the times | Friday November 27 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 11 words, average;
15, good; 20, very good; 25, excellent
SLL
TRACE
ASD
EIGHT
NO
FUND
BEHIND
OO
SAD
TW
LEDGE
LT
1 Victoria 2 Il Duce 3 Gabriel 4 The Lord of the Rings
5 Michael Sheen 6 Bendicks 7 Marsala 8 Cambodia —
though rulers can also be chosen from the house of
Sisowath 9 Illinois 10 Fog 11 Corn bunting (Emberiza
calandra) 12 Pierre Koenig 13 Jacob Lawrence
14 Marco Fu 15 Barbara Hepworth
Bdellium (b) An aromatic gum
resin, similar to myrrh
Algate (b) In all times and
circumstances
Cratch (c) A rack for holding
fodder for cattle
Kakuro 2793
Futoshiki 3834 Lexica 5588
Cell Blocks 4013 Set Square 2796 Lexica 5587
Suko 3032
Train Tracks 1184
Word watch
Chess — Winning Move
1 Dent
2 Swell
3 Normal
4 Finance
5 Scandalous
Quintagram
Quiz
Easy 136; Medium 3,800; Harder 1,
Brain Trainer
Yesterday’s answers
acetal, acetyl, acyl, acylate, case, cast,
caste, castle, catalyse, celt, clast, clay,
cleat, cyst, éclat, lace, lactase, lacy, scale,
scaly, scat, sect, syce, talc, talcy
times2 CrosswordNo 8447 Brain Trainer
AN
S
EASY 6 + 4 TREBLE WER
IT
AN
S
MEDIUM^1201 +++ WER
A
N
S
HARDER 41844 x 1^7 WER
x 2
x 6 SQUARE
IT
- 18
- 7
÷ 5
x 4
x 4
DOUBLEE
IT
+ 622 ÷ 2^5
DODUBLE
IT
DOUBLEE
IT
(^11) / 333
OF IT
- 4 0 12
(^555) / 1
OF IT
- (^999) / 101
OF IT
- HHALF OF
IT
(^555) / 121
OF IT
- 4 3
(^777) / 888
OF IT
- HHALF OFF
IT
(^333) / 888
OF IT
-^999 / 101
OF IT
+
Across
1 Flashintermittently( 6 )
4 Moltenrock( 5 )
8 Notwithamaajorlabel( 5 )
9 Hurtffful;halfrum(anag.)( 7 )
10 Conceiiive;suppose( 7 )
11 Declarenottobetrue( 4 )
12 Whichpeople( 3 )
14 WWWoodlandgod( 5 )
15 AAAttackedonallsides( 5 )
18 Certainlly(( 3 ))
20 Bandwornovershoulder((( 4 )
22 Remarkable;uncommon( 7 )
24 Resistancetochange( 7 )
25 Parcelout( 5 )
26 Piquantlyffflaaavoured( 5 )
27 Lethal( 6 )
Down
1 RRRum,whiskyyy,etc( 7 )
2 Shiningbrightly( 7 )
3 Dailyservicebook( 8 )
4 Soffftmudordirt( 4 )
5 Embarrassingblunder( 5 )
6 Metalmixture( 5 )
7 Hurled,ffflung( 5 )
1113 Stubborn( 8 )
16 Filthyyy,fffoul( 7 )
17 RRRussiannovelist( 7 )
19 Treeorshrub( 5 )
20 Jonathan—,author( 5 )
21 Grimlyserious( 5 )
23 Remain;guy( 4 )
SolutiontoCrossword 8446
1 2 3 4 5 6
7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15 16 17
18 19
20 21 22
23
24 25
26 27
SUSTENANCE
I E D S O I S
SPATIAL LUNCH
A R T E E T A
LICE BEDSTEAD
H A P L R O
TREES ARROW
O N P P W U
EGGSHELL SPIT
R I Y U H T E
ANNEX GLAZIER
G E I I L O M
LAWNTENNIS
Cell Blocks No 4014
© PUZZLER MEDIA
Polygon Set Square No 2797
Please note, BODMAS does not apply
Killer Moderate No 7464 Solutions
Killer Deadly No 7465
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).
8811 ..MMiiissttaakkkkkkkkeeeeeennlllyyyyffffffffffaaaaaiiilliiinnggttoooolleeaaddttoooopp
ooffttttwwwwwwwwwwoooooorrreeeemmaaiinniinnggccaarrrdddss
Just as you lead top of a doubleton,
you should lead top of a remaining
doubleton. Take this layout v, say
3NT.
Dummy
West ♠ 65 East
♠K1042 --- ♠AQ
Declarer
♠J98 7
We st leads ♠ 2 , East winning
with her third-hand-high♠A. It is
imperative East now leads back
♠Q, top of two remaining cards.
This unblocks the suit, so that trick
three proceeds ♠ 3 , ♠ 9 , ♠ 10
(dummy discarding), whereupon
West can enjoy ♠K, felling declar-
er’s ♠J.
As well as unblocking, leading
back the top of two remaining
cards gives partner the count of
the suit. Take this second layout,
again v, say, 3NT.
Dummy
West ♦ 6 5East
♦AJ 92 --- ♦K 83
Declarer
♦Q1 074
West leads ♦ 2 to East’s♦K, and
East returns ♦8, top of two
remaining. West beats declarer’s
♦10 with♦J and knows East has
only one diamond remaining, ergo
declarer holds ♦Q and another.
West must therefore refrain from
cashing ♦A, rather trying to find a
way back to East’s hand, so that
East can lead ♦3 through declar-
er’s ♦Q7, enabling West to win
both♦A and ♦ 9.
HHooowwwwtthheeDDeeffffffffffeeeeeenncceewwweeeenntt
West led ♠5, East winning♠Q
(correctly playing the cheaper of
equals). However, at trick two East
yy
fell from grace, returning ♠ 3. West
beat declarer’s♠ 1 0 with♠A and
returned♠ 2 to East’s ♠K. With
spades blocked (East on lead, West
with two long spades), East tried a
switch to ♦ 2 in the hope of finding
a way to his partner’s hand. This
was no king-jack guess for declarer,
because she would be down if West
held the♦A. She had to try the ♦K
and, when it held the trick, was able
to cash her hearts and clubs and so
make ten tricks. Game made plus
one.
HHHoooooooooowwwwtttthhhhheeDDeeeeffffffffffffffeeeeeennnnccceeeesshhoouullddhhaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeegggoooonnee
East wins trick one with ♠Q and at
trick two leads ♠K, top of two
remaining. The way is now clear
and, at trick three, he leads♠ 3.
West happily beats declarer’s ♠J
with the♠A and cashes♠96. East
discards an encouraging ♦ 9 and
West leads ♦4 to♦A. Two down.
[email protected]
Dealer: South, Vulnerability: Neither
N
W E
S
♠ 74
♥AK 5
♦ 853
♣KQJ5 2
♠J 108
♥QJ1 04
♦KJ1 0
♣A10 7
♠KQ
♥ 963
♦A9 62
♣ 863
♠A9 652
♥ 872
♦Q 74
♣ 94
Contract: 3NT, Opening Lead: ♠ 5
1NT Pass 3NT End
S W N E
Bridge Andrew Robson
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Sudoku 11,
Killer 7462
Sudoku 11,
Killer 7463
Sudoku 11,
Quick Cryptic 1753
KenKen 5122
Codeword 4130
1 Qxg6+! Rxg6 (1 ... hxg6 2
Ng4+ Kh5 3 Rh7 mate) 2 Ng4+
Kh5 3 Rxh7+ Rh6 4 Rxh6 mate
6x227x1210x1010+
9+207+128+148x
5+261x243x201+
5 x 26 3 + 20 6 + 22 9 x 20
60
130 23 28 180
31 24 25
100 20
29 19 22 112
132 84
Tetonor 104