Bravissimo! The Italians have won gold yet again at the European Champions Cup. The event was launched in 2002, and since then Italy has won all but twice. England has never won, but as the host nation this year we got to field two teams, and they came third and fifth — not quite so
It is said that more books have been written about chess than about any other game, sport or pastime. I can well believe it. When the Chess and Bridge (shop.chess.co.uk) catalogue dropped through my letterbox last week, I counted 360 book titles, and I know that is just the tip of the iceberg. One book
In Competition No. 2924 you were invited to submit a ‘love scene’ from a novel that dampens rather than boosts the reader’s libido. It was a cracking entry, so I’ll keep it brief to make space for as many winners as possible. Dishonourable mentions go to Peter Goulding, Sergio Michael Petro, Margaret Timbrell and Ann
The title suggests a pair of unclued lights which identify the common feature of the others. Solvers must shade the pair. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe. Across 5 Protozoon seen wriggling aboard steamboat (6) 9 Water envelops very soft body part (10, two words) 14 One lacking time and place for study (3) 16 Piebald
The quotation was ‘IS THIS A [DAGGER] WHICH I SEE BEFORE ME’ (1/44) (Macbeth).18, 22, 2, 27, 29 and 30D are daggers. BASELARD (diagonally from the 12th row) was to be shaded. VILE STUFF suggests BASE LARD. First prize Michael Sargisson, Norwich Runners-up Brian Willis, Bicton, Australia; Deborah Davis, Sholing, Southampton
Black to play. This is from Sursock–Larsen, Siegen 1970. How can Black win material? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 24 November 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 each week there is a prize
