Life
The NHS is teaching me how to stand properly
If you are wondering, any more than usual, how your tax is being spent, you should know that I have…
Why racing will miss Luca Cumani
Fairy tales can happen. On Sunday the filly God Given won Italy’s only Group One race of the season, the…
Bridge
This autumn has been the busiest (bridge-wise) I can remember. It started with the Crockfords final at the beginning of…
Nos morituri
Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, those two gladiators of the mind, will duel in London during the remainder of this…
no. 531
White to play. This is from Carlsen-Caruana, Bilbao 2012. Black has blundered right out of the opening. How did Carlsen…
Neo-gothic
In Competition No. 3073 you were invited to submit a short story in the Gothic style with a topical twist.…
2384: Bang!
Unclued lights, singly or correctly paired, are of a kind, as given in Chambers. Ignore one apostrophe. Across 5 …
to 2381: Step changes
The word ladder connecting UNITED and STATES goes: UNITES (1D), URITES (18), WRITES (7D), WHITES (34), WHILES (30A), WHALES (7A),…
Roger Scruton becomes the latest victim of the Twitchfork mob
‘Once identified as right-wing you are beyond the pale of argument,’ wrote Sir Roger Scruton. ‘Your views are irrelevant, your…
The Battle for Britain
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Sending more people to uni isn’t the answer
Imagine a world where employers judged applicants solely on their dress. Anyone in frayed clothes or scuffed shoes would never…
Dear Mary: What can I do about loud train snorers?
Q. At every drinks party one will be in mid-conversation with another guest and someone will walk over and loiter…
How violence in France led to the creation of London’s Courtauld Gallery
Darkness, but not the blanket of the dark. This was a sinister darkness, beset by smoke and flames, by the…
At sixes and sevens about seven and six
Someone on the wireless was talking about marrying in the Liberty of Newgate before the Marriage Act of 1753, and…
A love letter to Brooklyn Heights
New York I now know it by heart. Brooklyn Heights, that is. It takes 35 minutes by cab from where…
40-plus reasons to love and hate France
I apologised, was gladly granted an indulgence, and on Sunday I packed a small bag and reached into a drawer…
My hundred-year-old-horse
‘This isn’t so bad,’ said my friend, as we knelt at my old mare’s side as she lay on the…
How I rewilded the African bush
Laikipia My two Jersey bulls Halcyon and Hosanna were grazing happily on the lawn in front of the house…
Bridge
For most bridge players, defence is the hardest part of the game. Not only do you need to visualise declarer’s…
Man made
This year’s Isle of Man Masters, sponsored by Chess.com, could claim to be the strongest ever open chess competition. The…
no. 530
Black to play. This is from Cornette-Jumabayev, Isle of Man 2018. Black’s next move led to an overwhelming material advantage.…
Brief lives
In Competition No. 3072 you were invited to supply a short verse biography of a well-known figure from history. …
2383: Flagged
The unclued lights, one of two words, and the others when paired are of a kind. One individual unclued light…
to 2380: Dedover
The unclued Across lights are US state capitals and the unclued Down ones are the states. The title refers to…
I like the idea of meritocracy as much as my father hated it
Last week I spoke at an event at Nottingham University to commemorate the 60th anniversary of The Rise of the…
