Times 2 - UK (2020-10-20)

the times | Tuesday October 20 2020 1GT 15

MindGames

© PUZZLER MEDIA

Divide the grid

into square or

rectangular

blocks, each

containing one

digit only. Every

block must

contain the

number of cells

indicated by the

digit inside it.

Enter each of

the numbers

from 1 to 9 in

the grid, so that

the six sums

work. We’ve

placed two

numbers to get

you started.

Each sum

should be

calculated left

to right or top

to bottom.

From these letters, make words of

three or more letters, always including

the central letter. Answers must be in

the Concise Oxford Dictionary, excluding

capitalised words, plurals, conjugated

verbs (past tense etc), adverbs ending

in LY, comparatives and superlatives.

How you rate 12 words, average;

17, good; 21, very good; 25, excellent

  


  

 


  



 



 



 
 





 
 



  

STEA

EB W

COAT O

RL K

EMICE

TOY

SMA L L

OE

CATCH

HI

HARDEN

D

1 Amazon 2 Potato 3 The Beatles 4 Helen Mirren

5 Dyslexia 6 Gelato 7 Rent 8 Denarius 9 The Trip to

Greece 10 Eugène Ionesco 11 Pontine Islands 12 René

Moncada 13 Allan and Barbara Pease 14 Montevideo

15 Jaguar

1 Qh6! threatens mate on h

but 1 ... Nf5 is a tricky reply as

2 Bxf5 Re1+ wins for Black.

Instead White continues

2 Bxg7+! Kg8 (2 ... Nxg7 3 Qxh

mate) 3 Bxf5 Re1+ 4 Kf2 and

Black’s counterplay swiftly runs

out of steam, eg 4 ... Re2+ 5 Kg

Qa3+ 6 Rd3 Bxd3 7 Qxh7+ Kf

8 Bb2+ winning

Va r v e (c) A thin band of

sediment deposited annually in

glacial lakes

Noctuary (a) A diary of nightly

happenings

Libeccio (a) A southwesterly

wind blowing west of Italy

Kakuro 2765

Futoshiki 3806 Lexica 5532

Cell Blocks 3980 Set Square 2768 Lexica 5531

Suko 2999

Train Tracks 1151

Chess — Winning Move Word watch

1 Hell

2 Notice

3 Ground

4 Offence

5 Forgiving

Quintagram

Quiz

Easy 7; Medium 825; Harder 572

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

ail, alb, bail, balk, balm, bilk, blain, blank,

blin, blink, ilk, kail, kiln, lab, lam, lamb,

lambkin, lank, lib, limb, limn, link, mail,

malik, mil, milk, nail, nil

times2 CrosswordNo 8414 Brain Trainer

+ 88

AN

S

MEDIUM 157111 7 TREBLE x^5 WER

IT

(^1) / 22
OF IT
+^555 / 66 ÷ 4
OF IT
HALF OFF
IT
DOUBLE
IT

• 75

A

N

S

EASY WER

6 –^5

÷ 10 SQUARE

IT

+ 7 DOUBLE

IT

(^11) / 33
OF IT
x 4 + 1 (^2) – 9
x 8
A
N
S
HARDER 11 –^259666 /^77 +^472 WER
OF IT
+^33 / 44
OF IT
SQUARE
IT
(^444) / 55
OF IT
HALF OFF– 1 36
IT
Across
1 Showinggreatcareand
perseverance( 9 )
6 Habitualjoker( 3 )
8 Spokeindistinctly( 7 )
9 Relatingtobirds( 5 )
10 Agreeaable;Frenchresort( 4 )
11 Monster'shome( 4 , 4 )
113 Ofvariouskinds( 6 )
14 Scotshuntingattendant( 6 )
17 Actors'actionstandd-ins(( 8 ))
18 Incentiiive( 4 )
20 Additional( 5 )
21 Notquiteaccurate( 7 )
22 Alongwaaay( 3 )
23 Fullofbeans( 9 )
Down
1 Nuts( 7 )
2 Suchassiliconor
germanium( 1113 )
3 Matt;overcast( 4 )
4 Goldfffinger'shenchman( 6 )
5 Muttonkebab( 8 )
6 Troublesomegiffft( 5 , 8 )
7 Taxonomiccategory( 5 )
12 Ethylcarrbamate;heartune
(anagramm)( 8 )
15 Irregular;capricious( 7 )
16 Lightclearred( 6 )
17 Bundleofcornstalks( 5 )
19 Alban—,composer( 4 )
SolutiontoCrossword 8413
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9
10 11
12
13 14 15
16
17 18
19
20 21
22 23
OFFA PREMISES
R L A A H A
IGUANAS TRACK
G F A C R N E
INFATUATION
N I L A O F
AMAZON PRONTO
L U N S C R
SMALLCHANGE
S T L A A E B
CORGI COLOGNE
A I S K E A
REARMOST OVER
Cell Blocks No 3981
© PUZZLER MEDIA
Polygon Set Square No 2769
Please note, BODMAS does not apply
Killer Moderate No 7403 Solutions
Killer Tough No 7404
As with standard Sudoku, fill the grid so that every column,
every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Each set
of cells joined by dotted lines must add up to the target number
in its top-left corner. Within each set of cells joined by dotted
lines, a digit cannot be repeated.
Need help with today’s puzzle? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the
answers. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s
network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).
Cluelines Stuck on Sudoku, Killer or KenKen? Call 0901 293
6263 before midnight to receive four clues for any of today’s
puzzles. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company’s network
access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).
Lockdown has not hampered the
flourishing junior bridge scene in
Oxford, under the inspirational
guidance of Holly Kilpatrick. Their
monthly competition — played
online — regularly attracted over
50 children aged between nine and 16.
An advantage of playing virtually
is that the children have been able
to participate while on holiday —
from as far afield as Florida, Nice
and a café in Prague. And, whether
on holiday or not, many living far
from the dreaming spires can join
in from their homes.
Here is an exciting board from
the August competition. West led
his singleton ten of spades v 5♥
doubled. Declarer won the ace,
cashed the ace-king of hearts
drawing trumps, and led up her
diamond.
We st h opped up with the ace of
diamonds but had no second spade
to lead to partner. Sensibly unwill-
ing to break open clubs, he contin-
ued with the queen of diamonds.
Declarer won dummy’s king of
diamonds and shed her singleton
spade. She then advanced the jack
of clubs, East smoothly playing
low. Crunch time.
Declarer reasoned impeccably
that if the ace and queen of clubs
were swapped, West would have
switched to a club (from the queen)
when in with the ace of diamonds.
East would have won the ace and
cashed a spade. Therefore, assum-
ing the defence had not erred, West
had to hold the ace of clubs. She
ran the jack, West winning the ace.
Declarer could ruff West’s ten of
diamonds, cash the king of clubs,
ruff the third club, and claim her
doubled game.
Only the ace of diamonds lead
then a spade (or heart) switch beats
y
5 ♥; declarer has to use a third
trump to reach dummy to cash the
king of diamonds, shedding the
spade. When she then runs the jack
of clubs to West’s ace, West can exit
with a diamond and declarer must
lose to the queen of clubs at the end.
Do send Holly an email on
[email protected] to
find out how to get involved.
[email protected]
gg
Contract: 5 ♥ Dbled, Opening Lead:♠ 10
Dealer: East, Vulnerability: East-West
N
W E
S
1 ♠( 1 )
4 ♥( 2 ) 5 ♦ 5 ♥( 3 ) Pass
Pass Dbl( 4 ) End
( 1 ) Skimpy but satisfying the rule of 20.
( 2 ) Practical shot — I like it.
( 3 ) Apart from the king of diamonds, North
is trickless in defence and, at the favourable
vulnerability, expects 5 ♥ doubled to be
cheaper than conceding a vulnerable game.
As it happens, 5 ♦ would have failed com-
fortably (as many as three down on an
admittedly unlikely opening club lead); how-
ever, 5 ♥ was in with a shout of making.
(4) Confidently, holding two aces facing a
partner who opened the bidding, and a sin-
gleton in their suit.
S W N E
♠KQJ4 3
♥Q
♦J
♣Q43 2
Pairs ♠ 98762
♥J 42
♦K 84
♣J 9
♠A 5
♥AK1087 65
♦ 3
♣K 107
♠ 10
♥ 3
♦AQ
♣A8 65
Bridge Andrew Robson
:21'(5)8/ 3$
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Sudoku 11,
Killer 7401
Sudoku 11,
Killer 7402
Sudoku 11,
Quick Cryptic 1725
KenKen 5089
Codeword 4097