I had no idea until last week that Burt Lancaster was a passionate bridge player. I found out after meeting an elderly man who told me that he once partnered the actor at rubber bridge. The man did something terrible in defence, at which point Lancaster reached across the table, grabbed him by the lapels
Last week, world champion Magnus Carlsen suffered a devastating defeat in the first round of the Stavanger super tournament when he lost on time to Topalov, in what had been a winning position for the champion. This contradictory outcome lent wings to the Bulgarian grandmaster, who then stormed to one of his greatest tournament triumphs.
In Competition No. 2904 you were invited to take as your first line ‘There’s a breathless hush on the centre court’ and continue for up to 15 lines in the style of Sir Henry Newbolt’s poem ‘Vitaï Lampada’. There is just space to congratulate the winners and to commiserate with unlucky losers John Whitworth, who
The unclued lights (two of three words and two of two words) can be preceded by the same word and all are defined in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Across 10 Terrorist regularly misses the mark (4) 12 Canons once disturbed harmony (10) 14 Distinctive doctrine of Paris Match (3)
The unclued lights include at least four Os (IV Os), and other clued solutions contain two or three. OROONOKO at 6D is the novel and has five Os. First prize David Warren, Gorey, Co. Wexford Runners-up J.E. Pugh, Cardiff; S.J.J. Tiffin, Cockermouth, Cumbria
White to play. This is from Anand–Hammer, Stavanger 2015. White is a pawn up with a good position and his next move put the game beyond all doubt. How did he continue? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 7 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The
