Where did you spend Easter? Skiing in some magical snowy wonderland, sipping schnapps and ladling down the fondue? On a gourmet tour somewhere, sampling the local delicacies and washing them down with copious amounts of plonk? Me? I was at the Royal National Hotel in Russell Square playing the Easter Guardian along with hundreds of
This week, further fascinating positions from the world championship qualifier Candidates tournament recently concluded in London. Although there were the regulation number of draws, for such an elite event, the general tenor was one of superb fighting chess, with little quarter asked or given. The theme of many of the games from the second cycle
In Competition No. 2791 you were invited to provide a poem in praise of a country other than the United Kingdom. Thanks to John Whitworth, who suggested the topic. It generated a wave of love-thy-neighbourliness, albeit with an undercurrent of mischief, that is a welcome antidote to the prevailing mood of xenophobia. I liked Ray
18 (two words) will know that where ‘Q’ = ‘the number of’: Q1D x ([Q5A x Q37/35] – Q11/42) x Q22 = Q the 19. Elsewhere, ignore four accents. Across 1 Glitches involving a thousand aircraft (6) 10 Relationship of rhino and fox with earache, gent treated (14, three words) 13 Mysteries of anonymous
The quotation is 16/28/10/2/23, from The Rape of the Lock by POPE (highlighted). Remaining unclued lights each start with a word for a hairstyle: 6A AFRONT, 27D CROPPER, 30D PERMIT, 35A BOBA. First prize Alan West, Bolton Runners-up Barry Roe, Wigston, Leicester; Keith Norcott, Warden Hill, Cheltenham
White to play. This position is a variation from Svidler-Carlsen; London Candidates 2013. This is a trap that Carlsen avoided on the way to victory. What win for White had he foreseen? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 9 April or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The
