Scaffolding is going up to restore the façade of Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini in Rome. It is one of the few churches around now that still has a reddish ochre wash on plaster.
However, underneath all that is the original travertine! When it is done. It should be spectacular.
Will it be completed by the time I get back there in October? Help me to get back there in October! Days in Rome Project – October ’23!
And you can see little rondini above, in mid-swoop.
Reminder. Taken from the steps of the church under that façade.
Here is a great puzzle. I’d be interested to know how long it took you to solve it.
White to play and mate IN TWO.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Interested in learning? This guy helped my game. Try THIS.
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In SPORT news… there’s an overwhelming panoply of choices.
First, the Tour de France is on. Wimbledon is underway.
In Shanghai the Women’s World Championship Match has started and World Champion Ju Wenjun held to a draw in game one against challenger Lei Tingjie.
Magnus Carlsen on Tuesday went 11/11 in a Chess.com “Titled Tuesday” match online and he did it by playing as his opening move – I am not making this up – playing in his opening move in every single game when he had black: 1. … a6. In one game with white he started 1. b3. Then he had an 1. f4. Only one was rather prosaic, 1. e4 e5. Another 1. c4, not unheard of. Otherwise, he also went 1. a3! But when he had black, he played 1. … a6 and he stomped the life out of his opponents. This on the heels of a podcast in which Fabiano Caruana opined that perhaps Magnus was giving up on chess and was maybe over the summit (a little TdeF reference from me, there, if you saw it).
Look at what Magnus does with his king. It’s crazy stuff.
In Croatia, Grand Chess Tour Rapid and Blitz is going on. My brain hurts.
In a few days I will be in WV for a conference, mainly for priests. I understand that anyone can follow along via video.
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Looks impossible for the first minute or two, but then..
Rg6!
If black rook moves then Qxp#
If pxR then Qh3#
1. Rg6
If 1. … hxg6, 2. Qh3#
If 1. … R to any, 2. Qxg6#
I did not get this one on my own, though the first move not being a check helped me spot the “backward” solution to the puzzle posted today. It is worth noting, however, a third possible reply to the first move here: the h-pawn can move and not take. The refutation for checkmate requires a different final move.
1. Rg6 h6
2. Rxh6# (g7 pawn, still pinned by queen, cannot take back)