Imagine playing a tennis match against Nadal – and winning a game. Impossible, you would say (unless you happen to be Djokovic); but not very talented amateur bridge players can score big results against world champions – which is one of the things that makes it so special. I found out there was a smallish
The forthcoming world championship match, which begins in Astana on 9 April, was described by Garry Kasparov as an ‘amputated event’. The abdication of Magnus Carlsen, who remains the world’s strongest player, is of course a disappointment. But the 14 game match between the world number 2 and 3, respectively Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russian and Ding
Black to play. A variation from the game Ding–Nepomniachtchi, shown above. Only one move crowns the attack here. Which move should Black play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 10 April. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow
In Competition No. 3293, you were invited to provide an extract from the autobiography of a well-known public figure which manages to make a very interesting life sound extraordinarily dull. I am grateful to Sarah Drury for suggesting this terrific challenge. Honourable mentions, in a modest-sized entry, go to Sir Alec Guinness’s Spam anecdote (Jonathan
Six unclued entries (4, 1, 2, 2, 2 and 3 words) give a proverb (verifiable in ODQ), and the remaining unclued entries (one of two words) give examples of a noun therein. Across 1 Spelt ‘sorry’ with an E in (5)4 Triangular prism arranged by bouncers I rejected (5,4)11 I party, and not outside –
RUNNERS (10), ANSWER (28) and MEADOW (29D) defined FIELD; PROVISIONS (18), MANAGE (38) and PASSENGER (30) defined FARE; and THRUSH (11), PICNIC (16) and COMPILER (20) defined FIELDFARE (above the grid) First prize Steve Reszetniak, Margate, Kent Runners-up Alan Norman, Impington, Cambridge; Amanda Spielman, London SW4
