I trust the bishops at the synod knew the game rules for synods better than the designer of your front cover for 24 October 2015 knows the game rules of chess. There are several unlikely scenarios: that the white king is near-isolated in or near a corner without evidence that castling has taken place (and with indirect evidence that it has not); that all pieces but one (eight out of nine) are on squares of their own colour; and that the white bishop at the right – white’s only surviving “powerful” piece, it would seem – cannot threaten any black piece at all. But the crowning error is that it is totally impossible for any player to have both of his bishops on squares of the same colour.  (DR) Richard MatthewsSwitzerlandI notice that the chess position on