Times 2 - UK (2020-12-02)

the times | Wednesday December 2 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 14 words, average;

19, good; 24, very good; 29, excellent

  


 



 

  

   

  


  


  

  

  


CELLAR

OA

UM N

PROM C

OA H

NINTH

OGW

COUS I N

CTS

UD

LJOG

TAP M

1 Margaret Thatcher 2 Angela Merkel 3 Princess

Diana 4 Arm 5 Jeff Bezos 6 Tomb or funerary

superstructure 7 MASH 8 Take It Easy 9 Roc 10 XO —

as in extra old 11 Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican

Republic 12 Marlene Dumas 13 Dougal Dixon

14 Lincoln City 15 Bananagrams

Ortanique (a) A hybrid of an

orange and tangerine [from

or(ange) + tan(gerine) + (un)ique]

Sarcous (c) (Of tissue) muscular

or fleshy

Trade-last (a) A compliment

one has heard about someone,

which one offers to tell to that

person in exchange for a

compliment heard about oneself

The quiet relocation with 1 ... Rh8!

leaves White helpless against

2 ... Rxh3+, eg 2 Qd2 Rxh3+!

3 gxh3 g2+ 4 Kh1 g1Q mate

Kakuro 2796

Futoshiki 3837 Lexica 5594

Cell Blocks 4017 Set Square 2799 Lexica 5593

Suko 3036

Train Tracks 1188

Word watch

Chess — Winning Move

1 Land

2 Belt

3 Sleeves

4 Goddess

5 Woodpecker

Quintagram

Quiz

Easy 8; Medium 233; Harder 4,

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

eon, eosin, ion, neon, noise, none, noni,

nope, nose, one, ope, open, opine,

pension, peon, peso, piñon, pion, poi,

poise, pone, pons, pose, son, sone, sop

times2 CrosswordNo 8451 Brain Trainer

AN

S

EASY 4 CUBE WER

IT

• 1 9 ÷ 9 x 8 DOUBLE
  IT

+ 4

A

N

S

MEDIUM 11 + 2^3 HALVE WER

IT

AN

S

WE

R

HARDER 78 x^9

÷ 7

x 5 – 2 54

DOUBLE

IT

CUBE

IT

x 9 HALVE

IT

+ 4 7 TREBLE

IT

• 82

(^555) / 66
OF IT

• TREBLE
  IT


• 241 5 1 /^33
  OF IT

• 563 777 /^88
  OF IT

+^55 / 111

OF IT

(^1) / 66
OF IT
Across
1 Hard-wearingfffabric( 5 )
4 Clearenoughtoread( 7 )
8 Glassesonahandle( 9 )
9 Ignited( 3 )
10 AAAtall;some( 3 )
11 Eg,banker( 9 )
12 Affffffects;relocates( 5 )
113 Upper-storywindow( 5 )
16 Garmentof 1 Across((( 9 )
18 Addulltmalles(( 3 ))
20 Growold( 3 )
21 Markingthestartof
offffffice( 9 )
22 Intrinsicnature( 7 )
23 Hairdresser'sworkplace( 5 )
Down
1 Widesiltedriiivermouth( 5 )
2 RRRudolf—,balletdancer( 7 )
3 Ghost'sappearance( 1113 )
4 Praaayerofsupplication( 6 )
5 Acauseofglobalwarming
( 10 , 3 )
6 Spicydish( 5 )
7 Holdspellbound( 7 )
12 Actasgo-betweenina
dispute( 7 )
14 Unethical;sinffful( 7 )
15 Household( 6 )
17 WWWants( 5 )
19 Syntheticfffabric( 5 )
SolutiontoCrossword 8450
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9
10 11
12 13 14
15
16 17 18 19
20 21
22 23
GIBBONS RAVEL
L O V A I E A
ARGUE DECORUM
S R D I S B
SUBALTERN AWE
O A N T R
SLOPPY SPLINT
T M G O L
ALE ROASTBEEF
I R E N H I
NUANCED OBESE
E N U H L R L
REGER IRELAND
Cell Blocks No 4018
© PUZZLER MEDIA
Polygon Set Square No 2800
Please note, BODMAS does not apply
Killer Tricky No 7471 Solutions
Killer Deadly No 7472
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
3366 ..HHaannddEEEvvvvvaaalluuaattiioonn
((iiii))GGoollddeennHHoonnoouurrss
Say you as South pick up ♦K 2. You
count three points but, frankly, this
number is pretty arbitrary. When
the bidding gets going, your ♦K
may be worth a lot more; or a lot
less. North
West ?♦A? East
?♦A? ---- ?♦A?
South
♦K 2
If partner bids diamonds, your
♦K is worth much more than three
points; it may bolster partner’s
♦AQJ43 into five tricks.
Similarly good news (although
not as good as North bidding dia-
monds) is East, on your right, bid-
ding diamonds. Now, your ♦K
rates to be sitting “over” ♦A, so is
more likely to win a trick. East bid-
ding diamonds is far better than
We st bidding diamonds, in which
case your ♦K rates to be lying
“under”♦A and not worth much.
Honours in your partner’s bid
suits (or known long suits) should
yy
be upgraded. They have become
“golden honours”.
Exerciseee: Partner opens 1♥; you
respond 1 ♠; partner rebids 2♦.
What now with these?
Holding no pictures in partner’s
red suits, you should bid 2 ♥ with
the first, showing 6-9 points (often
y
reluctant preference, though here,
actual delayed support).
With the second, jump to 3 ♥,
ostensibly 10-12 points — but that’s
what your hand is now worth.
♦KQ are golden honours facing
partner’s diamond bid. Upgrade.
Now look at opener’s hand.
Facing the first responder’s hand,
2 ♥ could well be the limit (and
opener would pass 2 ♥). Facing the
second, 4 ♥ will make easily (pro-
vided hearts split 3-2) and opener
y
will go on to 4♥ over 3 ♥.
Declarer won ♦Q lead (anyone
for♥ 5 given the strong holding in
declarer’s clubs?) with♦A. At trick
two, they finessed ♣Q. They
cashed ♣A and led ♠2, the
defence winning and trying two
more diamonds. Ruffing the third,
declarer ruffed ♣4 with♥J, ruffed
♠ 3 , ruffed♣5 with ♥K, led♥ 3 to
♥AQ, and enjoyed♣ 6. Eleven
tricks. [email protected]
N
W E
S
1 ♥( 1 ) Pass 1 ♠ Pass
2 ♣ Pass 4♥( 2 ) End
( 1 ) Rule of 20 but note the honours are
“crisp” (aces) and predominantly in the
long suits. You don’t have to open just
because you satisfy the Rule of 20. Don’t
open ♠Qx, ♥Qxxx, ♦KJ, ♣Kxxxx.
( 2 ) The key bid. All North’s ten points are
golden — in partner’s long suits. Upgrade.
S W N E
♠KQ 95
♥ 82
♦K1087 6
♣ 97
♠ 86432
♥KJ 3
♦ 532
♣AQ
♠ 7
♥AQ10 64
♦A
♣ 65432
♠AJ1 0
♥ 975
♦QJ 9
♣KJ10 8
♠A9 82
♥ 1062
♦ 862
♣KQ 2
♠A 982
♥ 1062
♦KQ 2
♣ 862
Dealer: South
Vul: Neither
♠ 73
♥AKQ5 4
♦AJ
♣ 74
Bridge Andrew Robson
76$5 $&7 ,9 ,
$ ( 1 5 , 3
6/29(1,$ &+
6 2 2 1 ( ,
%$5/(< 6833/<
8 8 , 5 (
67$7(2)7+($
$ , 9 6 ,
(;326( )2, %/(
) 1 5 5 ' (
$5,$ 63$&(0$
( 5 ( 0 1 5
7(5</(1( 781$
Sudoku 11,
Killer 7469
Sudoku 11,
Killer 7470
Sudoku 11,
Quick Cryptic 1756
KenKen 5126
Codeword 4134
47 + 3 3 x 39 35 + 5 35 x 5
2 x 47 36 + 5 36 x 5 47 + 2
44 + 4 4 x 44 3 + 39 41 x 3
4x463+413x4746+
40 175
94 41 180 49
50 117
42 123
184 44 141 50
48 176
Tetonor 105