And a little Latin for your brain.
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Many thanks for the January/February BRIEF Roman Sojourn donations from (I hope I got everyone):
JL, SAS, JL, JK, MH, GF, KM, VD, DLS, HL, TB, DvdH, LD, KK, AC, GW, DM, T&MLG, DH, DM, AN, JC, SB, SP, MM, AR, KC, RG (restricted to favorite drinks), GG, JA
Thank you all. My main expenses are covered for this trip. That doesn’t mean that you can’t contribute now, of course. I will have some “practical” expenses and I have to compensate some people who worked on spiffing up my place. There’s “wavy flag” and, my preference, Zelle. I’ll have another. more serious drive before returning to Rome for Holy Week in April and beyond into May.
In churchy news…
As you know, Epiphany traditionally observes three manifestations of Christ’s divinity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism and the Wedding at Cana. One of my favorite Catholic artists, Daniel Matsui has a wonderful rendition.
Wedding at Cana, ink drawing on paper. pic.twitter.com/b35QSHIRHg
— Daniel Mitsui (@danielmitsuiart) January 13, 2025
In chessy news… HERE
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Nice people! Great service![/caption]Get some great chess stuff.
I played Duck Chess for the first time a couple of days ago. You use a duck as a “brick” to block your opponent’s moves, alternating with him. Move, place duck. Back and forth.
I spotted this… both of USN and chess interest…
There is a long article at ChessBase about Magnus Carlsen playing in the German Bundesliga for Hamburg Sankt Pauli. One remark about his being involved: It was a bit like a papal visit.” Which it leads me to think that the writer is Catholic, as Preserved Killick might put it, though his term for Catholic wouldn’t be respectful. Chess.com put it this way:
I include that because of the report of a loss involving “Puer”.
Yesterday in OTB I went down in flames in my first game against the club’s strongest. Then I beat him decisively in a long war where I out-played him in the middle and end game after being in a tight spot out of the opening. By the end, four others guys watching our tough endgame where my opponent valiantly defended with two rooks and a knight and three connected pawns against my queen, rook, bishop and knight and four split pawns (1-1-2) pawns. I eventually found a position where his nasty jumpy forky knight couldn’t check me. I sacked a piece to cut off his defense of the promotion square. It was over with a new and angry transgendered queen (tautology) on the back rank.
Here is a position which one of the guys wanted a photo of. Black to move.
Black should play Rc2! If White responds by taking the Rook, then Black can capture White’s Rook on e1, applying check, followed by b3xc2, and White has no way to prevent Black from getting a second Queen.
If White instead delays things by playing Nd8+, then play could go:
1. Nd8+ Kf8
2. Re5 b3b2, threatening . . . Rc1 and eventually another Black Queen.
Note that White should not play
2. RxN? BxR
3. Nb7 Qa1+
4. Kh2 b3b2 and White either loses his remaining Rook, or Black gains another Queen.