The Gold Cup is the most prestigious Open Teams event in Britain, and has been ever since Colonel ‘Pops’ Beasley first held the trophy aloft in 1932. Last weekend’s online final was as thrilling as any I can remember — a neck-and-neck race between Janet de Botton’s team and Tim Leslie’s, with de Botton pulling
The hero pauses, plays the move, and announces ‘Checkmate!’ The villain crumples in shock. It’s a scene played out countless times on screen, but it so often looks ludicrous. In slow games between skilled players, checkmate on the board is much rarer than resignation. Occasionally, when the denouement is brisk and elegant, it will be
White to play and mate in one. I found this puzzle online, composed by someone with the pseudonym ‘Illion’. I was stumped for several minutes before the solution dawned on me. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 18 October. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a
In Competition No. 3220, you were invited to supply a newly discovered short story by a well-known 19th- or 20th-century poet. In a distinguished entry, Nick MacKinnon’s tale — unearthed in Wendy Cope’s archive and featuring the poet herself and her alter ego Jake/Jason Strugnell — stood out; as did Brian Murdoch’s T.S. Eliot, showing
Unclued entries are words (one hyphened) or phrases (three of four words each, one of three words, two each of two words), sharing a common direction. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 1 One rep loses a Hebridean (8) 6 Tribute in silver blocks (6) 11 Mediterranean islander getting mercy from another (5) 13 Fairly
The [5 Down] MILESTONE puzzle number 2525 is the product of PRIME numbers 101 TIMES 5 TIMES 5, equivalently the 101 X 5 SQUARED appearing respectively in unclued entries [23A 13D 27D 28A]. First prize Joan New, Salisbury, Wilts Runners-up Roy Robinson, Sheffield; Peter Tanner, Hertford
