Life
Thank Evans for good wine
There was an entirely forgotten leftist called Allen Ginsberg, a so-called beat poet (surely an oxymoron) who once produced a…
Migration is complicated. Don’t pretend it’s not
I expect you’ve already noticed it, but in case you’ve been living in a cave or an economics faculty for…
Bridge
Aren’t the Irish supposed to be lucky? The Irish open team are having no luck at all at the moment.…
David and the Giants
The overall scores of the exceedingly strong combined rapid and blitz tournaments in St Louis were as follows: 1. Aronian 24½;…
no. 473
Black to play. This is from Kasparov-Navara, St Louis Blitz 2017. White has just given what appears to be a…
2326: ‘Suits you, sir!’
The unclued lights are of a kind. Elsewhere, ignore one apostrophe. Across 2 Means to call poor chaperone about…
to 2323: alphabetical jigsaw
A Ambition, A Aorist, B Battledore, C Caret, C Cashed, C Coact, C Coalman, C Cuttoes, D Dioxan, D Disaccharides,…
Real life
Stefano the Albanian turned up in a brand new Audi off-roader, cutting quite the dash. He looked older, with some…
Battle for Britain
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Low life
‘Have you ever thought of having some colour put in, love?’ said Julian as he shaved my neck with a…
All four of my kids will learn to shoot
I spent Monday morning being taught how to use a shotgun at E.J. Churchill, a shooting ground in High Wycombe.…
High life
After the heat in Greece, the Alps are cool and green and very comfortable. My sensei Richard Amos is over…
Flavour of the month
In Competition No. 3013 you were invited to submit a poem in praise or dispraise of August. There was…
Dear Mary
Q. Our best friends own a house in Morocco which sleeps about ten. They rent it out but go two…
The Battle for Britain
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Bacteria
It’s like whipping cream. All of a sudden it goes stiff and you can turn the bowl upside down without…
to 2322: In memoriam
The event was THE GLORIOUS TWELFTH (1D/29) (12 August, opening day of the grouse-shooting season). Remaining unclued lights bring to…
Bridge
The 43rd World Bridge Championships held in Lyon has just ended after two intense weeks and hundreds of boards. The…
Hou dares wins
Hou Yifan, the leading female grandmaster, is beginning to place strain on Judit Polgar’s record as the best woman chess…
no. 472
White to play. This position is a variation from Hari-krishna-Studer, Biel 2017. Can you spot White’s winning thrust? Answers to…
2325: Hard task
Clockwise round the grid run six of a kind (one of three words and one three-word pair). Other unclued lights…
A perfect feast with Roger Allam
J Sheekey is one of Richard Caring’s older, and better, restaurants. Since he has dowsed the suburbs of London in…
High life
I was appalled. She had asked Lord John Somerset to ask me to join her, and I rose rather unsteadily…
Low life
I arrived for lunch a bit late and was led to the dining table. Our hostess disappeared back into the…
Real life
My friendly neighbourhood Lib Dems have put some campaign literature through my door. In a covering note, they intimate that…
