Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK 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.
I watched the State of the Union last night while texting with a priest friend. He wrote:
“I feel dirty having watched it.”
Entirely apart from the appalling content, after weeks of lowering expectations – for clear reasons – the take away story on the left will be that he did better than expected. Faint praise, but not nothing.
In far more pleasing news, in the Prague Chess Festival Nodirbek Abdusattorov prevailed. He gained enough rating to surpass World Champion Ding Liren to take 4th place in the live world ratings. However, due to play in Shenzhen, Anish Giri dropped out of the top 10 edged out by Arjun Erigaisi.
The famous William Steinitz was from Prague. I look forward to seeing Prague in the TLM pilgrimage in September if God wills – and few more sign ups – allow that I can go.
Meanwhile, white to move and obtain an piece advantage in
1. Qe2+ Kd8 2. Qxb5 Bxc3 #.3. Qxa5 Bxa5 4. Bxa5
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
We are well along into Lent. Soon we will arrive at Passiontide and then the Triduum with the wondrous Tenebrae, the Office of Matins in the Triduum. The wonderful nuns of Gower Abbey, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, have a disc and digital download:
These are the RESPONSORIES of Tenebrae for all three days of the Triduum. They are, arguably, the most beautiful chants of the entire liturgical year. Sung beautifully. Gregorian chant sung by women has special quality all its own and this is the best.
Want a little taste?
Loading ...
I didn’t watch it. Why watch what we know will happen? He’s as much a patriot as he is a devout Catholic. It is unbearable to observe. The host of those who claim Catholicism as their faith and trample it in their political enterprise is a diagnostic on the last sixty years of our post-conciliar existence. Luke 18:8 comes to mind.
1. Qe2+ wins Black’s knight: If Black moves his King (after which he cannot castle) to get out of check, White plays
2. QxN And if Black responds with BxN, then:
3. QxQ BxQ
4. BxB and White is a piece up, plus he may now castle.
If Black instead interposes his Bishop (Be7) to the Queen’s check, White may now play 2. NxN to win the piece, and Black must move his Queen while dealing with the twin threat of 3. Nf7+ or 3. Nd4.
1. Q-d2+ . K moves anywhere except maybe d7
2. Qxb5 . . Q×b5
3. N×b5
Black can then exchange its Bishop for White’s Knight, but White still ends up a piece ahead.
2. N×b5 does not work because B×d2+ forces either (i) Q×d2 leaving White’s Knight unprotected or (ii) K-f1 allowing White to move its Bishop out of jeopardy.
Father, please tell us about the Rome Shot 959. It is magnificent! The dim lighting and darkened setting creates the perfection of place and message this masterpiece deserves. Given what is depicted and what will occur on the third day, the Paschal Candle in the lower left of the frame is sublimely exquisite. This holy place and others like it will only be found in Roman Catholic Churches. Pray that they are or will soon be blessed by the daily Celebration of Holy Mass in the Vitus Ordo.
The pics are of a side chapel in the German national church in Rome, near the P.za Navona, called Santa Maria dell’Anima. The Crucifix was recently restored and new illumination was put into the whole church. It is, in face, magnificent now, and we can see it in a way that our forebearers never could.