Life
My future hangs on the result of this blood test
A new year and another round of medical treatments in the French health system. On Saturday morning, needing a blood…
Bridge | 16 January 2021
’Tis better to give than to receive, the Bible teaches us. Well, not if you were me this Christmas, it…
The Battle for Britain | 16 January 2021
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2487: Birthday boys - solution
December 12th was the birthday of Gustave FLAUBERT (1D) and Frank SINATRA (15). Examples of their work are MADAME BOVARY…
No. 636
Gormally–Turner, Caplin Hastings Online 2021. Black looks safe, but Gormally’s next move forced a win of material. What did he…
Missed opportunities
In game 1 of his Airthings Masters Final against Radjabov, Aronian’s pawn push 21 e4-e5 (shown in the first diagram)…
Christmas Covid Outlaw
I was sitting with one other person in a sterilised public hospital reception area waiting to be tested for COVID…
Woke for kids
Now that hate-speech has been recognised as an act of physical violence, using non-problematic language has never been more important.…
We may be locked down but Gstaad’s nightlife is going strong
Gstaad Chekhovian boredom ruled supreme, but the loss of my luggage brought instant relief. Anger beats boredom by a mile,…
Bridge | 9 January 2021
It’s so much easier to play bridge well when luck is on your side. You’ve just doubled your opponents and…
Footballers have made a pig’s ear of Covid rules
It’s the Portuguese piglet you feel really sorry for. The diminutive (ready cooked) porker — a festive delicacy all over…
2488: Clueless
The unclued lights (one of two words), when paired, have something in common. Across 5 Fly eggs not at all…
Sub-ready-meals of salt and tears: Simply Cook reviewed
Welcome to the sunlit uplands which, for me, contain small plastic tubs of stock, which is just the opening to…
Dear Mary: Should I rename my grandmother’s dog to avoid offense?
Your problems solved
Why oranges don’t have ‘segments’
In the aisle of Tesco I stood like one thunderstruck. It was not the print of a man’s naked foot…
A dog is not just for lockdown
The Dogs Trust charity received 114 calls on 27 and 28 December from people wanting to offload their puppies. No,…
No. 635
Mastrovasilis–Marechal, Cappelle la Grande 2011. Black is a whole rook up, so his last move 34… Nd5-e7, angling for an…
The Battle for Britain | 9 January 2021
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2486: Ghost Companions - solution
Unclued lights are nicknames of works by Beethoven, born 250 years ago. The title referred to the Ghost piano trio,…
Belloc-esque cautionary tales for our times
In Competition No. 3180 you were invited to submit a Belloc-esque cautionary tale featuring a high-profile public figure. Cautionary Tales…
Antiques Roadshow
It is one of life’s comforts to see a forgotten trinket being dusted off and appreciated afresh. So in chess,…
In praise of nuns
Although I was ten minutes early, Vernon was there ahead of me, framed in the ancient chapel doorway, chatting up…
What parking disputes have taught me about Brexit
Our battle with the EU has given me an insight into the parking disputes outside my house. Or is it…
The poetry of Bryony Frost
Hearing that the Queen has both a real and an official birthday, a small boy asked the obvious question: ‘Does…
Language notes
Word-of-the-year of the Year It’s that time of year once again – the season when dictionaries announce their choice for…
