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And this…
NEW: Pope Leo met w Cardinal Sarah today
Sarah recently said that Fiducia Supplicans “threatens the unity of the Church. It is a document to be forgotten.”
Has also strongly warned against Latin Mass restrictions.
Banning the TLM “would be like forbidding the study of St.… pic.twitter.com/5hqRnY21qm
— Michael Haynes ?? (@MLJHaynes) September 22, 2025
And… I recall the late great Msgr. Dulac’s (philosophy prof at St. Thomas in St. Paul) comments on his … acuity.
Yet more proof that those who constantly drone on about the “infection” of “clericalism” (e.g. https://t.co/TzOTHinldU) are, in the end, just telling on themselves. https://t.co/YoH61gzwJt pic.twitter.com/9tZP0wr7J2
— Matthew Hazell (@M_P_Hazell) September 22, 2025
And now another thing altogether….
And now Legolas feel silent, while the others talked, and he looked out against the sun, and as he gazed he saw white sea-birds beating up the River. “Look!” he cried. “Gulls! They are flying far inland. A wonder they are to me and a trouble to my heart. Never in all my life had I met them, until we came to Pelargir, and there I heard them crying in the air as we rode to the battle of the ships. Then I stood still, forgetting war in Middle-earth; for their wailing voices spoke to me of the Sea. The Sea! Alas! I have not yet beheld it. But deep in the hearts of all my kindred lies the sea-longing, which it is perilous to stir. Alas! for the gulls. No peace shall I have again under beech or under elm.
~ J.R.R Tolkien, The Return of the King
Peter Jackson has done us a grave disservice.
Black to move.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
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Qe4!
The best defense is a good offense!
1. . . . . . .. . . . . . Q-f4
If
2. R-h7× . . . . . . Q×h7 (not K×h7)
And if Q×h7 . . K×h7
In which case nothing stops e2+e1=Q+and mate on that move or the next.
If (more tempting)
2. Q×f4 . . . . . . . . R-f1
3. B×f1 . . . . . . . . e2×f1=Q#
Ot if (in desparation)
2. Q-g1 . . . . . . . . R-f1
Then if
3. Qxf1 . . . . . . . e2×f1=Q (White’s bishop being pinned)
Or else
3. . . . . . . . . . . . . e2-e1=Q
Folliwed by an easy mate with Black’s rook and queen (in that order) on White’s 1st row.
After R-f1 and BxR and pxB (now becoming a Q), Qxf1, and Q-e4check, this game should end in perpetual check draw. However, down the line there is still room for white to blunder which could then result in the pawn on d4 being captured in a check that would also fork white’s rook w/o the white queen any longer able to both block the check and cover the rook. So, as I see it, if white commits a blunder, black can still win; otherwise, it should be a draw and a perpetual with R-f1.
waalaw: I’m having trouble following
If black’s first move is
1)… Qf4
isn’t
2) Rxh7 mate?
or alternately
3) Qxh7 mate?
DCLex:
1)… Qe4
is an interesting move I hadn’t considered. Let me preface this by saying I’m probably missing things in the following.
If
2) Qxe4 black wins easily with
2) … Rf1+
3) BxRf1 (forced) e2xf1=Q mate
So taking with the white queen is out but there are other options.
If
2) Bxe4 e1=Q+
3) Qxe1 and black has simply lost his queen and probably the rook to no purpose.
If
2) Bxe4 Rf1+ white can’t take with the queen since
3) Qxf1 exQf1=Q mate
but white has
3) Kg2 which escapes the check plus black can’t promote the pawn to queen since
3) … e1=Q does note produce check and white has
4) Rxh7 mate
If
3) … e1=N+ white does have check but then
4) Qxe1 and black can’t take the white queen since white mates with
4) … Rxe1
5) Rxh7 mate
Seems also that black can’t check with the rook as this will simply lose the rook.
As I said previously I’m probably missing something here.
Could you explain?
My line:
1…. Rf1+
2. Qxf1 cef1=Q
3. Bxf1 Qe4+
4. Kg1 Qxd4+
5. Kg2 Qxa7 white wins.
4. bg2 Qe1+
5. Bf1 Qxf1#
I apologize.
The move:
2. Q×f4 is an error and that line of play shoild be disregarded.
Otherwise, I think my solution is consiatent with Fr. Z’s.