Somewhere highly intellectual I read that they were bringing back the Generation Game, recalling, in all their excruciating mundanity, Brucie’s catchphrases. I had to eat my own snootiness at the Easter Championship Pairs, won by Susanna, yes OUR Susanna, playing with England supremo David Gold. ‘Didn’t she do well?’ I shrieked — and indeed she
The history of the world chess championship includes five title matches where the challenger was the former champion, seeking his revenge. These are Steinitz v Lasker, 1896; Alekhine v Euwe 1937; Botvinnik v Smyslov, 1958; Botvinnik v Tal 1961 and Karpov v Kasparov 1986. Steinitz and Karpov both failed in their bids to reclaim the championship,
In Competition No. 2845 you were invited to provide a hymn for atheists. This excellent, and topical, competition was suggested by John Whitworth, in response to the growth of organised atheism. Hymns do not feature at all at the Sunday Assembly, an atheist church founded last year in London. Instead the congregation sings along, in
Six unclued lights are 18 Down from the same source (five are entitled to appear; the sixth appears regularly). Six cells initially contain between two and six clashing letters; these must be resolved to display thematic 18. Elsewhere, ignore three accents and two apostrophes. Across 10 A Republican politician maintains British dealt
If the grid were a TIMEPIECE (13/12), the six perimetric words (GRANITE, LIMESTONE, SERPENTINE, GREYWACKE, DALRADIAN and HORNFELS) might collectively suggest ‘Rock Around the Clock’, which song was RECORDED (22) SIXTY (19) years ago, on 12th April 1954, by Bill Haley & His Comets. HALEY (eighth row) was to be shaded. First prize David
White to play. This is from Botvinnik-Smyslov, World Championship (Game 2) 1958. White’s next was a clever way to win a pawn and achieve an overwhelming position. What did he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 6 May or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner
