Fusilli Member since Aug-09-04 · Last seen Dec-22-25 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 6318 times to chessgames   [more...]

Dec-22-25 Fusilli chessforum   Fusilli: <OCF> Right? In other news, I'm in bed with the flu. First my wife caught it, now me. I took care of her until lunch today. Then she began to feel better and I went down quickly. So, now she is the caretaker.      Dec-13-25 Lenderman vs C Yip, 2017   Fusilli: Great game by Lenderman, showing the true value of the minor pieces in this setup when black has no prospects on the king side.      Dec-12-25 A DeCord vs M Sana, 2023   Fusilli: 36...? [DIAGRAM] I thought this would make a nice puzzle, but I just checked and the computer says that, in addition to the move in the game, black also draws with 36...Kh7. 37.Bxe6 concedes perpetual, and if 37.d7 Rd6! = [DIAGRAM]      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-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>!

indicates a reply to the comment.

My Facerook Wall

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 93 OF 114 ·  Later Kibitzing> Mar-17-24    Fusilli: <OCF> It's unusual to get to sac twice in the same game, although both sacs are no-risk. However, earlier in the game I had played the very-blitz, very-Benoni, and very dubious sac 18...Nxg3 in this position: click for larger view So, three sacs in the same game. I am kicking butt at blitz this morning, and that tends to be the case on Sunday morning. Maybe the Lord looks kindly on me on the Lord's day? :) Also, I do feel rested and relaxed on Sunday mornings. And that helps! When I take a break at work to play a blitz or two, I often play poorly, because my state of mind is very different. Also a reason why I play better in summer than during the school year. Mar-20-24    Fusilli: Thanks, <CG> for uploading four of my games from the recent Music City Open! M Sana vs G Rambha, 2024 D Aaron vs M Sana, 2024 C Peatman vs M Sana, 2024 M Sana vs J Campbell, 2024 All of them 1-0. My fifth game was a win (and also 1-0) but of very poor quality, so I didn't submit it. Mar-23-24    Fusilli: <Tactical Training: Maximize the power of your threats> Fun fact! I just played this on chess.com (I am black) and here I blew it. In my defense, you really have to be a GM to see this in blitz. In this position, with black to play... click for larger view ... turns out that the best move is 24...Qf8!! A) 25.Bxe8 (not good) Rxe8 26.Qf1 Qd6! click for larger view Look at that! The threat of Qc6 means black is winning. B) 25.Qf1 a6!! 26.Bxe8 Qxe8 click for larger view And against the threat of Qc6, white has nothing better than 27.Be3 (where 27...Qc6 is a blunder because of 28.Re2) Bxe3 and black recovered the piece and has the upper hand. Mar-23-24    OhioChessFan: <You are right. Here, 3...Rc8+ is much better than 3...Ra4+. So is 3...Ra3 and even 3...Raa8. (I ran it by the computer now.) > Whew, those aren't obvious at all, though surely the engine saw it in one billionth of a second. Mar-23-24    OhioChessFan: <Fun fact! I just played this on chess.com (I am black) and here I blew it. In my defense, you really have to be a GM to see this in blitz.> I maybe would have found it in 10 minutes.... Apr-03-24    FSR: Registration for the U.S. Senior Open in Northbrook, Illinois is now open! July 12-14. https://www.kingregistration.com/ev... I signed up. Apr-03-24    Fusilli: <FSR> Excellent! I intend to play, but I won't sign up yet. I usually wait for my plans to become clear. Apr-05-24    Fusilli: Just played on chess.com. I am black. click for larger view Black to play Apr-05-24    moronovich: - Rf4+ !-gxf4 and black is mating on g4 or Rf4+.Kg5-Rg4+.Kh6 and Qf8 mate ! Very nice, if you found that combi in the heat of a blitzgame. Apr-06-24    Fusilli: <moro> Yes! But careful with 1...Rf4+ 2.Kg5 Rf5+?? click for larger view ...where either 3.Kh6 or 3.Kxg6 wins! Apr-08-24    Fusilli: Blitz on chess.com. I am black. click for larger view White to play. Is he lost? Apr-09-24    Check It Out: Your question says no, my search says yes. I know who I'm betting on :) Apr-10-24    offramp: <User: Fusilli> I am still looking at it. I'm pretty sure the first move must be 1. h8Q. Then 1...NxQ. I suppose 2. Nb7 .... then I don't know. I'll come back later. Apr-10-24    Fusilli: <offramp> No problem. I'll wait! <check it out> Is it ok if I don't follow? :) Apr-10-24    offramp: I was telling my daughter about these studies/problems.... "The positions are running inside my head, all day long. I can't just forget about them...." LOL, That's true. I am sure you will have that as well. Apr-11-24    Fusilli: <offramp> Ha! No longer. It was a thing for me when I was, say, 15-25. Thankfully, it went away! In the position I shared, from a blitz game of mine on chess.com, my opponent erred with 1.Nb7 and I won easily. click for larger view Turns out that 1.Kg4 draws. The line is pretty much forced: 1.Kg4 Kxa5 2.Kg5 Nh8 3.Kf6 a3 4.Kg7 a2 5.Kxh8 a1=Q+ 6.Kg8 draw click for larger view (e.g. 6...Qg1+ Kh8) Apr-11-24    offramp: Very good. I see it now! Apr-15-24    Check It Out: <fusili> I meant that your question inferred that there was a way for white to draw, but I couldn't find it. Now that the solution has been presented, as usual things seem so obvious. Thanks for all your chess content! Apr-20-24    Fusilli: <check it out> ah, got it. Cheers. Apr-20-24    chancho: Mate in four: click for larger view Apr-20-24    Fusilli: <chancho> Rhf8, Rfe8, e6, Rf8 Apr-20-24    chancho: Yep... Apr-22-24    Fusilli: Blitz on chess.com. I am white. I just played e4 and thought I was winning a piece. Black to play. click for larger view Apr-23-24    OhioChessFan: Took a while. 1...Nf4, if gxf4, then Qxd4 and White's Pawns are a mess. So 2. Qxb4 Qxd4 3. Qxd4 Ne2+ 4. Kh1 Nxd4 click for larger view Difficult endgame, about even. No chance I'd find this in blitz. Apr-23-24    Fusilli: <OCF> Exactly. I was quite disappointed when my opponent did find it. He used a good minute or so though. I don't remember what the result of the game was. I saved the position on my phone for several days. I played this game (and others) during breaks at a conference I went to last week. Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 114) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 93 OF 114 ·  Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members. Nothing in violation of United States law. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members. No trolling. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers. Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times. See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator. NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific user only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors. All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

You are not logged in to chessgames.com. If you need an account, register now; it's quick, anonymous, and free! If you already have an account, click here to sign-in.