If time and money were no object, I’d be jetting off to Vienna in a couple of weeks, then flying to Biarritz, then spending a week in New Orleans, back in time to catch a flight to Warsaw… and that would only take me up to April. Most people probably aren’t aware how many international
Two rounds before the end of this year’s Tata Steel Masters, Jorden Van Foreest, the Dutch no. 2, declared himself ‘excited to play the role of spoiler’. Van Foreest was placed near the bottom of the leaderboard, but had yet to face two of the leaders. His opponent in the penultimate round was Anish Giri. True to
Black to play. Adhiban-Warmerdam, Tata Steel Challengers, 2023. Adhiban’s last move, Nd4-e6, prepared a series of checks, starting with Nxg7+. Warmerdam’s response was a rude awakening. What did he play? Email answers to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 February. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include
In Competition No. 3284, you were invited to supply a topical short story that begins with the last line of a well-known novel and ends with the first. Much has been written about the rise of AI bot ChatGPT (from zero users to several million its first two weeks!), and reader Alistair Kelman fed it
Seven unclued lights (all real words) are 36s minus one letter. A further 36 formed from the omitted letters will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 1 Confederate creeshes wheels (8)5 Poem (anonymous) involving ship in port (6)9 Crooked creep with agent making profit (10)16 Tinware company backed predator (6)17 A
The five of a kind are stations on the Jubilee tube line in London, derived from: 26/27 (London Bridge), 40/41 (Stanmore), 46/47 (Waterloo), 3/34 (Baker Street) and 10/39 (Westminster). LOVELY JUBBLY (32/12D) suggests mispronounced praise. ORATE/ERATO were both accepted at 46A, as were SETTER/TESTER at 34D. Title: the line’s colour on tube maps. First prize
