Daily Rome Shot 1015: Quaeritur and “blind mind”

From a reader:

Now that you are not in Rome and you are not going to cappuccino and a cornetto, what’s for breakfast?

I could have a cappuccino. I have a great machine. However, usually I have very strong black coffee.  I’m back to mostly protein. Today, kielbasa and spicy kimchi.  I’ve missed the kimchi.

HEY!  vb*****@cox.net!  My thank you note to you got kicked back.  New email?

A a Rome Shot.  It is still like a dream to see this.

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Meanwhile, white will soon find mate I hope.  It’s there and the pattern has a name with.  Go for it!  White to move.

1. Qxg7+ Bxg7 2. Rxg7+ Rxg7 3. Nxf6+ Kh8 4. Rxf8+ Rg8 5. Rxg8#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

I wonder if there is a place to get good kimchi in Rome.  You would think that there would be, right?

In chessy news, lest you be in the dark, I read that Hikaru Nakamura has by now won in one year over $10K in the chess.com “Bullet Brawl”.   In this format each play has only ONE MINUTE.  Whew.  I dunno.

Also, related to chess (of course) but also no, at Chess Base today there is an interesting piece about aphantasia.  HERE Aphantasia is the inability to picture things in their “mind’s eye”.   This would related to chess because, at the higher levels, it requires a strong visual memory.  Some players can visualize positions, even many boards.    Think about this… if you have aphantasia, how do you calculate?  Analyze a position?  How can you play chess at all?  How about all the other aspects of life… like… driving?

Anyway, I struggle to visualize past a certain number of moves.  This is going to hold me back a little when I start getting serious.

It is worth your time.

This is also worth your time. I am presently visualizing you clicking the link and buying some beer, even if you don’t like beer, because a) you can give it to a worthy priest and b) you want to help these great Benedictines at Norcia.

Here’s Magnus playing 5 boards simultaneously while BLINDFOLDED and facing away from the boards.  Note that he plays a different opening on each board.

It’s just not fair.

Oh yes… it’s a Rogation Day.