I was talking to the brilliant 27-year old Israeli player Alon Birman at the recent Brighton Congress, when suddenly there was a loud crash: a pane of glass had fallen to the floor. No one was hurt, and as everyone carried on chatting, Alon quipped: ‘It’s obvious none of you live in Israel.’ Alon is
To round off my coverage of the chess Olympiad in Tromsø, which saw a total of 313 teams in the open and women’s sections, thus making it the greatest chess gathering on earth, here are a number of notable and brilliant conclusions from the approximately 6,000 games played in this mega competition. Michael Adams
In Competition No. 2862 you were invited to submit a poetic preview of when the lights go out. Submissions were impressively varied this week, and kept me thoroughly entertained. Honourable mentions go to Katie Mallett, who had Betjeman in mind (‘Fetch out the candles, Norman…’), and to Sylvia Fairley, who was in double-dactylic mood: ‘Jittery-tickery/
The titles of four of an artist’s works (9,7; 6,6; 6,2,4; 12) read clockwise round the perimeter from a square to be deduced. In eleven clues, cryptic indications omit reference to parts of answers; these parts must be highlighted, to reveal the artist’s name and the title of another work. Letters in corner squares and
The key phrase is KNOW WHERE THE SHOE PINCHES (12 38 43). Each of the partially indicated answers is pinched by a shoe, creating entries at 1D, 20, 21, 24 and 29; definitions of these are at 30, 14, 26, 42 and 15. First prize D.G. Page, Orpington, Kent Runners-up Gerry Fairweather, Layer Marney,
White to play. This position is from Lee-Croes, Tromsø Olympiad 2014. White’s position is overwhelming and he now found a nice finish. Can you see it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 2 September or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct
