A number of young Israelis are taking the International bridge world by storm. All in their twenties, their achievements so far have been impressive and show no signs of slowing down. Their Junior team took Silver in China’s 2012 World Youth Championships. Lotan Fisher and Ron Schwartz won the coveted Cavendish Pairs in Monaco, and
The Oxford v. Cambridge Varsity Match held at the Royal Automobile Club two weeks ago ended in a draw. This is the longest-running chess fixture in the world, dating originally from 1873, when such luminaries as Howard Staunton and Wilhelm Steinitz were in attendance. Cambridge now lead by 58 wins to 53 with 21 drawn
In Competition 2839 you were invited to submit a poem about the darker side of spring. There were references in the entry to Larkin, who could always be relied on to see the bleaker side of things (‘their greenness is a kind of grief’), as well as to Eliot and Thomas Edward Brown. There were
This puzzle marks the 40 of a 33 29. 16A, 24 and 1D (four words) are three of his works. 7 (hyphened) and 22A combine to give an anagram of the 29’s name (hyphened). Across 1 Dawkins & co engaged in jobs (8) 6 We possess drugs Dutch proscribed (6) 11 Plants ruin York
The three theme words are CHAMBERS (12A, 16A, 40A), OXFORD (colleges) (24A, 4D, 8D), and (works by Wilkie) COLLINS (9D, 13D, 30D), each a publisher of a DICTIONARY, which needed highlighting. First prize Peter Cramb, Bridport, Dorset Runners-up Jane Howard, Chilham, Kent; L. Coumbe, Benfleet, Essex
Black to play. This position is from Miles-Hodgson, Zaragoza 1993. Black has a powerful build-up on the kingside. How did he now exploit this to score a quick win? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 25 March or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be
