The third and final weekend of England’s Premier League took place in Solihull and was a very jolly affair. All three divisions played at the same venue, which meant lots of bridge chat between sessions and lots of speculation about who was likely to get promoted or relegated. In division one, the eight teams were
While researching some early games in the Bf4 version of the Queen’s Pawn openings favoured by world champion Magnus Carlsen, I came across an epic publication which called to mind that fine, seminal and instructive writer, Polish grandmaster Savielly Tartakower. His 500 Master Games of Chess, co-written with J. Dumont, contains readable annotations to virtually
In Competition No. 3023 you were invited to submit cringeworthy portmanteau words. The word portmanteau was first used in this sense by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass when Humpty Dumpty is explaining ‘Jabberwocky’ to Alice: ‘Well, “slithy” means “lithe and slimy”… You see it’s like a portmanteau — there are two meanings packed
The unclued lights (one of two words — ignore its accent) are of a kind. Across 1 I’m the proctor, circulating and turning away from the heat (12) 10 Stone, almost black, with one diamond inside (4) 12 Moonlight escape around river turning into a brief liaison (10) 14 Leader of Indians accepting thanks
The unclued lights are preceded by HAPPY to yield phrases listed in Brewer. First prize Tony Hankey, London W4 Runners-up C. Elengorn, Enfield, Middlesex; John Harcourt, Maidstone, Kent;
White to play. This position is from Rasmussen-Nyback, Crete 2017. How can White win at once? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 14 November or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a p rize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six
