It’s difficult for non-players to imagine the extent to which bridge hands can torment us. I’ve spent hours this week mulling over a fiendishly complicated slam, endlessly jotting down diagrams on bits of paper and snapping at my children whenever they interrupted my train of thought. I described it last time — it was played
Magnus Carlsen is seeking to become the 16th world chess champion in a line that includes such giants as Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov. The $5 million World Chess Championship will be a clash between the reigning Indian world champion Viswanathan Anand (defending champion from the World Chess Championship 2012 and twice winner
In Competition 2820 you were invited to supply a postscript to any well-known novel. This challenge was suggested by a reader who drew my attention to Barbara Hardy’s neo-Victorian gem Dorothea’s Daughter and Other Nineteenth Century Postscripts, which includes afterwords to Little Dorrit and Mansfield Park. I hoped it might appeal to anyone who
Six of the unclued entries (one of three words, three of two words and one hyphened; all in Chambers apart from one name; unchecked letters can spell ACTOR OR WOMEN ETC ARE CHIEF SUSPECT) share a connection which will allow the other two to be deduced. Across 9 Apparently overdrawn, and without a
Initial letters of superfluous words in clues give titles of ALBUMS (29D) by FLEETWOOD MAC (39). 8A, 25, 33 and 34 are RUMOURS; 12 defines TUSK, and 1A defines MIRAGE; and TANGO IN THE NIGHT indicates 16 /17. First prize M. Day, London N6 Runners-up Paul Davies, Reading, Berks; Hilda Ball, Belfast
Black to play. This is a variation from Svidler-Nepomniatchi, Novgorod 2013. Svidler avoided this position, despite the fact that White appears to be a piece up for very little. What possible danger had he foreseen? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 29 October or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020
