Daily Rome Shot 1527

Posted on 16 January 2026 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today’s Wordle: Fail!

Welcome Registrant:

TLMinAZ

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

Meanwhile…

White to move and mate in ONE.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

And because it is Friday…

And…

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in SESSIUNCULA. Bookmark the permalink.

8 Comments

  1. A.S. Haley says:
    16 January 2026 at 3:44 PM

    Assuming White hasn’t previously moved either his King (unlike Black!) or his Rook on a1, White castles Queenside for mate: 1. O-O-O!

  2. Dustin F says:
    16 January 2026 at 4:00 PM

    1. O-O-O#
    Nothing like casting to mate!

  3. Dustin F says:
    16 January 2026 at 4:01 PM

    *Castling. Oops.

  4. Gregg the Obscure says:
    16 January 2026 at 6:18 PM

    1. Don Surber (a great commentator on all things going on in these US of A) coined a great phrase this week: “not the sharpest diner in the special ed lunchroom”;

    2. i look forward to a rare porterhouse for lunch tomorrow. the anticipation makes it all the more savory and my furry little friend will take the bone with great excitement;

    3. two good novenas right now: the novena for life leading up to the tragic anniversary of roe v. wade and the novena to the conversion of St. Paul (my baptismal feast so i am biased) – each starts today!

  5. Gregg the Obscure says:
    16 January 2026 at 6:20 PM

    oof. one thinks that francophiles might know how to spell Bismarck.

  6. JabbaPapa says:
    16 January 2026 at 9:53 PM

    0-0-0++

  7. A.S. Haley says:
    17 January 2026 at 1:41 PM

    As a further twist on your problem above, Fr. Z, I would put this question: Assuming castling was NOT an option (because the King or Rook had already moved), what is the MINIMUM number of moves needed for White to mate Black’s King, if Black makes no stupid moves?

  8. revueltos67 says:
    17 January 2026 at 1:56 PM

    Re mate in 1: DOH! :-)

Comments are closed.