Life
no. 593
White to play, a variation from McShane–-Kamsky. In the game above, I was hoping to see 31…Qa5, as I had…
By George
In Competition No. 3137, to mark the 70th anniversary of George Orwell’s death, you were invited to submit a short…
2446: Spring time
Each clue defines the full solution to which the letter-count refers. However, the cryptic wordplay leads to the grid entry,…
to 2443: Middle of the road
Each unclued light is a genus name of a TREE (i.e. ‘middle of the road’ = (s)TREE(t)). Cornus was also allowed…
How far should we go to defend free speech?
This week sees the official launch of the Free Speech Union — an organisation that stands up for the speech…
The Battle for Britain
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Is it time to consign VAR to Room 101?
Thankfully, Tyson Fury is as good at boxing as he is terrible at singing. But he really should pick on…
Dear Mary: Should I return my pod coffee maker on moral grounds?
Q. I adore doing jigsaws and these days there’s an added bonus — by posting my progress on Instagram I…
I have always liked angry food: Ugly Butterfly reviewed
Ugly Butterfly is a zero-waste restaurant and champagne bar on the King’s Road, Chelsea. The ‘champagne bar’ addition is so…
What do elbows have to do with fighting coronavirus?
Before the Covid-19 scare I never thought that one particular Spanish proverb would come in useful. It goes: ‘Los ojos…
Why Bloomberg will be president
Gstaad I was not aware that there is a group of Spectatorfans who meet in French-speaking Switzerland. They contacted me…
How to sample your own urine
Seven round the table for dinner. Wild mushroom risotto. I was told to sit next to Michael. Good. Michael makes…
As long as jokes remain legal I’ll keep on making them
Mr Benn has been in touch because he wants a right of reply to an article I wrote about my…
Cyrname was lucky to survive his shocking fall at Ascot
Few jumpers have a better record at Ascot than the Paul Nicholls-trained Cyrname. He triumphed in the Betfair Chase at…
Bridge 22 February 2020
I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the Rimstedts and their children get together over supper. One…
Confidence tricks
Three consecutive losses in a tournament is dryly termed ‘castling queenside’, in reference to the chess notation for that move…
No. 592
Black to play, Kateryna Lagno–Ju Wenjun, February 2020. Material is approximately balanced, but White’s king is in serious danger. What…
3136: Love me don't
In Competition No. 3136 you were invited to submit a lonely hearts ad guaranteed to send those looking for love…
2445: In other words II
41, 1A, 10 (seven words in total) is a description of a phenomenon. Remaining unclued lights, including one of two…
2442: Don’t nod solution
ROTAVATOR (4A), NAURUAN (12), DEED (25), DEIFIED (36), MALAYALAM (39), REIFIER (4D), TERRET (15D), and REPAPER (18) are palindromes as…
Why on earth did I volunteer to do stand-up?
It was on my ‘bucket list’, but that doesn’t mean it was a sensible thing to do. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro…
The Battle for Britain | 22 February 2020
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The simple trick that will hugely boost your phone coverage
In the recent debate over Britain’s 5G infrastructure, one dog didn’t bark in the night. At no point did anyone…
Dear Mary: Should I tell my friend that his expensive lunch made me ill?
Q. I see a lot of two of our grandchildren because they live in our London house. We are centrally…
Which water goes best with whisky?
Peaty water ought to be classed as a luxury. You have spent a day on the hill, a’chasing the deer.…
