There is something decidedly Groundhog Day about the international bridge calendar. The second weekend of January is TGR’s Auction Pairs and the last weekend is Iceland’s wildly popular four-day Pairs and Teams tournament. Everything ticked along happily in the same vein as every other year. Two days of Pairs (in which we came nowhere) and
The veteran world championship contender, Victor Korchnoi, has accused the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen of hypnotising his opponents. Plainly unimpressed by the overall quality of Carlsen’s play, the ever-controversial Korchnoi ascribes Carlsen’s successes to mental influence rather than superlative moves. In the past, similar accusations were levelled against Alekhine, when he beat Bogolyubov in 1934, and
In Competition No. 2883 you were invited to cast a well-known writer, living or dead, in the role of agony aunt or uncle and provide a problem of your invention and their solution. Mark Shelton’s Ted Hughes begins his reply to the question ‘how can I be more confident with girls?’ thus: ‘Stoat does not
Chambers 2014 is certainly not recommended this week theme-wise! But Chambers 2011 is. Across 1 Cuckoo born to South Australian ox that’s extinct (12) 10 Lure cut according in arty style (4) 14 Some old film category starts from next year (3) 15 Selfish actions making priest go mad
The unclued lights (including 10/1A) are operas by Giuseppe Verdi (whose name in translation is Joe Green). First prize Dr Simon Shaw, Goosnargh, Lancs Runners-up E.C. Wightman, Menston, W. Yorks; Hugh Thomas, Ixworth, Suffolk
White to play. This position is a variation from Nakamura-Topalov, Gibraltar 2015. Topalov has already resigned this game as he had seen what was coming. What is White’s next move? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 10 February or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be
