Life
The Spanish village that thought it was called ‘Kill Jews’
A village has changed its name because it seemed offensive. But I think the villagers were under a misapprehension. The…
Battle for Britain
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Chinese cracker
I have a particular affection for Chinese involvement in mind sports. In 1981 I was invited as the first western…
No. 370
Black to play. This position is a variation from Hou Yifan-Kramnik, Dortmund 2015. Black is a rook down. What does…
I can see a rainbow
In Competition No. 2905 you were invited to write a sonnet whose lines begin with the letters R,O,Y,G,B,I,V,V,I,B,G,Y,O,R, in that…
Your problems solved
Q. I am anxious about a forthcoming house party to which several people in my friendship group have been invited.…
Chelsea carnivores
The Maze Grill is on a sinister street in Chelsea, between a small Tesco — a boutique Tesco? — and…
High life
Wow, what a week. London may be bad for one’s health, but it sure makes it fun on the way…
Long life
The 1960s were already more than halfway over when I realised that I was living through what was supposed to…
Long life
The 1960s were already more than halfway over when I realised that I was living through what was supposed to…
Low life
After hitting me with the cancer diagnosis, the urologist offered me the choice of a longer life in exchange for…
Low life
After hitting me with the cancer diagnosis, the urologist offered me the choice of a longer life in exchange for…
Matajudíos
A village has changed its name because it seemed offensive. But I think the villagers were under a misapprehension. The…
Real life
Here is what I thought happened. I thought that as I tided my store room at the stables I put…
Kyrgios is surely just what tennis needs
Well thank heaven for Nick Kyrgios. The lavishly inked, blinged and barbered Aussie is quite one of the most thrilling…
True grit and pushy parents
I took my three boys for a cycle ride in Richmond Park on Sunday. Under normal circumstances, this would have…
True grit and pushy parents
I took my three boys for a cycle ride in Richmond Park on Sunday. Under normal circumstances, this would have…
Dettori’s double
Eclipse was one of the most remarkable racehorses ever. Sired by the then undistinguished Marske, whom mares could visit for…
My big embarrassing Greek royal wedding
Tempus sure fugit, and how. Twenty years ago, on Saturday 1 July 1995, monarchs from around the world descended on…
Praise, insults, posh gin – and other perils of the book launch
Rachel Johnson, in last week’s Spectator diary, says that her husband says she only writes a book in order to…
House-hunting in Cobham has driven me to the verge of insanity
This much I know, I never want to live in an ‘executive home’, and neither do I want to live…
First I cursed the Calais migrants — then I thanked them
The Eurostar train descended gently into the Channel Tunnel, went halfway along it, and then stopped. There it remained for…
Bridge
I had no idea until last week that Burt Lancaster was a passionate bridge player. I found out after meeting…
Magnus toppled
Last week, world champion Magnus Carlsen suffered a devastating defeat in the first round of the Stavanger super tournament when…
No. 369
White to play. This is from Anand–Hammer, Stavanger 2015. White is a pawn up with a good position and his…
