Nova Daily - 15 June 2025: Cerca Trova (Recap week 24)
Hi!
Another week has gone, and an intense one at that. First of all I'm still ecstatic about having won the May contest of The Blogger Awards. I had already wanted to judge for this month, but I only became eligible after having participated in the April month.
Then, my friend resigned from my team to spread his wings, which is a great move into his chess-career. I'll support him from the sidelines and help him whenever I'm able and welcome to do so (although some people clearly have their doubts whether I'm qualified to do so). I had to bid farewell to another person this week, even though I feel especially sad because of the way that my date feels about the decision to call it off and regretted it afterwards. It drained me of some inspiration and motivation to write something new, and I compensated for it on the next day by coming up with 40 new topics.
I firmly believe that inspiration exists in everything. The large, the small, the serious, the preposterous, the absurd, the sad, the happy; everything harbours something that makes it worth writing about.
The above painting by Vasari has become somewhat more famous thanks to the Dan Brown novel Inferno. The reason is that there is something scribbled in the painting. If you know that it's there, you'll find it.
Cerca Trova
Cerca Trova is an Italian phrase that essentially translates to "Those who seek will find." Variations on this phrase are used a lot in many different texts and contexts. Dan Brown's novels are essentially full of the "There has to be something in here" idea. Albus Dumbledore tends to find something worthwhile in everyone he comes across, no matter how foul they are (except maybe for Voldemort, who successively dehumanised himself). And the final chapter of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck starts with the mysterious phrase "Seek the truth for yourself, and I will meet you there."
When Dr Samuel Johnson had finished his great lexicography, the first real English dictionary, he was visited by various delegations of people to congratulation him, including a delegation of London’s respectable womanhood, who came to his parlour in Fleet Street and said, “Dr, we want to congratulate you on your decision to exclude all indecent words from your dictionary.” And he said, “Ladies, I congratulate your persistence in looking them up.”
- Christopher Hitchens
The moral of the above story is that people who are determined to feel offended will invariably find a reason to feel so. They seek, and they will find.
Earlier today, Vanessa uploaded her long-awaited and eagerly anticipated blog about BlogChamps Season 8. Since she also submitted this blog for the June month in TBA, I don't think that it'd be fair if I'd divulge my opinions on her blog at this stage. And so I won't, save for one thing: there is a Cerca Trova at play in her blog. If you know you know 
The week in chess
Chess-wise, the week was marked by a few rather peculiar things. I won against GM Victor Bologan in a Puzzle Battle, which still feels unreal. I got a guy insane by playing 1.c4, which was simply hilarious. (For those who didn't pick up on it: the layer of sarcasm was massive.) I fought back and won a game against someone who was already counting his chickens before they hatched. And then I had that game against the player who made an unforced error by missing essentially the only tactic that I had.
It's been madness, but what's most important is that I managed to further the studying of my openings to some degree. In terms of the opening, I have a few new things that I learned.
I decided to include this week's absolute best game below:
The week's takeaway points:
- 1.c4 can get people to tilt. That's their problem, not mine.
- If in Queen's Gambit Declined lines with d5xc4 the c4-pawn isn't in danger, it's better to just continue developing.
- I should find ways to work out how to remain within my own repertoire, especially in terms of 1.Nf3. I have a few different options; 1...Nf6 might be more prudent if I prefer to evade the Sicilians altogether. But the transposition into the Panov variation of the Caro-Kann would've been nice, as that's a line I'm likely to face much more often. To illustrate why this is vitally important: IM Danny Rensch played the Panov against me and got a winning position out of the opening.
- Even 2600+ GMs are humans that can be beaten.
- Don't trade queens when you're attacking. It costs you a lot of half and whole points.
- Don't make your victory lap before you finish the race.
- Engine's best isn't always human best. The idea to sacrifice the f-pawn on f4 and make the kingside completely static was best according to the engine, but I wouldn't have played that idea. Unless I wanted to make a draw, or unless I'd be able to find a way into the kingside.
- In the endgame, be stingy with pushing pawns. It's worth looking at the way Carlsen treats endgames.
Oh, and I "caught" a cheater today.
My current scores:
- Rapid rating: 2265 (+13)
- Blitz rating: 2436 (+2)
- Bullet rating: 2541 (+5)
- Survival: 63 (=)
- Puzzle Battle: 2070 (+16)
- Puzzles: 3508 (-40)
- Repertoire: 4353 moves (+22)
Blogs:
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-8-june-2025-the-sense-of-urgency-recap-week-23
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-9-june-2025-a-tough-choice
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-10-june-2025-the-caged-bird
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-11-june-2025-not-receiving-the-memo
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-12-june-2025-janus
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-13-june-2025-just-the-game-today
https://www.chess.com/blog/nova-stone/nova-daily-14-june-2025-10-minutes-of-brainstorming
