Every obituary written about Tony Priday, who died recently aged 92, said what a class act he was. I would like to add my tuppence to that observation. When I first started playing, around 15 years ago, I played against Tony and his wife Vivian at a Young Chelsea duplicate. I was keen as mustard
Tension has always existed between games of skill, such as chess or draughts, and games seemingly based on chance, like backgammon and poker. The Russian grandmaster and chess historian Yuri Averbakh has suggested that different kinds of games mirror changing human attitudes towards life, the universe and everything. So games of chance indicate the idea of
In Competition No. 2871 you were invited to submit a dialogue in verse between man and God. The tone of the discourse was far from cordial, ranging from boredom and -disinterest to outright hostility. Here’s Alanna Blake’s disgruntled deity: ‘I’m old and growing deaf and very tired/ These are my final words: I have retired.’
Unclued lights (two of two words and one doing double duty), singly or paired, reveal some that are to be gone over, and two that famously did so. Ignore one accent and two apostrophes. Across 1 Paradoxical suit, a product of mine (13, two words) 9 Police once crashed into rumpus (7) 14
Extra letters in clues plus 1A give ‘the separation of philosophers into sages and cranks’, an extract from a quotation by QUINE (35). 24, 25, 29 are sages; 17, 39, 42 are cranks. First prize Storm Hutchinson, Dulas, Anglesey Runners-up William Spont, Bellingham, Massachusetts; Nick Hussey, Overton, Hampshire
White to play. This is from Hebden-Mannion, Isle of Man 2014. White’s next move completely destroyed the black position. What was it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 4 November or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a
