Daily Rome Shot 707 and cool stuff

Photo by Claudius Unitrinus.

It is the Feast of Trinity Sunday and the liturgical anniversary of my ordination in 1991.

I am about to delve into a book with a unwieldy title, but not lacking in descriptive force:

Illusions of Reform – Responses to Cavadini, Healy, and Weinandy
IN DEFENSE OF THE TRADITIONAL MASS AND THE FAITHFUL WHO ATTEND IT

US HERE – UK HERE

You might remember that three rather distinguished Catholic writers, Dr. John Cavadini, Dr. Mary Healy and Fr. Thomas Weinandy (CHW) undertook in a series of articles published by Notre Dame’s Church Life Journal (I know.. never heard of it…) attacking the TLM (and people who attend it) while also painting a picture of post-Conciliar “reforms” that was somewhat overly optimistic.  CHW left many of us scratching our heads.  “WHY?”  “Cui bono?”  Some of my friends thought that they were being political, currying favor.   It was, in addition, embarrassing to see such highly accomplished and respected writers commit one pratfall after another, like people who have never been on ice skates.  They seemed not really to have understood what they were writing about.

There were several responses to CHW.  They are collected in this volume.

There is included a helpful bibliography.

NEXT….

I am compelled to share an Article article with you which, though it deals with chess can be – and should be – read for its brilliant writing.  I admit to feeling waves of envy as I read.  Biretta tip to the mighty Robert Royal for the link: o{]:¬)

Chessmen of letters: Amis and Nabokov

For the puzzle today, I’ll share a bit of the first part of the article, which goes on to describe the weird dynamics and shenanigans behind the grueling Karpov v. Kasparov 1985 championship that lasted 48 games and which was abruptly cut short by the head of FIDE, sparking massive controversy.  Even if you have little or no interest in chess, it’s a great read.

[…]

While I was studying German language and literature at Trinity College Cambridge, I was astonished to receive a letter from Nabokov himself, offering me a hand-drawn diagram of one of his chess compositions, which I promptly forwarded to the Trinity undergraduate magazine. As I write, efforts are underway in the Trinity archives, desperately seeking the original MS of Nabokov’s puzzle.

The following reconstructed diagram and move record — first published on page 32 of The Trinity Review, Lent Term 1969 — pays scant regard to the magnificence of Nabokov’s masterpiece. One must imagine the yellow as a rich, burnished gold; and the green as a deep, regal purple.

Nabokov wrote to me as follows: “White to mate in two moves.”

Key: 1. Qxe4

The key deceptively prevents the set mate 2. Bxe4 after 1… f4. The interest of the problem lies in the first three variations with the Bishop advancing one step at a time.

    1. a) .. f4                  2. Bg6#
    2. b) .. Rxg5            2. Bxf5#
    3. c) .. fxe4              2. Bxe4#
    4. d) .. Nxe4            2. Nxf7#
    5. e) .. Kxg5            2. Qe3#”

These are the solutions given by Nabokov, but for completeness’ sake, we should also include:

                    f)           1… fxg5              2. Bxf5#

In his 1993 essay collection Visiting Mrs Nabokov And Other Excursions, Amis relates, during the course of an admiring interview with Nabokov’s widow, Véra, that during his time in Berlin during the 1920’s, “Nabokov started playing a lot of chess with Véra’s father.“ The interview took place at the Palace Hotel Montreux, where the Nabokovs had taken up permanent residence since 1961. Little did I realise, when I competed in a grandmaster tournament with Viktor Korchnoi at that selfsame hotel in April 1977 that the Nabokov ménage was living above the tournament on the sixth floor of that very edifice. Nabokov himself died two months later, while Véra Evseevna followed him in 1991.

Amis describes the Nabokovs as “intensely private” and I doubt that even one of the most notorious of Soviet defectors, the twice world championship challenger Korchnoi, was aware of the irony. Namely the presence of his fellow renegade against Soviet rule, the literary Titan,  still revising and perfecting his collected works, several floors above the chess moves being executed by Viktor Lvovich on the mezzanine.

[…]

Do check the whole piece and read to the end for some of the finest invective I’ve read in a long time.

Meanwhile, I adjusted the colors as he mentioned… Not sure that’s better.  What say you.  Of course, I can do metallic gold.

Reminds me of the football team of my native place.

Three points.

  • I once played Viktor Korchnoi in a simul in 1977.  I lost.
  • Nabokov once said that the Devil speaks all languages, but with an Italian accent.
  • Free Shipping over $75 to U.S. 48 states from Chess House.

Speaking of Italian monks of Norcia, Italy make good beer. Get some for yourselves and your priests.

Again speaking of Italian, Italo-American US-player Fabiano Luigi Caruana (30 yrs)  defeated Alireza Firouzja in a classical game (120 minutes for the entire game, with a 10-second increment per move starting on move 41).

Fabi is a beast in this Norwegian battle.  By defeating Alireza, Fabi’s rating went to 2787.9 to make him the #2 ranked player in the world.  Guess who is still #1 with 2842.8.

Today, my guy Wesley So tackles Alireza in what should be a sharp game.  Carlsen v. Giri, which might get dynamic: Carlsen is way behind, in 8th place of 10!

And a shot from my adoptive parish, now physically distant… and I had to leave.  *sigh*

A shot of the blessing of the 17th c. organ I mentioned.  More on that later.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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3 Comments

  1. Julia_Augusta says:

    I am looking forward to hearing the new organ at Trinita. I left a few days after Easter Sunday, but I’m going back to Rome again next year for Holy Week and Easter. I hope it won’t be so cold. I was freezing during the Triduum ceremonies last April. A lady sitting next me wrapped herself up in a thick woolen blanket. Alas, I couldn’t bring the blanket from my hotel room.

  2. Andreas says:

    The restored portative organ at SS. Trinità sounds glorious. I eagerly await more audio/video recordings being made of this treasure of an instrument being played at Mass and in concert.

  3. Pingback: Daily Rome Shot 710 | Fr. Z's Blog

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