As someone who gets anxious quite easily when faced with difficult bidding decisions (have I done too much? Or not enough? Will my partner be angry?), I admire players who just do what they feel is right without worrying. A refusal to be cowed by your opponents, or nervous about your partner’s reaction, is a
The Sinquefield Cup in St Louis ended last week in victory for Fabiano Caruana, who thereby took first place in the 2023 Grand Chess Tour, extending his impressive run of form this year. Caruana’s victory pushes his rating back over the 2800 mark, securing his place just behind Carlsen in the rating list. The event saw
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Werner Speckmann, Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1980. This problem has two solutions – can you find both? Then move White’s king from e5 to g8 and find two more solutions (again, mate in two). Please note that there is no prize for this week’s puzzle due to
In Competition No. 3328 you were invited to submit a poem on a topical theme in which the last two words of each line rhyme. Some competitors were unsure whetherI meant that the last two words in each line should rhyme with each other, or with the next line. I meant the former, but given
The eight six-letter unclued lights half-overlap each other and so yield a complete word chain beginning with any one of them. Across 1 Complex U-turn before end of lane. Wrong! (6) 7 That woman’s returning remains of make-over (6) 11 Boss has to grovel for LA brawn (4,6) 13 Old manuscript containing
The unclued lights are the surnames of the nine LONDON WORTHIES, verifiable in Brewer. First prize Andy Gemmill, Lenzie, Glasgow Runners-up Alasdair MacKenzie, Hambledon, Hants; Emma Corke, Abinger Hammer, Surrey
