Life
Gone Giri
The London Classic is over with the final scores being as follows: Wesley So 6/9; Fabiano Caruana 5½; Viswanathan Anand,…
no. 439
Black to play. This position is from Topalov-Anand, London Classic 2016. How did Black conclude? Answers to me at The…
Comic effect
In Competition No. 2980 you were invited to submit an extract from a politician’s speech ghostwritten by a well-known comedian.…
Dear Mary
Q. My son decided to go straight into work and has got a job. The problem is that it is…
Sherry to start
Someone came up with a century-old quotation plangent with irony and sadness: ‘The year 1916 was cursed: 1917 will surely…
High life
There are Dames and there are dames. Dame Vivien, an old friend, became one for her philanthropy. Dame Edna, the…
Long life
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, likes making and keeping New Year resolutions. In recent years he has learnt Mandarin,…
Long life
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, likes making and keeping New Year resolutions. In recent years he has learnt Mandarin,…
Low life
Still depressed, or, as Matthew Arnold put it, ‘the foot less prompt to meet the morning dew’, I got out…
Low life
Still depressed, or, as Matthew Arnold put it, ‘the foot less prompt to meet the morning dew’, I got out…
Nativism
The title of America’s first woman bishop was claimed in 1918 by Bishop Alma White, leader of the Pillar of…
Real life
A few moments after saying the communion rite, the priest looked at his congregation and uttered easily the most disturbing…
Why we need more universities
In 1961, shortly after getting a job as a lecturer at Cambridge, my father had an idea. The faculty buildings,…
Why we need more universities
In 1961, shortly after getting a job as a lecturer at Cambridge, my father had an idea. The faculty buildings,…
Making work for ourselves
In 1929 John Maynard Keynes predicted that by 2029 people in the developed nations could enjoy a perfectly civilised standard…
Wild life
We had my parents-in-law Gerry and Jean to stay with us on the farm over Christmas and being in a…
Bridge
There’s a bit of a ruckus going on in the bridge world at the moment; a lot of people are…
The Battle for Britain
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Bridge
Simon Gillis’s team has had a very successful year. They won the Gold Cup (for the second time), they joined…
Missed chances
Magnus Carlsen has retained the World Championship but only after Sergei Karjakin, the challenger, missed some glorious opportunities. In game…
no. 438
White to play. This is from Carlsen–Karjakin, New York play-off (Game 4) 2016. What was Carlsen’s stunning move to retain…
Take five
In Competition No. 2979 you were invited to supply your contribution to a series of parodies of Enid Blyton’s Famous…
2291: Seriously?
In ten clues, the wordplay omits one of the letters of the solution. These letters in the grid, read row…
to 2289: I don’t believe it!
The unclued lights are expressions meaning NEVER (3A, 4D+43A, 21D+14D, 37A+1D and 37A+15D). First prize Hilary James, London W5Runners-up David…
Dear Mary
Q. I have bought a second-floor flat which comes with a bow-shaped balcony which overlooks a communal garden. My problem…
