The Times - UK (2021-11-11)

the times | Thursday November 11 2021 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 12 words, average;

16, good; 22, very good; 29, excellent

 

  



 



 


 
 

 
 

 


 



 

 

GUST Y

EK

RIR

MAN I A

K

ARMLET

BEHALF

RU

INB

EGU

FURRY

Y

1 Jacket 2 Automobile 3 Banksy 4 William Wordsworth

5 Chasing Cars 6 The US ambassador [to the Soviet

Union or Russian Federation] 7 TE Lawrence

8 Ruth Davidson 9 Continuity 10 Leek

11 Clint Mansell 12 Burberry 13 Wijk aan Zee

14 Weightlifting. Launceston Elliot, in 1896, was

Britain’s first Olympic champion

15 Bernardine Evaristo

White powers through with

1 Rxf7! Kxf7 (Black can chuck

in 1 ... cxb2+ 2 Kb1 but it

makes no difference) 2 Bxg6+

Kg8 3 Qh7+ Kf8 4 Qh8+ Ke7

5 Qg7 mate

Repand (a) Having a wavy

margin (Collins)

Vicinal (b) Pertaining to one’s

neighbours (OED)

Ghat (a) Stairs leading down to

a river (Collins)

Kakuro 3042

Futoshiki 4083 Lexica 6086

Cell Blocks 4312 Set Square 3045 Lexica 6085

Suko 3331

Train Tracks 1476

Chess — Winning Move Word watch

1 Patio

2 Cargo

3 Armada

4 Canyon

5 Aficionado

Quintagram

Quiz

Easy 24; Medium 243; Harder 5,429

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

ergo, euro, goer, gore, gorge, gorgeous,

gorse, gouger, grog, grouse, ogre,

ours, rogue, rose, roué, rouge, rouse,

rugose, ruse, sore, sour, suer, sure, surge,

urge, user

times2 CrosswordNo 8746 Brain Trainer

ANSWER

EASY 28

ANSWER

MEDIUM^112

ANSWER

HARDER 268 + 876

x 2

• 457

+ 34

(^3) / 5
OF IT

• 14 + 12 x 4


• 28 x 3 30%
  OF IT


• 741
  (^5) / (^6) x 2
  OF IT
  (^1) / 4
  OF IT

• 54 + 67^5

(^3) /
OF IT
x 3 x 2^1 /^8
OF IT

• 
  

• 6^6

(^1) /
OF IT

• 14
  (^1) / 4
  OF IT


• 
  

• 851 + 735

Across

1 Scent (7)

5 Broken; sculpture (4)

8 Abrupt rejection (6)

9 Map pressure line (6)

10 Italian dessert (8)

12 Work for two (4)

13 Papers, TV, etc (4,5)

17 Metallic element (4)

18 Critic (8)

20 Old two shilling coin (6)

21 Sweet (6)

23 Pre-conquest Andean (4)

24 Care for lovingly (7)

Down

2 Blinking membrane (6)

3 Common ailment (3)

4 Muslim legal expert (5)

5 Fierce verbal attack (9)

6 One on blades (6)

7 Illustrative drawing (6)

11 Monkey puzzle tree (9)

14 Thread; sequence (6)

15 Orchestra leader's

instrument (6)

16 Hollow in a wall (6)

19 Leguminous plant (5)

22 Eg, ermine (3)

Solution to Crossword 8745

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

8 9

10 11 12

13 14

15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24

E L P I R T

NOOSE CENTAUR

A U R O V G U

BEDROOM EVENS

L N N P I T

EVER SLIGHTLY

S C I H H

DISPLACE LAMB

O A A F N O

TIMER THICKEN

A O I E V Y N

REDWOOD ERODE

D E N R U T

Cell Blocks No 4313

© PUZZLER MEDIA

Polygon Set Square No 3046

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

Killer Gentle No 8012 Solutions

Killer Tough No 8013

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).

How can you best combine your

chances in 6♥ on ♠J lead —

which you win with the ace?

The general principle will be to

lead an early low club from one or

other hand, hoping to catch the

defender playing second with the ace.

That being the case, the defender is

forked. If he plays the ace, “beating

air”, you have 12 top tricks via two

clubs in addition to the three spades,

six hearts and ace of diamonds.

However, if he plays low, you win

the club picture and can cash the

king-queen of spades, discarding

your remaining club from hand. You

can now finesse the queen of dia-

monds for the overtrick.

Are you guessing which defender

holds the ace of clubs? In a sense,

yes, but there is a good reason to

play East for the ace. It’s not because

East is more likely to hold it — you

simply don’t know (as West would

be unlikely to bang down the ace

after this slow auction).

The reason is this. Say you play

West for the ace of clubs: ♣6, ♣3,

♣K, ♣A. East will now switch to a

diamond and you’ll have to guess

whether to finesse the queen or to

try to ruff out a short jack of clubs

(obviating the need for the

finesse). East’s diamond switch has

forced you to decide prematurely.

You’ll probably finesse in dia-

monds (the better chance) but lose

the possibility of ruffing out that

short jack of clubs.

After winning the ace of spades,

you draw trumps finishing in

dummy and lead a low club to the

queen. As it happens, East does

hold the ace, so is forked as above.

Slam made.

However, say West holds the

ace — ♣2, ♣8, ♣Q, ♣A. West

cannot profitably attack diamonds

from his side. Say he plays a sec-

ond spade. You can now test both

your chances. After winning the

spade, you cash the king of clubs

and ruff a club. If the jack has

appeared, you have your 12th trick.

If not, you return to dummy and

try a diamond to the queen.

[email protected]

Contract: 6♥, Opening Lead: ♠J

Dealer: South, Vulnerability: Neither

N

W E

S

1 ♥ Pass 2NT(1) Pass

3 ♥(2) Pass 3♠(3) Pass

4 ♦(4) Pass 4♥(5) Pass

4 ♠(6) Pass 4NT(7) Pass

5 ♣(8) Pass 6♥ End

(1) Jacoby — game-forcing heart raise.

(2) Extra values, typically 6322.

(3) Control-showing bid, usually the the ace

but perhaps, as here, the king.

(4) Return control-showing bid.

(5) North does not have substantial extras

and has already shown slam-interest.

(6) Worth one more try.

(7) With clubs controlled (albeit second-

round), North can now take charge via

Roman Key Card Blackwood.

(8) Zero or (clearly) three of the “five aces”

— including the king of hearts.

S W N E

♠ 8643

♥ 9

♦J1094

♣AJ98

Rubber ♠KQ2

♥AQ54

♦ 73

♣K1042

♠A7

♥KJ10762

♦AQ6

♣Q6

♠J1095

♥ 83

♦K852

♣ 753

Advanced

Bridge Andrew Robson

FICTIONDUST

A A N I I H

LIVIDCOMPASS

L A I E R O

EEL GOLDMEDAL

N R N Y U A

ANYWAY DRAPER

N N B D A S

GREATDANE SPY

E X N R T S

LIAISONOVERT

C U E U U E

ITEM ROSTRUM

Sudoku 12,783

Killer 8010

Sudoku 12,784

Killer 8011

Sudoku 12,785

Quick Cryptic 2002

KenKen 5421

Codeword 4429