The Times - UK (2021-11-25)

the times | Thursday November 25 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 13 words, average;

18, good; 22, very good; 26, excellent

84 21 549

698 437126

26319 9318

1263 97

2593 21 59

13 49 2137

79 8397

7215 14897

813976 689

945 98 97

F L I N T

U O

L S L U G

L O P R

Y I

G N A T

OF

CROUCH

CU

UR

PAT

YHERB

1 The AA (Automobile Association) 2 Latin 3 Yellow

4 Pig or hog 5 Dad’s Army 6 Daily Bugle 7 Battle of the

Plains of Abraham or Battle of Quebec 8 The Last

Duel 9 Preston bypass (later incorporated into the

M6) 10 Zaza 11 Saudi Arabia 12 Harry Harrison

13 PPK 14 Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad

Ali 15 The Three Graces

Debouch (c) To move into a

more open space (Collins)

Dap (c) A plimsoll shoe

(Chambers)

Fains (a) A call giving

exemption from an undesirable

task (Brewer’s)

1 ... Rxh2+! 2 Kxh2 Qh5+ 3 Kg2

Qh3 is mate

Kakuro 3052

Futoshiki 4093 Lexica 6106

Cell Blocks 4324 Set Square 3055 Lexica 6105

Suko 3343

Train Tracks 1488

Word watch

Chess — Winning Move

1 Fear

2 Bother

3 Meddle

4 Flavour

5 Something

Quintagram

Quiz

Easy 36; Medium 598; Harder 4,459

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

glow, gown, gweilo, lewis, longwise, lwei,

news, nowise, owing, sinew, slew, slewing,

slow, snow, swig, swine, swing, swinge,

swingle, wels, wigeon, wile, wine, wing,

wino, wise

times2 Crossword No 8758 Brain Trainer
Just follow the instructions from left to right, starting with the number given to reach an answer at the end.

ANSWER

EASY 29

ANSWER

MEDIUM 96

ANSWER

HARDER 238 + 337

x 2 50% + 5

OF IT

• 8

x 4

/ 12

OF IT

7

+ 13 + 12

+ 86 x 3 + 79 – 49

/ 6

OF IT

5

/ 2

OF IT

+^1

+ 775

/ 8

OF IT

7

+ 84

x 6 90%

OF IT

• 889 /^8
  OF IT

7

• 6

/ 2

OF IT

+^1

÷ 2

/ 2

OF IT

+^1 50%

OF IT

Across

4 Society girl (3)

8 Oily liquid used in dye

manufacture (7)

9 Concerning, about (Scots) (5)

10 Attack from all sides (5)

11 With the end forwards (7)

12 Clear soup (8)

14 Lift (a heavy item) (4)

15 Slightly wet (4)

16 Chronicler (8)

20 Excess left over (7)

21 First Greek letter (5)

23 Absolute; say (5)

24 Art of Japanese flower

arranging (7)

25 Curving trajectory (3)

Down

1 Of short-long metric feet (6)

2 Small pieces (4)

3 Small restaurant (6)

4 Not allowing free will (13)

5 Book or film villain (5)

6 Thiamine deficiency

disease (8)

7 Serve as evidence of (6)

13 Good with figures (8)

15 Field event (6)

17 Succulents (6)

18 Sachet for cuppa (6)

19 Plants (of a region) (5)

22 Edith —, French singer (4)

Solution to Crossword 8757

T2 CROSSWORD No 8758

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

RIBBON JACKET

M E O O A X

OPAL REGULATE

I O T C R

SNOWSHOE IMAM

G E P U

PEPPER HAMMER

U L E S

KHAN YOSEMITE

Y G I O O

DEMERARA WANT

N N P N E I

RATTLE STREAK

Cell BlocksNo 4325

© PUZZLER MEDIA

Polygon Set SquareNo 3056

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

Killer Gentle No 8034 Solutions

Killer Tough No 8035

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).

My favourite ending is a “back-

wash squeeze”, where a defender is

squeezed in three suits after

declarer ruffs (the backwash), one

of the those suits being trumps.

Here is the essence.

Spades are trumps, dummy

(North) is on lead, and you as declarer

(South) need to win all three tricks.

Ruff a diamond with the three

of spades, and West is backwash

squeezed. If West lets go of an ace,

you lead the promoted king. West

must ruff but dummy overruffs

and cashes a long diamond. If

West underruffs, you ruff a king

and cash a long diamond.

On today’s deal from rubber

bridge, West sensibly decides you

are ready for East’s clubs and fishes

out a pesky trump lead. Over to you.

Win dummy’s nine of spades and

lead the queen of clubs, ruffing

away East’s king. Try a heart to the

queen and follow with the jack of

clubs, ruffing away East’s ace (keep-

ing a low spade to reach dummy).

Next you lead the king of hearts.

West wins the ace of hearts and

leads a second spade, you winning

in dummy. In the ending across,

you ruff a low club with your ace.

West is caught in the backwash.

If he underruffs, you cash your four

red winners then ruff a red loser to

score the last two tricks with

dummy’s trump and promoted ten

of clubs.

Say West discards a diamond (a

heart is no better). You cash the jack

of hearts and lead out ace-king-

queen and the long diamond. West

has to ruff but you overruff in

dummy and win the last trick with

the ten of clubs. There is no defence.

[email protected]

Contract: 6♠, Opening Lead: ♠ 5

Dealer: South, Vulnerability: North-South

N

W E

S

1 ♠ Pass 2♠ 3 ♣(1)

6 ♠(2) End

(1) Trading on the favourable vulnerability

to make a cheeky lead-director.

(2) Hoping partner’s values are not in clubs,

a hope raised by East’s bid.

S W N E

♠ 74

♥ 974

♦ 109

♣AK9875

Rubber ♠QJ9

♥Q5

♦ 753

♣QJ1042

♠AK1032

♥KJ32

♦AKQ2

♣-

♠ 865

♥A1086

♦J864

♣ 63

Advanced

N

W E

S

♠-

♥-

♦A

♣ 32

♠ 4

♥-

♦ 32

♣-

♠ 3

♥K

♦-

♣K

♠ 2

♥A

♦-

♣A

N

W E

S

♠-

♥ 9

♦ 109

♣ 9875

♠Q

♥-

♦ 753

♣1042 (♣2 led)

♠A

♥J3

♦AKQ2

♣-

♠ 8

♥ 108

♦J864

♣-

Bridge Andrew Robson

S P O T S H O W D O W N

A E K T O A

F I E N D I S H S I T E

N O E S C

S T A R S T R A I G H T

E P W E

B R I D G E I S R A E L

O E S P

P O R R I D G E W A I L

P M W O T

B E T A E S C A R G O T

R N L U L M

P A S T I L L E D I E T

Sudoku 12,815

Killer 8032

Sudoku 12,816

Killer 8033

Sudoku 12,817

Quick Cryptic 2012

KenKen 5433

Codeword 4441