Today the sun dawned upon Rome at 6:48 and it will slip below the horizon at 16:59. Shorter. Ever shorter. The Ave Maria is at 17:30. Today is a dies non on the Roman calendar, and so priests do well to celebrate a Requiem Mass.
We are still in the octave during which people can obtain the plenary indulgences. Though we remember the dead in a special way today, one could take a saint from the Roman Martyrology such as St. Willibrord.
Black to move.
White has a couple of serious threats but is overworked. Black has options, and the bishop pair and a wicked looking Queen Rook battery. It is important to move carefully to avoid getting checkmated. The first move is fairly straight forward, but… then what?
Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance.
Thanksgiving might be more pleasant with excellent beer or wine, both made by traditional Benedictine monks.
I leave Rome today. It has been fruitful.
I would like to return for Holy Week.
Thank you, benefactors. You’ve had a lot of prayers and Masses here during this sojourn.
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Well, it’s the queen who is overworked, so
1…c3
Now bxc3 would be a terrible blunder because of Qb1# checkmate, and Qxc3 loses a piece to 2…Rxf4. So it looks like Nxc3 is forced. (Playing 2.Qe3 looks suicidal for white because of …cxb2+)
2.Nxc3 Qxb2+
3.Kd1 and if …Qxa3 black is doing fine, up a pawn. But is there something better? Yes!
3.Kd1 Bc4 threatening …Qa1+ with devastating effect
4.Ke1 Rxf4 (because the white queen is still overworked!)
5.Qxf4 Qxc3+ Black is up 2 minor pieces for a rook.
If white blocks with the queen:
6.Qd2 Rb1+
7.Kf2 (only move) Qxd2+ and it’s hopeless.
If white dodges the check
6.Kf2 Rf8 and the white queen is pinned and lost.
2.Qe3 cxb2+ 3.Kb1 looking better and better, am I right?
I think
1. …d5
opens up some interesting possibilities.
1. …d5
2. Bxb8 Bxa3 (threatens checkmate)
3. Qc3 d4 (threatens/distracts queen)
Etc.
4.