The world bridge championships are finally over — and I don’t remember another where the England players gave us such an exhilarating two weeks. All four teams — Open, Women’s, Seniors and Mixed — performed superbly. Particular congratulations to the Seniors, who won silver, and the Women, who won bronze. But perhaps the biggest
‘Visky,’ said the man driving the taxi. ‘Risky?’ ‘Visky.’ ‘Ah… whisky! Or vodka.’ I grinned as I got out. ‘Maybe see you last year,’ I ventured in bungled Russian. There was no bottle to hand, but my wounded ego was soothed by the prescription. I’d been freshly eliminated from the World
In Competition No. 3118, which was inspired by Joan Didion’s wonderful essay of that title, you were invited to submit a short story whose last line is ‘I can’t get that monster out of my mind’. Another notable American female essayist, Susan Sontag, has come in for a bit of stick in these pages over
The unclued lights (one of two words), individually or as two pairs, are of a kind. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 1 Groups of helpers providing accompaniments to pop-singers (8) 5 Trembling like fish (6) 14 Some weekend supplement (3) 16 Lionel wrecked ornamental metalwork (6) 17 Pack animal in a shopping plaza
The unclued lights are regular contributors to the pages of The Spectator week by week. 5/35, 8/10, 12/28, 13, 21A/33 and 21D, 39/26. DOC (in 25) had to be highlighted. First prize Charles Barr, Norwich Runners-up Roderick Rhodes, Goldsborough, N. Yorks; Janet Ramage, Truro, Cornwall
Black to play. Here is my own tragedy, from Yuffa-McShane, Khanty-Mansiysk 2019. Needing a win, I tried 81 … Kg7-f7 to corral the knight, but it soon escaped. What should I have played instead? Difficulty: easy, but not for me! Answers via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 8 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct
