A common morning sight. I miss my friends.
I ask your continued prayers for Giancarlo, especially a miracle of healing through the intercession of Bl. Luigi Maria Monti. Giancarlo was taken to the hospital and some 5 liters of fluid extracted from his abdomen. He waited a long time in ER before they could find a bed for him. Its an ordeal. Members of the Archconfraternity at the parish, founded by St. Philip Neri, are visiting and helping. Pray for a sudden, complete and lasting healing for the sake of the glory of God.
Bl. Luigi was the founder of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception, which have a North American presence. HERE He served as a nurse in Santo Spirito hospital where Giancarlo was originally taken during a previous crisis. That’s the connection we are drawing on.
Welcome registrants:
Dfierrog
Pauletta
CB1950s
Thanks to ME for being a faithful “200!” and thanks SEN and LW for using Chase (no fees). Thanks to ERY for becoming a new contributor on the 14th (a lean day). Thanks Rev. MG for the Venmo contribution for bills. There are bills.
Meanwhile, I’m enjoying that more of you are taking a shot at the chess puzzles. Some of them are pretty easy, but occasionally there are hard ones. How about this?
White to move and mate in… one-two-three-for-five-six-seven… EIGHT. Perhaps the most satisfying of mates.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
UPDATE 16 Nov:
Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE
Use FATHERZ10 at checkout
Also, I will be a chaplain for a very special 11-Day Traditional Catholic Pilgrimage to Poland & Prague (27 August – 6 September 6, 2024). The dates have been selected to avoid the summer heat and crowds.
The registration link has gone LIVE and can be found HERE.
Pro Chess League 2024 starts in February with 16 teams. The Gotham Knights will be back to defend their title with Nakamura and Liem Le. The Canada Chess Brahs will have Magnus again. The St Louis Archbishops will feature Fabi, Lenier and Jeffrey Xiong. I think the Garden State Passers, and California Unicorns are in it. From India the Yogis and Team MGD1. France has the Blitz. The Charlotte Cobras, Croatia Bulldogs, the Norway Gnomes, Shanghai Tigers and Levitov Chess Wizards will field their teams.
Special mention for the Brazil Capybaras and Spanish Maniac Shrimps for the goofiest names.
If they don’t merch the zwischenzug out of this, they’re nuts.
It’s hard not to root for Manic Shrimp. Sounds like something I might try to make on Friday.
Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE These links take you to a generic “catholic” search in Amazon, but, once in and browsing or searching, Amazon remembers that you used my link and I get the credit.
Also, in St. Louis is the big Rapid and Blitz. After Day 1 wildcard Le Quang Liem is in the lead with Alireza and Robson behind. The biggies are at the bottom: Fabi, Nepo, my guy Wesley. Action continues today 15 November at 1:00 PM CDT.
Consolation. Even Magnus blunders.
Loading ...
1. Nf7+ Qxf7
2. Rb8+ Qf8+
3. Rxf8#
OR
1. Nf7+ Qxf7
2. Rb8+ Qe8
3. Rxe8#
OR
1. Nf7+ Kg8
2. Nh6++ Kh8
3. Qg8+ Qxg8
4. Nf7+ Qxf7
5. Rb8+ Qf8+
6. Rxf8#
OR
1. Nf7+ Kg8
2. Nh6++ Kh8
3. Qg8+ Qxg8
4. Nf7+ Qxf7
5. Rb8+ Qe8
6. Rxe8#
I think that’s it, I’m not seeing seven moves tho.
Qf7, spill coffee on the board and run away.
1. Nf7 suffers from the fact that black is not forced to take, as the Kg8 move recognizes.
Doesn’t that last line leading to 5. Rb8+ Qe8 6. Rxe8# just lose for white? In fact, that 3. Qg8… whew.
Try this…
1. Rb8 (get the bl Q away from the K) Qxb8
2. Nf7+ Kg8
3. Nd8+ (discovered + from Q on a2 and disconnects the bl Q&K) Kh8
4. Re8+ (forces) Rxe8
5. Nf7+ Kg8 (familiar but different)
6. Nh5++ (nasty Kf8 7. Qf7#) Kh8
7. Qg8+ (forcing) Rxg8 (leading to the always satisfying…
8. Nf7# (with a tapestry over the black King’s face, smothered cowering in the corner)
I don’t see how the last line loses for white, although I should have specified that the checkmating rook is the one that was on b8 (not e4). I’ll have to try and do this on an actual board since I seem to be missing something.
The problem I see with starting with Rb8 is that this allows black to move a pawn forward allowing the king egress.
I love the word egress. Egress.
I can’t embed video in the combox, for some reason. I added it to the post above.
Just an experiment.
Wow, Father, thanks for the taking the time to make the video! I’m not hearing sound, though, not sure if there’s supposed to be any.
Matthew: I just check the video and there is audio. Try again?
Got it to work! Had to switch browsers from Safari (not working) to Firefox (fine).
I still don’t see what’s wrong with the Nf7 line, aren’t the four sequences above black’s only options with those moves?
Nf7.
Black isn’t forced to take. The King can move to h8. When the knight moves away, you can wind up in a perpetual (which is a “loss” when you can win). Otherwise, with the double check move to Nh6 you can’t get the smother.
So, white has at least a draw. We can get a win. The win depends on getting the queen oughta there. Force! Otherwise Black doesn’t have to cooperate. Find a way to get a black rook to g8, because a rook can’t cover f7 like the queen can.
You want to go like this. Let’s see.
1. Nf7+ Kg8
2. Nh6++ Kh8
3. Qg8+ [pretty much loses the game] Qxg8
4. Nf7+ Qxf7
5. Rb8+ Qf8+ [Here’s the problem. Black can answer with 5. … Qg8]
6. Rxg8 Kxg8
Now white’s King is on the a file, with one rook and there are two angry rooks on the 1 rank which can hunt white’s king and pass that pawn.
Or you want this…
1. Nf7+ Kg8
2. Nh6++ Kh8
3. Qg8+ Qxg8
4. Nf7+ Qxf7
5. Rb8+ Qe8 [again, black has 5. Qg8]
6. play it out with rook trades and you can wind up with your lone rook fending off that black queen with a passer on c3, not to mention 3 connected pawns on the king’s side.
Ooooooohhhhhhh, I didn’t see Qg8 as an option to block the rook. Thanks!