I haven’t played rubber bridge for a few years now (the demands of young children), but recently I’ve been hearing the siren call again — and decided to pop into my old haunt TGRs. I wanted to watch for a while, rather than play (I’m too rusty), and what great timing it turned out to
Lothar Schmid, chess grandmaster, the world’s greatest collector of chess books and the only arbiter trusted by Bobby Fischer, died earlier this year, and the chess world lost one of its great characters. Schmid (born 1928) officiated as arbiter at three of Fischer’s matches, including the 1972 Match of the Century, where Fischer wrested
In Competition 2808 you were invited to invent a new addition to the genre that already includes Tartan Noir and Nordic Noir. This was another invitation to leap aboard the latest literary bandwagon. The new noirs stretched from Devon to space via Middle Earth and Antarctica. You didn’t allow yourselves to be pinned down by
Seven unclued lights are words that may be regarded as 13 18. The remaining unclued light supplies the material with which, in normal clue order, the 18 are 13. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 4 Rags, acceptable kind, around revolving stand (9) 10 Mind being occupied by time in places where ships are repaired
All the unclued lights mean ‘Goodbye’. First prize Alan Donovan, Croydon, Surrey Runners-up Mary Varela, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex; Geoffrey Telfer, Shipley, West Yorks
White to play. This position is from Keene-Eley, Whitby 1964. White’s next move won at once. What did he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 6 August 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, and
