The 53rd European Teams Championship started last week in Budapest, 37 countries competing in an 11-day complete round robin. The Open Teams kicked off the event slightly earlier than the Women’s and Senior’s, and England has excellent chances of medals in all three categories. The teams are competing for two different prizes: the first to
Local hero Shakhriyar Mamedyarov won the Vugar Gashimov Memorial in Shamkir, Azerbaijan by virtue of three consecutive victories at the last minute. Two of these wins came against the leaders Fabiano Caruana and Anish Giri. That catapulted Mamedyarov into a tie for first prize with Caruana, and then he went on to win the tie-break.
In Competition No. 2953 you were invited to supply a sonnet that has the name of a tree hidden in every line. This fiendish challenge, which was suggested by a reader, drew a large entry — and the following envoi from Alanna Blake: ‘Gor blimey, not the easiest of romps!/ But, Lucy, press on with
Around the perimeter starting at one corner run two lines of a verse (ten words). Two unclued lights give the name of the author (in her formal style); other unclued lights give one association with each of the adjectives in the quotation. Across 10 Smile conceals a natural character (5) 11 Eastern exercise in
Corrections of misprints in clues give STEP ON THE GAS, indicating the unclued lights in each of four columns in the grid. First prize Virginia Porter, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff Runners-up Richard Poole, Harlech, Gwynedd; John M. Brown, Rolleston-on-Dove, Staffordshire
Black to play. This is from Caruana-Mamedyarov, Gashimov Memorial Play-off 2016. Black played 1 … Kg8 here, missing a clever winning move. What should he have played instead? (This is a tough puzzle.) Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 28 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for
