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« Aussi je veux dire ma vive inquiétude et ma tristesse profonde en apprenant l’annonce par la Fraternité sacerdotale Saint-Pie X, fondée par Mgr Lefebvre, de procéder à des ordinations épiscopales sans mandat pontifical. » pic.twitter.com/1wXcFJYz6b
— Cardinal R. Sarah (@Card_R_Sarah) February 22, 2026
It has been quite a week.
Go to confession!
White to play and… ? HERE
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White to play and… ?
[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]
Am I over-reading to think Cardinal Sarah here shows himself well aware that Pope Leo could emend the situation with a word? Would ‘Approbo’ be appropriate – or is there a technically precise verb required?
Since there is no way to stop Black from mate by Q-g2#, White’s move must be a check.
So, disregarding Q×c7+ as a non-starter after B×c7,
1. R×d8+ . . K×d8
Same reasoning
But not Q-d1+, because Q×d1#
Nor Q-d2+, because no defense to Q-g2#
So
2. Q-d3+ . . . Q×d3
That seems to allow White to open its smothered position by moving its pawn from f2, but it is pinned by Black’s Bishop at b6.
Conclusion is that the best White can achieve is a short delay to the pending mate, perhaps with the hope that White loses to the persistent clock.
No need to post this lengthy doom-gloom response.