: Beautiful black piece coordination throughout. Steps: develop all pieces first, make a stronghold on e4, stop kingside attack on its tracks, push the queenside pawns... I played through the game quickly, but the impression I get is that the black pieces are always in the best square      Jan-02-22 Penguincw chessforum    Fusilli: Happy holidays to you too, <Penguincw>!      Dec-12-21 Fusilli chessforum    Fusilli: <OCF> It makes two of us.      Dec-11-21 L Espig vs P Mertens, 1968   Fusilli: <Stanco: That was an easy one.> SMH      Dec-05-21 Korchnoi vs Alterman, 1998   Fusilli: Oh, I hadn't noticed that 61. Hadn't looked at the score at all. Thanks.      Dec-04-21 Carlsen - Nepomniachtchi World Championship Match (2021)    Fusilli: <nok: I'll give Nepo a 3 and Carlsen a 6-7.> SMH      Nov-21-21 Korchnoi vs J Gallagher, 1998   Fusilli: <myschkin: Right after the game: Korchnoi's answer 5.Ne2 a6?! to Gallagher's question, where he went wrong ;))> It does sound like a reasonable answer!      Nov-14-21 H Bouwmeester vs E Cobo Arteaga, 1970   Fusilli: If 27.Nb6, I thought black had 27...Rh6 and the rook on a8 is untouchable because of Qh4. The computer gives 27...d5 though, then 28.Nxd5 and then 28...Rh6. White plays the conservative 27.Qb6. The computer says 27.Nxf4 instead and black is cooked (because white's DSB now watches ...      Nov-14-21 Korchnoi vs Geller, 1971   Fusilli: <WCC Editing Project: Paul Keres confirms that Geller lost this game on time.> I guess that explains 32...Qg4. Black had to play Bf6. Hard to believe Geller would not see the Nxc5 threat, but if he lost on time, he must have been playing instantly at that point.      Nov-06-21 E Mnatsakanian vs G Ustinov, 1959    Fusilli: I clicked on "see a random game" and I got this totally crazy lollapalooza. Nice choice, randomness fairy!

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My Facerook Wall

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 66 OF 68 ·  Later Kibitzing> Jun-05-20    chancho: <Fusilli> No te molestes con esos payasos. Mejor ponerlos en la lista de ignoro. Jun-05-20    Fusilli: <chancho> Tienes razón! El problema es que los que les responden los citan, y entonces quiero saber qué dijeron. Para mi lo mejor es no visitar esa página. Hoy hice una excepción. Jun-05-20    chancho: <Fusilli> Uno de ellos lo puse en la lista casi 10 años atras. Increiblemente, el sigue escribiendome. 🤷‍♂️ Es ridiculo, porque yo no me molesto en leer lo que el me dice. Como ya se que sus posts van a ser mayormente negativos, los evito sin ponerle ojo. Jun-05-20    saffuna: <fusilli> Me gustaria tenerte mas en esa pagina. Siento solo a veces. Jun-06-20    Fusilli: <saffuna> Lo siento, pero prefiero no acercarme demasiado. Estos últimos dias lo hice porque me distraje con todo lo que está pasando. Algunos de los que escriben ahi son totalmente tóxicos, y a mi no me gusta pelearme. Cuando uno discute con gente asi, el objetivo no es convencerlos. Eso es imposible. El objetivo tiene que ser compartir tu punto de vista con los otros, los que son mas razonables. A propósito, ayer reporté a uno de ellos por racista. Veamos si cg me presta atención. Jun-06-20    Fusilli: <chancho> <Es ridiculo, porque yo no me molesto en leer lo que el me dice.> Jajaja... dejalo que pierda su tiempo, que obviamente tiene tiempo de sobra! Jun-15-20    Fusilli: Note to self: This position resulting from the classical Nimzo: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che... ... has a pretty good score in White's favor. Study it. Jun-15-20    fredthebear: <Fusilli> Good work on your chess posts today. The puns and puzzles seem to get most of the attention, but please keep your posts coming. Jun-16-20    Fusilli: <fredthebear> Huh? Somebody reads them? :) Very kind of you, I appreciate it! Jul-05-20    jith1207: Belated birthday 🎂 wishes, <Fusilli>. Jul-06-20    Fusilli: <jith1207> Thank you! :) Jul-06-20    chancho: No tenia idea. Feliz cumpleaños! Jul-09-20    Fusilli: Gracias <Chancho>! Jul-12-20    Fusilli: Just played on chess.com. I was black. Black to play: click for larger view 23...? Jul-12-20    saffuna: Has to be 23...Rxg2. If 24. Rxg2 then 24...Qd2 and white cannot protect everything and also stop the black pawn. Jul-12-20    Fusilli: <saffuna> Right! Seeing 24...Qd2 is essential if you are going to take the plunge with 23...Rxg2, which aesthetically screams to be played :) The game ended: 23… Rxg2! 24. Rxg2 Qd2! 25. Rg1 e2 26. Qxh6 Bxg2+ 27. Rxg2 e1=Q+ 28. Rg1 Qd5# 0-1 Aug-09-20    parisattack: Sweet Sixteen <Fusilli>! I hope all is well your way. Aug-09-20    Fusilli: <parisattack> OMG, you are right! Sweet sixteen to you too! Aug-10-20    Check It Out: Hey guys, that is cool! Aug-10-20    technical draw: Felicidades por tus 16 años. Parece que fue ayer. Pronto yo cumpliré 17. No es tiempo perdido. Se desarrollan habilidades de comunicación en grupo y se aprende cosas de otros países. Pero a la vez también se hacen enemigos solo por una opinion. Y los enlaces que publican son también instructivos. Ó, y aveces se habla de ajedrez. Saludos, TD... Aug-13-20    Fusilli: <Check it out> Yup, <parisattack> and I are <chessgames> twins. Gracias <Tablas técnicas>! Todo lo que dices es muy cierto. Ojalá se escribiera más sobre ajedrez! Oct-04-20    Fusilli: This just happens on chess.com (5-minute game). Someone v Me: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 click for larger view 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nbd2 (the <CG> database only has 7.Bd2 here) d6 click for larger view 8. Bb5 dxe5 click for larger view Here white has to play 9. Bxc6+ and 0-0 or 9. 0-0. But... 9. Nxe5? Qxd4 click for larger view ... And white falls apart! I expected 10.Nd3 here, but... 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Nf3 Qxf2# 0-1 Oct-04-20    OhioChessFan: I've survived worse positions than after 11. 0-0 click for larger view Oct-04-20    Fusilli: <OCF> Oh yes, of course. I should have put question marks on 11.Nf3. There's nothing inevitable about blundering a mate in one! Oct-26-20    Fusilli: From my morning game on chess.com I am white and just played 19.Rab1, which happens to be a blunder. Black to play and win. click for larger view Black didn't see it, but I lost the game anyway. Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 68) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 66 OF 68 ·  Later Kibitzing>		from the Chessgames Store

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