ROME SHOT 917 – The Fraudulent

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Photo by The World’s Best Sacristan™.

I was delighted to see “my” vestment in use at the parish today.  It was just one of seven beautiful red vestments which some of you readers help to buy.  Only one of the new ones has my coat-of-arms.  The other reds there were in bad shape and all mismatched.  Now there are lovely Roman chasubles in red that match.

Thank you, again.  Next … BLACK!   Those of you who couldn’t get in on the red, can get in on the BLACK sets.

In churchy news I noted with interest that the DUTCH Bishops – yes, you read that right – have uttered a collective “No” to blessings SS couples.  It’s not a 110% repudiation, but we are talking about the Dutch!  Also, in ITALY Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, 58, who – once secretary of the CDF – was sacked by Francis after the CDF’s document in 2021 against blessings for SS couples was just elected as the head of the Bishops’ Conference of Emilia-Romagna, a key region around heavily communist Bologna.  That’s 15 dioceses including little San Marino-Montefeltro.

You are probably now thinking of the duplicitous denizen of the Inferno with the fraudulent Guido da Montefeltro, whom Dante encounters in canto 27.   Guido, formerly a military leader who got himself excommunicated.  Boniface lifts it and Guido become a friar.   Then Boniface asks Guido’s advice about how to get rid of political enemies – inducing him to break a promise to stay out of things, with a promise to absolve the sin before Guido commits it.  Nice.  In the Italian, there is a fantastic sibilance when Guido speaks to imitate the sound of a rustling flame.    The souls are like flames.

S’i’ credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria sanza più scosse;
ma però che già mai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s’i’ odo il vero,
sanza tema d’infamia ti rispondo.

Click!

If I thought my answer was
to someone who might return to the world,
this flame would move no more;
but since from this depth it never happened
that anyone alive returned (if I hear right),
without fear of infamy I’ll answer you

Guido only says anything to Dante, because he doesn’t think anyone could leave the Inferno.

The 86th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament is taking place on January 13-28 in Wijk aan Zee.  It’s Round 7.  I’m just tuning in because I was at OTB from 8-Noon getting my butt kicked.  It was not pleasant but it was instructive.   I have another opening to work on now, because this particular guy plays it a lot and it catches me off base.    At Tata, however, I am delighted to report that, staying on theme, Vidit beat Puer.

My gal Ju drew.  Nodirbeck beat Anish, which is interesting.  He’s tough.  In the Challengers Section, IM Eline Roebers (2381) beat GM Mustafa Yilmaz (2666) but today lost to Saleh Salem (2630)     Maurizzi beat Niemann.  Yay.  Alas, Niemann drew today.  Boo.

Elsewhere, a 14 yr old Ukrainian kid of Kyiv – perhaps ethically more mature than Puer – has become the world’s youngest grandmaster.  This underscores just how low my spirits are in my pursuit, eventually, of a rating of 2000.  I am ancient, in chess terms.  The youngest ever GM was Abhimanyu Mishra, who was 12 in 2021.

Meanwhile, try this on for size!

White to play and mate in 2.

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

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

Ceterum censeo Puerum esse delendum.