Before deciding how to tackle a hand, experts don’t just weigh up the odds; they also size up the opponents. That’s why, whenever I present the likes of Zia Mahmood or Andrew Robson with a declarer problem, the first question they ask is: ‘Who am I playing?’ Needless to say, weak opponents are far less
Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian chess superstar who will be challenging Viswanathan Anand for the world title later this year, disappointed his home supporters by failing to win the first ever elite tournament to have been played on Norwegian soil. In spite of defeating 23-year-old Sergei Karjakin in their individual game, 22-year-old Magnus Carlsen stumbled at
In Competition No. 2798 you were invited to choose one of the following real headlines from regional newspapers — ‘W. Norwood “Curry Cat” murder latest’, ‘Badger shot by St Ives locksmith’, ‘“Smug” Swans attack dalmatian’ — and to submit the full report behind one of them. ‘Smug Swans attack dalmatian’, from the Ham & High,
The unclued lights (two of three and one of two words), when preceded by the same word which solvers must include along with their completed grid, can be verified in Brewer. Across 9 Small cafe spoken of in ski-lift (4, hyphened) 11 Computer functions ’til a server crashes (10) 16
The unclued lights are the four members of ABBA (which means ‘father’), at 11/21, 12/40, 16/7 and 39/10. First prize Jason James, Cambridge Runners-up Mark Rowntree, London SE10; David Lumley, London SW5
Black to play. This position is from Carlsen-Wang Hao; Norway Masters 2013. Can you spot Black’s clever winning move in this endgame? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 28 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 of a hat,
