Over the many years I’ve been playing competitive bridge, I’ve managed to cobble together a system-file which now runs to about 20 pages. It’s basically a melting-pot of suggestions from the various pros I’ve been lucky enough to partner. But I haven’t a clue how to lay it out properly, and it’s full of gaps
Nine-year-old Shreyas Royal, widely regarded as the UK’s best hope to become a future world chess champion, is being deported from the country next month because his father, although in regular employment, does not have earnings that reach the necessary threshold of £120,000 per annum. The chess world is in uproar about this, not least because
In Competition No. 3060 you were invited to provide an updated version of ‘Jerusalem’ starting with the words ‘And did those tweets…’One of my favourite parodies of Blake’s poem is by Allan M. Laing. In it he describes the wartime blackouts: Bring me my torch of waning power! Bring me my phosphor button bright!
In loving memory of 20 41 Considine (10/10/27–24/7/18), the doyenne of crossword compilers. The unclued lights and those clued without thematic definition are of a kind. Ignore two accents. All are confirmed in Chambers. Across 4 Poor twerp forced to know his lines thus? (11, hyphened) 11 Travelling bohemians leave me out (7) 13
The unclued lights (6, 20/9, 21, 23/31, 30D/13, 34/3 and 42/32) are characters in Coronation Street with its COBBLED streets. First prize Lucy Robinson, London N16 Runners-up D.P.B. West, Birmingham; Roland Rance, London E17
Black to play. This is from Howell-McShane, British Championship, Hull 2018. This was the conclusion of the game that enabled Luke McShane to finish joint first with Michael Adams and force a play-off. How did Black conclude? Answers via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 14 August. There is a prize of £20 for the first
