The last tournament of the year is the hugely popular one-day Swiss Teams in the EBU’s Year End Congress in London. I normally play all four days (two pairs events preceding the teams) but this year I limply decided to take a longer Christmas break and was raring to go for the Teams. The first
The key feature of the London Classic, which finished shortly before Christmas, was the resurgence of Viswanathan Anand, the former world champion. One might have expected him to be demoralised after his second drubbing at the hands of Magnus Carlsen, but he played steadily and his single victory, without loss, sufficed to share first prize
In Competition No. 2879 you were invited to follow in the footsteps of Hilary Mantel and provide a scene that shows a well-known villain from history or literature in an uncharacteristically kindly light. Mantel has said that she was driven by a ‘powerful curiosity’ rather than by any desire to rehabilitate Cromwell. ‘I do not
Clockwise round the grid from 31 run the titles of four works (6,3,5,7,5.1,5,7,8,5) associated with a 21 and 25A born 16 years ago. The twenty corner letters produce LIVELY ELEMENTAL ARIAS. Solvers must shade the three clued lights that combine to form the 21’s name (two words). Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe and two accents.
Ambrose Bierce defined history as an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools. ‘Bunk’ is another famous definition of ‘history’. First prize Mrs J. James, Harrow, Middlesex Runners-up J.E. Green, St Albans, Herts; Neil Mendoza, London W11
White to play. This is a position from Adams–Caruana, London Classic 2014. How did Adams convert to a winning endgame? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 13 January 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 hat, and
