Does life feel a bit flat? Are you bored and listless? Then take up bridge! During the recent Lady Milne (the women’s home internationals) in Edinburgh, these are just some of the emotions I experienced: euphoria, frustration, elation, shame, exhaustion, self-loathing, pride, fear. The one thing I didn’t feel, not even for a second, was
Trust the French to have cuisine in mind when coining their phrase for April Fool. On the front page of the Daily Telegraph of 3 April, I spotted a statistical prediction by my old rival for the British chess championship, Bill Hartston, that Seabass (a horse, not a marine delicacy) would win the Grand National.
In Competition No. 2794 you were invited to give a helping hand to Sebastian Faulks, who will write the first-ever authorised Wodehouse sequel, and submit a scene from an imaginary sequel in which Wodeshousian characters of your choice debate the wisdom of such an enterprise. This was a mean assignment, given that Wodehouse imitators are
Unclued lights could be resorted to form eight of a kind. Across 6 Here and there scratch top NCO round stomach (6) 11 Half note maidenly shape within a type of sheath (10) 13 Image of a German holding digging stick (5) 14 Centres with smogs district medical officer visits (8) 16 Staff in
FILM FANS (18) will know that numbers in the problem are linked to film titles: Seven BRIDES (1D) for Seven BROTHERS (22); The Four FEATHERS (5A); 12 ANGRY MEN (37/35); Five EASY PIECES (11/42). 7 x ([4 x 12] – 5) x 7 = 2107, the number of the CROSSWORD (19). First prize Katy Berry,
White to play. This position is from Hartston-Penrose, London 1963. Here Hartston agreed a draw but he missed a cast that would have reeled Black in. Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 30 April or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct
