The London Metropolitan Bridge Association’s annual Swiss Teams’ Tournament, which attracted 35 teams, was won in style by Roger O’Shea, ably assisted by most of the Hackett family. There are a number of situations in bridge where we can’t afford to hesitate, or we’d give the game away. The only thing to rely on in
The Candidates tournament to decide the challenger to world champion Anand is the strongest tournament ever to have graced the capital. As I write, three rounds of fighting chess have produced the following scores: Aronian 2½, Carlsen and Svidler 2, Kramnik Grischuk and Radjabov 1½, Gelfand and Ivanchuk ½. The tournament continues at the IET
In Competition No. 2789 you were invited to supply the facts of life as explained by a well-known figure from history or the character from a well-known novel. Most of you chose characters from novels. Godfrey Ackers presented a gloriously pithy Mr Micawber: ‘Nightly coition five, rigidity positive — result happiness; Nightly coition nil, flaccidity
A trio of unclued lights (four words, one with an apostrophe) gave rise to another trio found in four further unclued lights (eight words in total), all of which featured the two remaining unclued lights. Across 1 Suspect fine spray having corrosion (8) 9 Assessment of arrangement of a tune and a viol (10)
Each of the four paired lights (at 1A/4, 13/14, 30/31 and 32/33) forms a RIGHT ANGLE which is the solution in each case. Four right angles equal THREE SIXTY DEGREES (the solutions at 23/40/15), thus making the FULL CIRCLE of the title. First prize R.R. Alford, Oundle, Peterborough Runners-up Jenny Atkinson, Little Chalfont, Bucks; Lewis
White to play. This position is a variation from Radjabov-Ivanchuk, London Candidates 2013. White has only one move to win here. Can you see it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 26 March or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer
