Puzzles & games

Bridge

Bridge | 12 March 2015

Why do men always yell at the television or keep up a running commentary while watching sport? My husband does it whenever the rugby is on. After I told him to pipe down the other day, he quite reasonably pointed out that I do it myself when I’m following bridge online — he has to

Chess

Bright blues

The boat race for the brain, as it has become known, took place at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London last Saturday. The 133rd Oxford v Cambridge Varsity chess match was generously hosted by Henry Mutkin, the life president of the club, and the club itself, represented by their new chess circle chairman, Stephen

Competition

Acrostic | 12 March 2015

In Competition No. 2888 you were invited to submit a poem in the style of a well-known poet, the first letters of each line spelling out the poet’s name. I liked Jerome Betts’s follow-up to Oliver Goldsmith’s ‘The Deserted Village’ and Bill Greenwell’s Spenserian stanza in the manner of Wendy Cope — a parody within

Crossword

2202: Problem XI

Seven unclued lights (one hyphened) are 23: 7A + 17 + 40 + 5 + 6 + 31 = 36. Ignore one accent. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe and two accents.   Across   1    Half per cent off haircut (11, two words) 11    Girl crafty in conversation (6) 13    Lunatic ran through crazy Swiss town

Crossword solution

To 2199: TV Comedy

The unclued lights can be arranged to give: ‘I decided to sell my Hoover … well, it was just collecting dust’ (by) Tim Vine. This was voted best one-liner at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe.   First prize D. Morris, Birchington, Kent Runners-up Elizabeth Feinberg, Rancho Mirage, California; M. Day, London N6

Puzzles

No. 353

Black to play. This is from James-Sugden, -Cambridge 1972, as featured last week. It’s a win by the Cambridge player Dr J. N. -Sugden of St John’s College. In the diagram my notes gave 1 … Bf1+ but Julian Simpole pointed out something far more effective. Can you spot it? Answers to me at The