the times | Wednesday November 18 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
four 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 10 words, average;
14, good; 19, very good; 25, excellent
MOT E L
ARA
CRUSTY
ESH
TIED
SOY
BAGMAN
IL E
LOON W
GS
EASEL
Y
1 10 Downing Street 2 Hawaii 3 Fan 4 Brideshead
Revisited 5 Justin Bieber 6 Kobe 7 Claudia Winkleman
8 Phoenix Nights 9 Uranus 10 Humboldt penguin
(Spheniscus humboldti) — named after Alexander von
Humboldt 11 Mazzy Star 12 Hannah Gadsby
13 A boxer 14 Indianapolis 500 15 Jay Kay
Decime (c) A subdivision of an
English county
Batrachian (b) Of or relating
to frogs and toads
Burgomaster (b) The glaucous
gull (Larus hyperboreus)
Kakuro 2786
Futoshiki 3827 Lexica 5574
Cell Blocks 4005 Set Square 2789 Lexica 5573
Suko 3024
Train Tracks 1176
Word watch
Chess — Winning Move
1 Aeon
2 Severe
3 Themes
4 Jersey
5 Waterworks
Quintagram
Quiz
Easy 40; Medium 912; Harder 3,
Brain Trainer
Yesterday’s answers
monty, mot, mount, mutt, mutton,
muttony, not, nut, nutty, out, tom, ton,
tony, tot, tout, toy, tum, tun, tut, unto
times2 CrosswordNo 8439 Brain Trainer
AN
S
WE
R
MEDIUM 46
TRIPLE
IT
DOUBLE
IT
÷ 6 CUBE x 9
IT
(^777) / 121
OF IT
- 16 +
- 29 x^4
AN
S
EASY 22 –^8 HALF OFF WER
IT
x 6 DOUBLE ÷ 5 ÷^7 +^31
IT
(^11) / 444
OF IT
- TRIPLE
IT
AN
S
WE
R
HARDER 20822 –^45
HALF OFF
IT
DOUBLE
IT
(^11) / (^444) – 1 3
OF IT
- 220 33 / 444
OF IT
- 220 33 / 444
+^777 / 101
OF IT
+ x 2
Across
1 Rollofparchment( 6 )
5 Strength;meat( 4 )
8 Pastparticipleofbe( 4 )
9 Partofsmallintestine( 8 )
10 Offfffferofmarriage( 8 )
11 Noticed;viewed( 4 )
12 Tree-dwarfffingart( 6 )
14 Nakkeddness(( 6 ))
16 Appear(tobe)( 4 )
18 Dynamicperson( 2 - 6 )
20 Fillagain( 8 )
21 Plantstalk( 4 )
22 Slow-cookeddish( 4 )
23 Lineatrightangles( 6 )
Down
2 Goodbye( 7 )
3 Confffess( 3 , 2 )
4 Okra( 5 - 7 )
5 Madeholy( 7 )
6 Dischargethroughpores( 5 )
7 Placeffforjacksandwoods
( 777 , 5 )
1113 Foranunknownreason( 7 )
15 Girl'sname( 7 )
17 Putintooffffffice( 5 )
19 Policeweapon( 5 )
SolutiontoCrossword 8438
1 2 3 4 5 6
7
8 9
10 11
12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19
20 21
22 23
POL ITICS G F
O A O O WILDE
PENINSULA O A
U T E P R BAR
POET DOUBLE F
R R N L U
MANGER MENTAL
A F D R H
H SQUARE PECK
ALL S Y G A A
T I AIRWORTHY
MEDAL U R R A
A E KNEEJERK
Cell Blocks No 4006
© PUZZLER MEDIA
Polygon Set Square No 2790
Please note, BODMAS does not apply
Killer Tricky No 7449 Solutions
Killer Deadly No 7450
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).
TThheeNNeexxttLLeeevvvvvvvvvveeeeeell
3355 ..TThheeCChheeaattSSeeaatt
((iiivvvv))WWhheenn((nnoott))))ttoooopprrrooootteecctt
There are three factors to take into
account when deciding whether or
not to protect.
( 1 ) Have the opponents found a
fit? If so, you’ll normally have a fit
— protecting is much safer. Wade
into a misfit at your peril.
(2) Will you (or partner) have to
y
bid at the Three-level? If so, be
more cautious. Protecting over 2 ♣
is far better than over 2 ♠.
( 3 ) Are you vulnerable? If so,
the red light is flashing. Caution.
Exerciseee: Grade the following auc-
tions into Good (good to protect),
Medium (so so) and Bad (don’t protect).
(a). ( 1 ♣)-P-(2♣)-P-(P)-?
(b). ( 1 ♥)-P-(1NT)-P-( 2 ♥)-P-(P)-?
(c). (1♠)-P-(1NT)-P-(2♠)-P-(P)-?
(d). (1♣)-P-( 1 ♦)-P-(2♦)-P-(P)-?
(e). (1NT)-P-(P)-?
(a). Good. Awesome in fact. The
opponents have found a fit (there-
fore you’ll probably have one). And
they’ve stopped at a very low level
— giving you the whole Two-level
to settle comfortably in your fit.
(b). Medium. It’s not a fit auction
yy
— dummy could have a singleton
heart. However, dummy won’t
have four spades (she would have
y
bid 1 ♠ not 1NT) and declarer (pre-
sumably holding six hearts) is
unlikely to have four spades. You’ll
often have an eight-card spade fit.
Whether you protect depends
largely upon your spade holding.
(c). Bad. Non-fit auction with your
side having to bid at the Three-level.
You’ll really need a singleton spade
to act (via a take-out double).
yyg
(d). Good. Fit auction, and one
that suggests the opponents lack
majors. You’re almost bound to
have an eight-card major fit —
which you can bid at the Two-level.
(e). Medium. The trouble is if
y
you’re wrong to bid, the partner of
the 1NT opener is in a good position
to punish you (knowing her part-
ner’s hand). But if you have a six-
y
card major, I’d always bid it. Also, I’d
strain to act with a 5431 shape (pass,
y
and partner inevitably leads your
singleton suit v 1NT). With both
yy
majors (even 4-4) act via a Landy 2 ♣.
If West bid 2 ♥, North would
double (in the proverbial voice of
thunder); 2♥doubled would go
four down — an 800 penalty.
West passed 2 ♦ and led a
trump, the one lead that holds
declarer to eight tricks. Better to
concede 90 points than 800.
[email protected]
N
W E
S
1 ♦ Pass 1 ♠ Pass
2 ♣ Pass 2♦( 1 ) Pass
Pass Pass( 2 )
( 1 ) All North can do here is give reluctant
preference back to South’s five-card suit.
2 ♥ would be Fourth Suit Forcing (to
game), while 2NT would show a good 10-12.
( 2 ) West must NOT bid 2♥. This is not a fit
auction; there is no reason why she’ll find
partner with a heart fit.
S W N E
♠QJ
♥ 104
♦QJ
♣QJ
♠A9 632
♥AJ 92
♦ 105
♣ 82
♠ 87
♥Q
♦AK7 62
♣A10 65
♠K 104
♥K
♦ 43
♣K7 3
Dealer: South
Vul: Neither
Bridge Andrew Robson
* 6 $ ( 9 3 7
803 , 5(6 ($57+
1 5 0 7 1 2 ,
6(('< $%'20(
0 $ 7 ( 3
, 1'8/*(17 78*
7 2 7 5
+,01267$/* , $
$ ' ( ( 3
6,5/2,1 0$5&+
$ * 1 , , 0 ,
12 , 6( 287&$
( 1 5 5 ( 1 (
Sudoku 11,
Killer 7447
Sudoku 11,
Killer 7448
Sudoku 11,
Quick Cryptic 1746
KenKen 5114
Codeword 4122
1 Rh8+! Kxh8 2 Qh1+ Kg
3 Qh7 mate
3 + 20 3 x 14 10 x 32 3 x 20
7+187+413+141+
7 x 41 8 + 9 10 + 32 6 + 14
8x96x141x217x
25
42 20
72 84 21 126
17
320 60
287
48 17 22
23 42
Tetonor 101