2015 leaves many bridge players with mixed emotions. I have played in more wonderful, high-level tournaments than ever before (Iceland, Vilnius, Cavendish Monaco and Lederer to name four) but all of them were overshadowed this August by the greatest cheating scandal in bridge history. Four world-class pairs were outed and banned awaiting trial, three of
By the time this article appears, the London Classic at Olympia and the newly created brainchild of the indefatigable Malcolm Pein, the introduction of the British Knockout Championship, will have been underway for some time. The prize fund in the Classic is $300,000, this being part of the new global Grand Chess Tour which has
In Competition No. 2927 you were invited to submit a Christmas carol written in the style of a writer of your choice. Albert Black’s ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ by way of Will Self raised a seasonal smile: ‘Erstwhile in posh Dave’s municipality/ Upraised a plebeian bovid shack…’ As did George Simmers, who imagined Allen
Along the top and bottom rows of the grid runs a seasonal quotation of 11 words. 81 clues contain a superfluous word; the initial letters of these words in clue order spell out another seasonal quotation of 21 words; ignore the apostrophe. Other unclued lights (five of two words, one of three), singly or linked,
The title suggests BACK NUMBERS (8/15). Remaining unclued lights contain ‘back numbers’: GENEVESE (1A), MARXIST (20), GENETTE (24), XENON (37), GROWTH (42) and MENINGES (43). 8 and 15 were to be shaded. First prize Margaret Lusk, Fulwood, Preston, Lancs Runners-up Tim Hanks, Douglas, Isle of Man; Anthony Harker, Cumnor Hill, Oxford
White to play. This position is from Fernandez-Jackson, Aberystwyth 2014. White brilliantly exploited the draughty position of the black king with a fine combination. Can you spot the key move? We regret that because of the Christmas printing schedule, this is not a prize puzzle. Last week’s solution The Queen sacrifice 1 Qxh7+ is the key
On the record In 2015, who said: 1. We must get the cow off the ice. 2. It’s decision time — that’s what pumps me up. 3. Let me tell you about my trouble with girls. Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love
On the record 1. Jean-Claude Juncker 2. David Cameron 3. Sir Tim Hunt 4. Jeremy Corbyn 5. President Vladimir Putin of Russia 6. Tony Blair 7. John McDonnell (quoting Mao Tse-tung) 8. Ed Miliband 9. Lord Ashdown (They were, he didn’t) 10. Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party, after giving a poor interview
