I know its only October, but I’ve already found the perfect Christmas present for bridge-lovers: Simon Cochemé’s new book, Bridge With a Twist. It’s full of quirky observations, funny anecdotes, snippets of history and flights of fancy. There are jokes, some old (‘My bridge partner ran off with my wife, and let me tell you,
Geometry shmometry. The pirouette of a knight may be pleasing to the eye, but sometimes what I really crave is a demolition. I don’t mean a smash-and-grab king hunt. I want to see a crumbling edifice, a colossal concrete barrier wilting beneath a torrent of water, as in The Dam Busters. On the chessboard, diagonal
White to play. Wade–Korchnoi, Buenos Aires, 1960. Bob Wade’s next move prepared a surprising and decisive breakthrough. What did he play? Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by Monday 2 November. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address. Last week’s solution 1…f5!
In Competition No. 3172 you were invited to submit a poem about the government’s coronavirus messaging. Many of you, nudged no doubt by the title of the challenge, went for Milne pastiche. Take a bow, Martin Brinkworth: ‘When R was 1/ It had just begun…’; Brian Murdoch: ‘Boris Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, when he became
19 across (two words) is commonly associated with an octet. Each member of the octet defines one further unclued light. Across 11 Masseur also kneaded old reptiles (11)12 Country’s northern frogs, newts etc with no acid measure (7)13 Tease one brunette, vacuous crone (6)16 Very great network’s backing Sturgeon (7)17 Personify old emperor and knight,
The lyrics of the perimetric I’M POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN and FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN were written by Sammy Lerner, while the lyricist of THE RAIN IN SPAIN and I TALK TO THE TREES (3D/16) was Alan Jay Lerner. LERNER (in the tenth row) was to be shaded. First prize Ann Holme, Salisbury, WiltshireRunners-up Nicholas
