Terence Reese’s concentration at the bridge table was legendary. Most people know the story of how Boris Schapiro once wagered £50 that Reese wouldn’t notice if a naked woman entered the room and walked around while he was playing. Somehow, he found a willing woman — and won his bet. I’d always assumed the
At St Louis, world champion Magnus Carlsen met with unexpected setbacks in both the rapid and blitz sections. In both cases his play was unusually lacklustre and his self-assurance seemed to crumble. I can’t imagine Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik or Kasparov ever uttered such words about their own play as Carlsen did when he said: ‘Everything’s
In Competition No. 3112 you were invited to submit an extract from Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Brexiteers. The title of this new addition to the G&S canon was, of course, a nod to The Gondoliers. But in an entry both serious and silly, full of wit and whimsy, you also plundered The Mikado (‘Four
The unclued Across lights are of a kind, as are the unclued Down ones, all verifiable in Chambers. Across 7 Awkward tiff before mid-July is spasmodic (6) 11 Passionate entreaty from injured courier, around last month (10, three words) 13 Older noble initially gallant during those times (5) 14 Stock Exchange certificate St Paul
The unclued lights are English place names which include a number in their spelling. These words appeared as figures in the grid — eg BRENTWOOD appears as BREN2OD in the grid. Ruyton XI Towns needed no change! First prize Peter Gregson, Amersham, Bucks Runners-up J. Smith, Beeston, Norfolk; L. Coumbe, Benfleet, Essex
White to play. This is from Aronian-Mamedyarov, St Louis 2019. We are only just out of the opening but White has a killing blow. What is it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 27 August or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of
