Daily Rome Shot 573, etc.

Please pray down the hurricane advancing into the gulf. Apart from the damage it can cause, it could interfere with my departure for Rome.

Note the Latin!  There’s a story there.  For larger, left-click and open in a new tab.

This afternoon the second day of the two-day final of the Julius Baer Generation Cup will be played between Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi.  Carlsen’s play has been terrifying.  He is closing in on 2900.

In other news, the Chess.com Global Championship is has seen the advance of  Hikaru Nakamura, Levon Aronian and Ian Nepomniachtchi.  Prize fund: $1 Million.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

Puzzle: White to move. This is difficult.  At least it was for me.  NB: that sniper bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal is sighted in on the promotion square, but his own pawn is blocking the shot. The enemy king is able to move toward the pawn to take it or around it to block it.

You have to “seize the day”, keep the tempo and prevent that black pawn from advancing and opening up that diagonal. But how?

Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

Your use of my Amazon affiliate link is a major part of my income. It helps to pay for insurance, groceries, everything. Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance.  US HERE – UK HERE

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in SESSIUNCULA. Bookmark the permalink.

7 Comments

  1. TonyB says:

    Ph6 -> h7

  2. TonyB says:

    agh… Posted too soon. Bb8 -> a7 to threaten black bishop. whatever black’s next move is Ph6 -> h7

  3. TonyB: You are on the right track with 1. Ba7 attacking the bishop. However, “whatever black’s next move is Ph6 -> h7″… can’t work. Because black’s pawn steps forward to e4 and opens the diagonal for that long-range sniper bishop who is aiming at the promotion square.

    It’s going to take more than that.

  4. TonyB says:

    you’re right, of course. I didn’t think that comment through. I did think about taking the bishop if the pawn advanced, but … I got excited commenting.

  5. It may be that we have moved attention to the next challenge, whatever that might be. Here’s my take.

    1. Ba7 …Tempt the enemy bishop away from the diagonal giving you tempo. The enemy’s bishop has one good option. Advancing h7 here leads to a draw because of black’s e4 opening the diagonal for the sniper.
    1. … Ba1 The bishop has two options, both vulnerable to the white king’s attack with tempo. If BxB, then h7 and black doesn’t have time to stop promotion. Retreat and lick the wound.
    2. Kb1 … Attack! Keep the initiative. Anything else, like a bishop move, allows Kh5.
    2. … Bc3 run away!
    3. Kc2 … ATTACK! The king advances towards that black pawn.
    3. … Ba1 Again, forced to the corner but still on the diagonal.
    4. Bd4 This is where things get scary. White has to get that sniper off the diagonal high ground. Time to sac to get the king closer to the precious e4 square and a blockade of the pawn, closing off that diagonal for good.
    4. … BxB Now what? If exB, then Kd3.
    5. Kd3 Get your fighting king in there, ready to blockade the pawn.
    5… Ba1 What to do? A black king move allows h7. e4 opens the diagonal but loses the bishop and the white king has contact with the pawn, which is too slow to promote compared to the h pawn.
    6. Ke4 Blockade that black pawn! h7 right now allows e4 and that diagonal opens.
    6… Kg5 Black’s king vainly tries to get at the h pawn.
    7. h7 … HURRAY!
    7. …. Kg6 Oh well. At least white doesn’t promote with check.
    8. h8=Q Now there openeth unto black the savagery of the newly crowned queen’s hurt locker.

  6. Anyone want to try the Latin?

  7. TheCavalierHatherly says:

    “Nepe civitas nobilis atque potens, in cujus fertilissimis agris balnea scaturiunt salutifera.”

    “Nepi, a noble and powerful city, in whose most fertile fields gush forth health-bearing pools.”

    The city of Nepi in Etruria is apparently of great antiquity. It’s mentioned several times by Livy as “Nepete,” and from my brief glances at the citations provided by Lewis and Short, they were quite uninterested in cooperating with Rome. I know. Italian cities refusing to cooperate with their neighbors?

    I’m glad some things never change.

Comments are closed.