What do we want? We want to play bridge. But who anticipated Covid-19 was going to close every bridge club in the country — make that the universe — and also cancel (or postpone) every tournament, big or small, world championship or fun. It seemed to take a nanosecond to move everything online and not
Chess has much in common with video games — not least, the eager disdain of uninformed critics. An 1859 article in Scientific American noted the achievements of Paul Morphy ‘vanquishing the most distinguished chess players of Europe’ but concluded sniffily that ‘skill in this game is neither a useful nor graceful accomplishment’. You can’t please
White to play. From the ridiculous to the sublime. According to the ‘Chess Notes’ website, a game won by Edward Gestesi in Paris, 1911. Which move forces a quick checkmate? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 6 July. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat.
In Competition No. 3155 you were invited to supply a poem entitled ‘The Picnic’. This challenge was prompted by a tweet from picnic-hater @edcumming inviting people to nominate their single worst picnic item. Suggestions included stale warm dry carrot batons, hummus with a skin, supermarket Scotch eggs and gin in a tin that’s been slowly
14 which is unclued below, but is clued elsewhere, has to be divided into three components (one a Spanish imperative), each of which is linked with a trio of unclued lights. Across 1 US soldier with Christmas novelty among my low-value ornaments (11) 7/40 Bowler on Anglo-French 10s (6) 11 Fruit, almost a pound,
The unclued lights include the name of a British daily newspaper; 3/26A, 9/35, 12, 24, 28/31D and 34/21. First prize Susan Hay, Old Perton, Staffs Runners-up Alison Gillam, Knotty Green, Bucks; Laurence Pearce, Lympstone, Devon
