Much as I love chit-chatting, there’s no space this week. The hand I want to describe, played by Frank Multon (Monaco) in the recent Europeans, requires not one but two diagrams. Multon worked out the answer in his head during a pressurised match. The rest of us get to view all four hands at leisure,
White to play. This position is from Kasparov-Ivanchuk, Moscow 1988. White’s next caused Black’s instant resignation. What did he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 17 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and
The English Opening was essentially invented by Howard Staunton in the mid-19th century. The strategic point is to commence with c4, then fianchetto White’s king’s bishop and eventually to strike at the central and queenside light squares. This week’s game is a perfect example of this strategy in action. White’s light-squared bishop dominates proceedings and
In Competition No. 2754 you were invited to submit an example from the Selected Poems of a contemporary politician. Politician-poets have met with varying degrees of success. While Jimmy Carter’s efforts prompted literary heavyweight Harold Bloom to pronounce him ‘in my judgment literally the worst poet in the United States’, the youthful dabblings of Barack
‘ALAS, POOR YORICK’ (4) is an utterance by HAMLET on discovering the SKULL of the JESTER (11). Six unclued lights are features of a skull. First prize Susan Tims, Sutton Coldfield Runners-up Paul Jenkinson, Zollikon, Switzerland; Mike Underwood, Auvillar, France
Each of twenty-four clues comprises a definition part and a hidden consecutive jumble of the answer including one extra letter; the extras spell five words identifying an event, which could result in 14 7. Another possible result is given by the lights symmetrically opposite to 14 7. Definitions of the components of these results are
