What a week! Ostend by the sea was host to this year’s European Championships which kicked off with two mixed events (pairs and teams). I arrived on Friday and went straight to the playing area. Who was the first person I ran into? My favourite column buddy, Susanna! For the next week we hung out
The Israeli grandmaster Boris Gelfand celebrated his 45th birthday last Monday (24 June) with outright victory in the Tal Memorial elite super-tournament in Moscow. Given that Gelfand has recently tied first in the Alekhine Memorial in Paris, this means that over a total of 18 games against the world’s best in these two competitions, Gelfand has
In Competition 2803 you were invited to supply a nostalgic poem about a product that is no longer available. I found myself transported back to the good old days of the Hillman Imp, Spangles and — among many other lost but not forgotten delights — Dr J. Collis Browne. ‘Oh for a taste of Fuller’s
‘14/7’ (four words in all) is part of a quotation from 29/1D in ODQ and is what the remaining unclued lights do in slightly different ways. The title of the relevant work will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe and an accent. Across 1 Mate nautical
The part quotation was ‘WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE’ (15A/35/1D) from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by COLERIDGE (20). Remaining unclued lights, not in themselves indicating water, all consist of two parts that do: SEA/MED (3), KILL/DEE (6), MAIN/SPRING (19), PEE/WEE (30) and BURN BLUE (34D/25). First prize Chris Edwards, Pudsey, Leeds Runners-up David Norwood,
Black to play. This position is a variation from the game Nakamura-Gelfand, Tal Memorial, Moscow 2013. White’s king is in danger. How can Black exploit this? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 2 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct
