Fusilli Member since Aug-09-04 · Last seen Dec-10-25 Mariano Sana, Argentinian by birth, in the US since 1995. Naturalized US citizen. I hold a PhD in Demography from the University of Pennsylvania, and 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.academia.edu/69647923/P.... 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: https://condenaststore.com/featured.... 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 play between 0 and 4 tournaments per year. I won the Louisiana State Championship in 2007. 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 (M Sana vs J Sheng, 2014, a rather atypical game), and won games 8 and 9. My last round win was featured as a Tuesday puzzle: K Gulamali vs M Sana, 2014. (Try it! Black to play at move 29. But you can also do black to play at move 22 as a principled-move puzzle.) 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 after a disaster and a 50-point loss at the 2019 World Open. (Aging and MS fatigue had much to do with that.) On good days, I have had nice wins: 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. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2011, but it didn't cause me trouble until 2018/9. I have a weak right leg (I often use a cane now) and I fatigue easily. Medication, well-timed naps, and exercise help. I play blitz games on chess.com under the username RealFusilli. My participation on this website goes through ebbs and flows, and the majority 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 6310 times to chessgames   [more...]

Dec-09-25 N Theodorou vs G Jones, 2025   Fusilli: <number 23> I just read your profile blurb. I totally identify with this! <My specialty is getting into trouble out of the opening because I don't prepare well, then hoodwinking points out of players through a variety of creative and fortunate swindles.>      Dec-09-25 G Garcia Gonzalez vs Velimirovic, 1982   Fusilli: Position after 55...Qc4 [DIAGRAM] The black queen is annoying, but white can't push her away easily. If 56.Rb4 Qd3 repeats the position. And obviously, 56. R or Qc3 runs into Ne2+. 56.Kh2! And it turns out that 56...Nd3 doesn't win material. White gets to trade queens and loses a ...      Dec-09-25 Botvinnik vs Tal, 1961   Fusilli: Another nice positional squeeze in this line is L Christiansen vs G Garcia Gonzalez, 1982 .      Dec-09-25 Fusilli chessforum   Fusilli: If y'all are in the mood for a really, really tough puzzle (a mate in 3) check out my post on Murray Marble The post also has the link to the solution for when you give up!      Dec-08-25 Murray Marble   Fusilli: Murray Marble, 1908 Mate in 3 [DIAGRAM] When you give up, see the solution here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCU... (Or ask your engine, of course)      Dec-07-25 J Friedman vs Gulko, 1993   Fusilli: This is a big <oops!> of a game.      Dec-06-25 J Cuenca Jimenez vs F Oro, 2025   Fusilli: What an interesting positional game. Black's bishop looks bad, but white has his own pawn structure weakness, and Faustino maneuvered admirably.      Dec-06-25 Faustino Oro    Fusilli: I usually don't care to cheer for any GM in particular, but I second my fellow Argentinian <Augalv>!      Dec-05-25 London Chess Classic (2025)    Fusilli: <keypusher> Check the email I sent you on 11/23, please.      Nov-30-25 F Baumbach vs Y Sakharov, 1977   Fusilli: Black seems to have had trouble managing his queen here. 3...Qe7 looks like an odd choice. The queen is misplaced in the KID scheme that followed, to the point that black eventually sends her back to d8. Later, 15...Qc7 misplaces the queen again. (The computer says 15...b5 gives ...

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 112 OF 114 ·  Later Kibitzing> Sep-05-25    stone free or die: I'd start with Qh7, and then shepherd the king over to the a-file on the 7th rank, then back to a-file, capture the bishop and advance the g-pawn to promotion. Trouble is the box is too big, the king has to be on the a-file (outside the box) when the bishop is captured. So, I realized I didn't have the patience to try to visualize it out - not being able to find any clever forking idea - and just finished it with an engine. It's a total grind - the Black king has to be driven all the way to the White side of the board. A grind, but instructional (though I wonder just how many games I'd be able to utilize it). Sep-06-25    Fusilli: OK, I stopped reading <sfod>'s post when he mentioned the engine. Until then, that's what I was thinking. However, the black king on a-8 doesn't work. With the black king on a8, 2.Qh7 Kb8 3.Qxh3 gxh3 4.g4 Kc8 and draw. Black made it into the c4-g4-g8-c8 square on time. So, the question is, can white drive the black king down where it can't get inside the square (g4-c4-c8-g8) in response to white's g4 advance? That is, when white plays Qxh3, the black king should be on either the second row or the a-file. It will never be on the a-file, since if it were, it will move to the b-file when the white queen goes to the h-file, before Qxh3. Sep-06-25    Fusilli: OK, I see it, but it's insanely long to write! So, I'm just noting the plan. The procedure I see involves white driving down the black king row by row, but necessarily allowing the black king to momentarily move toward the kingside, if it wants to. It starts with driving the black king to a8. At that point, the white queen is on d7. Then, 1.Qe8+ Kb7 2.Qd8 Kc6 3.Qe7. Then it depends on what black does, but it looks to me that the black king will be pushed toward the a1 corner. When white moves the queen to the h-column, the black king must be on a1 or b1. (If it is for example, on a2, 1.Qh# Kb3 2.Qxh3 gxh3 3.g4 Kc4=) Sep-06-25    stone free or die: Hi Fusilli - I'm pretty sure you got farther than I did, and we both had the rough idea. But, being precise, I have to take issue with this statement: <"When white moves the queen to the h-column, the black king must be on a1 or b1."> White can allow the king to be on any on the 1st rank, so long as the queen can get to the h-file. . Sep-06-25    stone free or die: (And since I cheated, and used an engine, I can also say that it's not mandatory to drive the Black king to a8 either - though it's natural to think it (I think!)) Sep-07-25    Fusilli: <sfod> yes, anywhere on the first row. Noted on possible different starting points. Sep-08-25    OhioChessFan: You have it. The two important principles are getting the King outside the box and the power of a Queen a Knight's move away from the opposing King. And indeed Ka8 Qe8+. One other point worth mentioning: In some lines, e3 is a crucial square Black can't cross as it shrinks the box against the King a little. Sep-10-25    Fusilli: <OCF> I'm kind of proud of myself I got it. The word puzzle was apt! Where did you source it from? Oct-01-25    OhioChessFan: Sorry, I missed this request and in the meantime, I forgot the source. I get a lot of puzzles as YouTube suggested videos and think that was the source. Oct-21-25    OhioChessFan: From a 3/2 game. I'm White and in bad shape. Down a Pawn, going to be two Pawns soon, and getting crushed positionally. click for larger view I tried Ne3 just to generate some activity. Stockfish said it was objectively best, to my surprise, although there aren't many attractive alternatives. I was pretty sure I saw what would happen if Black made the wrong move in response . He did. What plausible move did Black play to immediately give me the draw, and what should he have played? Oct-22-25    Troller: I am guessing he took on a3 and then his Queen got chased around by the rooks without an escape square. Chess is funny that way, there are many squares in the White camp but as long as a4 and c2 are covered he can never really get away. A move like ..Re3 should be winning, probably also others. Oct-22-25    areknames: I was also thinking Black played ...Qxa3. It does seem the Q is trapped indefinitely after that. Oct-23-25    OhioChessFan: Yes, Black played Qxa3. The only squares available for the Queen are a2, a3, b2 and d2. Probably Re3 is best but a random Rook move is likely winning too. Oct-26-25    Fusilli: Wait, I agree that Qxa3 is a bad move, but I thought the queen can escape... only that black gets himself in a losing position, so it's better to accept the draw. Specifically: 1...Qxa3 2.Ra1 Qb2 3.Rfb1 Qe2 3.Re1 Qd3? 4.Rad1 Qg6 5.Rxd7 Nxd7 (only move) 6.Rd1 (or Qc7, but Rd1 threatens Rxd7, more subtle) Qf6 (only move, I think. To h6, Qc7 threatens rook and knight) 7.Qc7 Qe7, and isn't black all tied up while white has a free knight? click for larger view If white can't stop Kf8-Ke8 and black unties himself, white can surely gobble down the a and b pawns at least. And even after 8.Qxa7 Kf8 9.Qxb6 Ke8 white still has 10.Qc6 and black is still all tied up. Does that win? Now tell me what I missed, because I did not set up the engine. Regardless, black should NOT get into this and take the draw instead! Oct-31-25    Obvious Troll: <Fusilli> Did you quit playing OTB tournaments? Nov-01-25    Fusilli: <Obvious Troll: <Fusilli> Did you quit playing OTB tournaments?> I may have. I didn't plan it that way, it's just happening. I get very tired from playing (and also from traveling). And I am so busy with work. I most definitely quit playing OTB with long time controls (anything longer than G90). Nov-05-25    OhioChessFan: White to play and draw: click for larger view Nov-06-25    stone free or die: I knew it was an endgame position before seeing the full post! Nov-06-25    stone free or die: (Hint alert!) Hmmm, don't think it's a perpetual check kind-of-thing. Nov-06-25    stone free or die: (Actually, there kinda is!) Nov-06-25    OhioChessFan: Yep, there's a sorta kinda perpetual involved. Nov-06-25    areknames: 1.Rb7+ Kc8 2.Rb5! and if the pawn queens it's stalemate after Rc5+. Nov-07-25    OhioChessFan: Yes. A couple trivial lines. 1. Rb7+ Ka8 2. Ra7+ Kb8 is clearly a repetition. If Black underpromotes, the White Rook draws. Nov-07-25    stone free or die: Underpromotes to a rook, of course (B or N would lose). Nov-07-25    Fusilli: <areknames: 1.Rb7+ Kc8 2.Rb5! and if the pawn queens it's stalemate after Rc5+.> Yup. You beat me to the punch. Nice. Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 114) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 112 OF 114 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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