Can there be a game more humiliating than Bridge? Last weekend the boys and I went to Warsaw to play the marvellous Palace Cup. I was bursting with excitement as I was playing with my number one Bridge God Geir Helgemo. Lest anyone should think that Helgy woke up one morning and said, ‘I know
The year 2016 is the anniversary of a number of significant events in the chess world. In 1946 Alexander Alekhine died in possession of the title, the only champion so to do. The following position is taken from Alekhine: Move by Move by Steve Giddins (Everyman Chess). Alekhine-Prat: Paris Simultaneous 1913 Alekhine concludes with a
In Competition No. 2943 you were invited to submit a review of a well-known work of literature that has been written by a comically inappropriate reviewer. Honourable mentions go to Nicholas Stone and John O’Byrne, who let Donald Trump loose on The Odyssey and Brave New World. Jane Moth and Frank Upton also caught my
The unclued lights (three of two words), individually or paired, are of a kind, with 1 Down as a plural. Two of these unclued lights do double duty to reach the number indicated in the title. Ignore one apostrophe and, elsewhere, an acute accent. Chambers does not confirm 25A. Across 1 What a
FIRST, the ‘starter’ solution at 10 Down, can be linked with the other unclued lights, with it also appearing twice in ‘First things first’. First prize P.E. Berridge, Gosberton, Lincolnshire Runners-up John C. Edwards, Ightham, Kent; Professor Colin Ratledge, Beverley, E. Yorkshire
Black to play. This is a position from Carbone–Slipak, Mar del Plata 2016. How can Black conclude? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 19 April or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please
