Life
Reference
When Dickens wanted to buy a house in 1837, he wrote to Richard Bentley, who had started the magazine in…
Real life
‘You’re probably excited about your new service and keen to start using it as soon as you can,’ said the…
Race, gender and a terrifying witch hunt
A leading article appeared in Nature last week in defence of intelligence research. It lamented the fact that it is…
Wild life
The guests at my brother-in-law Rick’s 70th birthday lunch party were distinguished, silver-haired, well heeled. Long before Rick rescued the…
Don’t look for any merit in meritocracy
A few years ago, someone asked me how to fix social care costs for the elderly. One eventual idea of…
Bridge
It’s the funniest bridge story I’ve heard in ages. At the recent Lady Milne championship (the women’s Home Internationals), one…
Vote Basman
To the best of my knowledge, Michael Basman is the first officially titled chess master to ever stand in a UK…
No. 459
Black to play. This position is from Mecking-Basman, Hastings 1966. How did Black make the most of his active knights?…
Bridge
The last days of May see all the ongoing tournaments coming to an end: both TGR’s and Young Chelsea’s Super…
Thoroughly modern
In 1972, in collaboration with George Botterill, two-times British champion, I published a revolutionary book on 1 … g6 which…
No. 548
Black to play. This position is from Arnason-Keene, London 1981. This position also arose from a Modern Defence. How did…
A bad lot
In Competition No. 2999 you were invited to supply a poem which takes as its first line W.S. Gilbert’s ‘A policeman’s…
2311: Keith II
The unclued lights, (two of two words), are of a kind. Chambers does not give the solution at 12 Across.…
Solution to 2308: Landmark
Solution to 2308: Landmark This puzzle was Doc’s 600th to be published in this series. The unclued lights are two-word…
Dear Mary
Q. Re getting away from bores at drinks parties (Dear Mary, 20 May). I take issue with the idea that…
Food
Pollen Street Social lives in a Georgian house on Pollen Street, Mayfair, a narrow curve between Hanover Street and Maddox…
High Life
New York Although both guilt and innocence fascinate me, I’m not so sure that there is such a thing…
The Battle for Britain
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Low life
‘Jeremy, I want you to sit here next to me — unless you’re frightened of me?’ We were briefly introduced…
Goof
Susie Dent has been trying to make us love Americanisms on Radio 4. Now Miss Dent knows far more about…
Real life
After spending the day unblocking the gutters and drains in the pouring rain, he wasn’t in the mood for a…
Metal fatigue in the golden generation
Not a bad week for Roger Federer then: first pootling along being cool and rich in a morning suit at…
Fraternity, solidarity and the spirit of 1945
My father worked as a fire warden during the Blitz, trying to contain the damage done by the Luftwaffe, and…
The turf
Most racehorse trainers, those at least who didn’t have a legacy from Aunt Agatha to lubricate their way into the…
Bridge
Long after my own team had been knocked out of this year’s Spring Fours in Stratford-on-Avon (the most prestigious and…
