The best EBU tournament of the year is, IMHO, the Schapiro Spring Foursomes, held at the beginning of May in lovely Stratford-upon-Avon. The format is double knockout with one team emerging undefeated on Monday afternoon. For the second year running that team has been Frances Hinden’s squad of four (almost all the other teams field
During the World Championship qualifier of 1959, grandmaster Pal Benko wore dark glasses to counter the hypnotic gaze of his dangerous opponent, world champion-to-be Mikhail Tal. This precaution did him no good (see this week’s puzzle). This is not the only instance when hypnosis has been suspected in chess. In the 1978 world championship,
In Competition No. 2897 you were asked for a job application by a well-known writer, living or dead. Inspiration for this comp came from a young Hunter S. Thompson’s characteristically unorthodox pitch for a position at the Vancouver Sun. An unflattering portrait of his relationship with a previous employer — ‘The man despised me, of
Clockwise round the grid from 37 runs a quotation plus its source (3,3,5,8,8,5,2,3,6,2,3,4) suggesting the outcome of 2. Remaining unclued lights, combined and subjected to 2, identify the author (three words). Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 8 Garden cheers New World mammals (8) 10 Green and half-green bacteria (5, two words) 12 Lag Ivy
The fictional SCHOLAR (28) was Billy Bunter, described by his creator, Frank Richards, as a ‘FAT GREEDY OWL (22A/31/26)’ (in ODQ). SILLY (13) and PUFFING (18) are associated with ‘Billy’ and KEUPER (4) and MUSCHELKALK (16D) (in Chambers individually and under ‘Triassic’) with ‘Bunter’. Title: ‘bunter’ is a low woman or mort. First prize
White to play. This position is from Tal–Benko, Candidates 1959. Black has just advanced with … e5, attacking the white knight. What has he overlooked? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 19 May or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out
