Puzzles & games

Bridge

Bridge | 23 September 2023

The great Bob Hamman, in his heyday the best player in the world, was once asked what the biggest mistakes of his bridge career had been, and he answered: ‘To gamble on a penalty instead of bidding our own contract.’ The longer I play this game, the more I realise how right he is; defending

Chess

India’s rising stars

The former world champion Vishy Anand has described the current crop of young Indian talents as a golden generation. At last month’s Fide World Cup, four of the quarter-finalists were Indian. Most eminent was 17-year-old Gukesh, who recently entered the world top ten, narrowly overtaking Anand himself. Praggnanandhaa, 18 years old, went as far as

Chess puzzle

No. 770

White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by C.G.S. Narayanan, K. Seetharaman, 2017. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 25 September. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution

Competition

Crossword

2623: Half-day closing?

29 29-36’s 14 13 31 25 1D 2 24, in which 1 Down and 24 are each non-words that concatenate two real terms. Unchecked, unclued letters spell out SEXY DUTCH X-MAG.         Across    1    Fling marauder off base, across main road (7,6)    9    Husband going inside can slim (4) 11    Distinguished mayor’s robing

Crossword solution

2620: The right name? – solution

8A/31D, 23A/19D and 36D/7D are eponymous 29D/12A characters. 7D originally suggested D’Urberville, which needed to be changed to DURBEYFIELD, making new real words at 21A, 24A, 30A and 35A. First prize Magdalena Downton, Maidstone, Kent Runners-up Nicola Fletcher, Horsmonden, Kent; David Andrews, Ash Vale, Surrey