The Times - UK (2021-12-22)

the times | Wednesday December 22 2021 11

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 9 words, average;

13, good; 17, very good; 22, excellent

91378 9875

82196 8697

42 5879

97 97 79

89574 938

821 85123

31 97 61

7986 97

5798 48219

7986 29137

B N

B O N S A I

S I N

G U R G L E

N M T

C A V Y

F O R T H

A E

B N A G

R E V

I I

C R A Z E D

1 Bh8! is the only winning

move. 2 Qxh7 mate is

threatened and after 1 ... Kxf7

2 Qxf6+ Kg8 3 Qg7 is mate

Kakuro 3071

Futoshiki 4112 Lexica 6144

Cell Blocks 4347 Set Square 3074 Lexica 6143

Suko 3366

Train Tracks 1511

Word watch

Golconda (a) A rich source of

any commodity (OED)

Congé (c) Formal permission

to leave (Collins)

Haptic (b) Relating to the sense

of touch (Chambers)

Chess — Winning Move

1 Bond

2 Brick

3 Flemish

4 English

5 Stretcher

Quintagram

1 South Africa 2 Hotmail 3 Menorca 4 Zinc

5 Cenotaph 6 Umami 7 Fine Line 8 Hampton Court

Palace 9 Herbie Hancock 10 Lizard or monitor lizard

or goanna 11 Virunga Mountains 12 Democratic

People’s Republic of Yemen or South Yemen

13 Marco Polo 14 Grey Cup — in Canadian football

15 Oleander or nerium

Quiz

Easy 58; Medium 417; Harder 3,936

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

agin, and, ani, ant, anti, ban, band, bandit,

bang, bin, bind, bing, bint, dan, dang, din,

ding, dingbat, dint, gain, giant, gin, gnat,

nab, nag, nib, nit, tan, tang, tian, tin, ting

times2 Crossword No 8781 Brain Trainer
Just follow the instructions from left to right, starting with the number given to reach an answer at the end.

ANSWER

EASY 13

ANSWER

MEDIUM^88

ANSWER

HARDER 251

x 2

+ 57

• 12 + 5
  
  
  • 77
  
  
  
  

+ 844

x 8

• 43

/ 16

OF IT

7

/

OF IT

(^12)

• 78

x 4 – 912

+ 7

+ 898

• 12

/

OF IT

(^14) / 2
OF IT
+^1
/
OF IT
(^14)

• 189
  /
  OF IT
  (^56) 75%
  OF IT
  x 6 70%
  OF IT


• /
  OF IT
  (^34)


• 694 /
  OF IT
  (^79) +
  Across
  1 Feel disgust for (6)
  7 Unlike anything else (6)
  8 Sweets (8)
  10 Polite male title (7)
  11 Mass of things together (7)
  12 Cured meat (5)
  14 Small wood (5)
  15 Court official (5)
  19 Impartial (7)
  20 Drink freely and noisily (7)
  22 Least dirty (8)
  23 Component of blood (6)
  24 Selected (6)
  Down
  1 Something left in will (6)
  2 Protected for battle (8)
  3 Items of historic worth (8)
  4 Show excessive concern (4)
  5 Llama relative (6)
  6 Size of paper (6)
  9 Employees (9)
  12 Hand down, pass on (8)
  13 Hauliers; bags (8)
  16 Of utility (6)
  17 Shiny and smooth (6)
  18 Substance in wheat (6)
  21 Look at quickly (4)
  Solution to Crossword 8780
  T2 CROSSWORD No 8781
  1 2 3 4 5 6
  7
  8 9
  10
  11
  12 13
  14
  15 16 17 18
  19
  20 21
  22
  23
  24
  PIVOT ALMANAC
  A A R C E A O
  COLLOQUIAL ISM
  I U U I D R M
  FLEAB ITE SOYA
  I A L Y D B
  CUDGEL REGIME
  D D G M V
  STEM GRUESOME
  C D M A R M N
  ATTRACT ARIES
  L A C I R T U
  PIXIE STAYSUP
  Cell BlocksNo 4348
  © PUZZLER MEDIA
  Polygon Set SquareNo 3075
  Please note, BODMAS does not apply
  Killer Tricky No 8076 Solutions
  Killer Deadly No 8077
  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).
  Five Instructive Themes (FIT)

11. Slam
    (c) Splinters
    For me, splinters are clearly the
    best slam-bidding tool. They are
    unnecessary jumps in new suits,
    agreeing partner’s suit, showing at
    least the values for game with a
    singleton (or void) in the bid suit.
    Normally the splinter is a dou-
    ble jump, although a single jump is
    fine if the splinter is at the Four-
    level, or if the suit has already
    been supported. For example:
    (i) 1♠-4♣, (ii) 1♥-3♠, (iii) 1♥-
    1 ♠-4♦, (iv) 1♠-2♦-2♥-4♣, (v)
    1 ♥-2♥-3♠, (vi) 1♦-1♠-2♦-4♣.
    Example hands for the underlined
    splinters for each above auction:
    (i) (ii) (iii)
    (iv) (v) (vi)
    When partner has splintered,
    the best news for you is length in
    partner’s splinter — extra ruffing
    tricks and fewer potential losers
    outside. And the fewer wasted pic-
    tures in the splinter bid, the better.
    You opened 1♠ and partner splin-
    tered 4♦. What now with these?
    With the first, hurriedly sign off
    in 4♠. You have the worst dia-
    mond holding — no length and
    five wasted points.
    The second is wonderful: dia-
    mond length and all your values
    outside. Bid 4NT — Roman Key
    Card Blackwood.
    The third is good — but not
    great. Best is a bid of 4♥, a control-
    bid (see next Wednesday), showing
    slam interest with the ace of hearts.
    If partner now bids 4♠ to show a
    minimum splinter, you’ll pass.
    On our 6♥ deal, you win West’s
    ♦10 lead with dummy’s ♦A (no
    risky finesse). You cross to ♣A and,
    needing a second spade trick, lead
    ♠2 to ♠Q. East wins ♠K (drat)
    and switches to ♥7 (best). Win
    ♥10 (saving dummy’s ♥KJ for
    high club ruffs), ruff ♣5 (with ♥4)
    and lead ♠3 to ♠10. Phew — the
    second spade finesse succeeds. Ruff
    ♣7 (with ♥J), East discarding; ruff
    ♦3 and ruff ♣8 (with ♥K). Ruff
    ♦5, draw trumps and win the last
    trick with ♠A. Slam made.
    [email protected]
    N
    W E
    S
    1 ♥ Pass 4♣(1) Pass
    4NT(2) Pass 5♥(3) Pass
    6 ♥ End
    (1) Splinter bid — four or more hearts,
    game values, and a singleton (void) club.
    (2) Loving the splinter with club length and
    no wasted pictures.
    (3) Two of “five aces” (incl ♥K): no ♥Q.
    S W N E
    ♠KJ87
    ♥ 987
    ♦KJ64
    ♣KJ
    ♠Q643
    ♥KJ43
    ♦AQ53
    ♣ 4
    ♠A102
    ♥AQ1065
    ♦ 2
    ♣A875
    ♠ 95
    ♥ 2
    ♦ 10987
    ♣Q109632
    ♠KJ82
    ♥Q42
    ♦AJ872
    ♣ 2
    ♠ 3
    ♥Q982
    ♦KJ4
    ♣AQ862
    ♠AKJ2
    ♥AQ943
    ♦ 2
    ♣KJ7
    Dealer: South
    Vul: Neither
    ♠Q2
    ♥KQ42
    ♦AQ8742
    ♣ 2
    ♠-
    ♥AKJ982
    ♦KJ6
    ♣AK62
    ♠AK752
    ♥K43
    ♦AJ72
    ♣ 7
    ♠KJ82
    ♥A42
    ♦KQ
    ♣K532
    ♠AQ972
    ♥K
    ♦ 8532
    ♣AQ10
    ♠AJ982
    ♥AJ3
    ♦AJ4
    ♣ 74
    Bridge Andrew Robson
    P I A N O J A N I T O R
    R F N U A A A
    E S T A T E S P O K E R
    S E H T E E
    S T R E E T S A H E A D
    O A B O A B
    N O F E A R O R D A I N
    A L A L C U
    A S Y L U M S E E K E R
    S H U Q S S
    P O I N T S Q U E E Z E
    O O E E I A R
    T A N K A R D N A T T Y
    Sudoku 12,876
    Killer 8074
    Sudoku 12,877
    Killer 8075
    Sudoku 12,878
    Quick Cryptic 2031
    KenKen 5456
    Codeword 4464
    8 x 9 15 + 11 2 + 99 2 + 15
    4 + 15 88 + 2 9 + 8 11 x 15
    (^) 99 x 2 9 + 2 88 x 2 2 x 15
    2 x 9 27 x 7 27 + 7 4 x 15
    2 2 2 2 4 7 8 9 9 11 15 15 15 27 88 99
    101 17
    19 90 17 165
    72 26
    176 30
    18 189 34 60
    198 11
    Tetonor 215