The Times - UK (2022-01-26)

the times | Wednesday January 26 2022 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 15 words, average;

20, good; 24, very good; 28, excellent

  


 



 



 


 
 


 
 



 


  


  



  

DW

CIGAR

RRA

LESION

CLT

THYME

ALWAYS

OUE

ASKEW

DA

G

SMOKE

Assuefaction (b) The process

of becoming accustomed (OED)

Culet (b) The face at the

bottom of a gem (Collins)

Paroemia (a) A proverb

(Chambers)

1 Na4! Qh5 (the only square) 2

Ng5! Qh4 (again the only square)

3 g3 traps the black queen

Kakuro 3096

Futoshiki 4137 Lexica 6194

Cell Blocks 4377 Set Square 3099 Lexica 6193

Suko 3396

Train Tracks 1538

Word watch

Chess — Winning Move

1 Lion

2 Stark

3 Greene

4 Comings

5 Wizard of Oz

Quintagram

1 Mary, Queen of Scots 2 Barcode 3 Helicopter

4 Recorder 5 Rembrandt 6 South Park 7 All Saints

8 Rio de Janeiro 9 The Scotsman 10 Peter Greenaway

11 HMHS Britannic 12 Lake Bonneville 13 Cristobal

Tapia de Veer 14 West Ham United 15 George IV

Quiz

Easy 75; Medium 76; Harder 2,935

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

abut, act, ask, auk, back, bask, bast, bat,

bats, cab, cask, cast, cat, sac, sack,

sackbut, scab, scat, scuba, ska, skat,

skua, stab, stack, tab, tabu, tack, task, tau,

tsuba, tuba

times2 CrosswordNo 8811 Brain Trainer

ANSWER

EASY 22

ANSWER

MEDIUM^14

ANSWER

HARDER 91

50%

OF IT

SQUARE

IT

x 5

75% – 38

OF IT

+ 12 – 7

+ 764

x 4

x 3

• 11

+ 826 /^3

OF IT

+^1

x 3 /^2 + 9

OF IT

1

30%

OF IT

+ 76 40%

OF IT

• 993

/ 5

OF IT

(^4) x 3

• 89

/ 8

OF IT

7

/ 2

OF IT

+^1

/ 12

OF IT

(^7) – 271
Across
1 Tranquillity (5)
4 Delays, blocks (7)
8 Number (6-3)
9 Road vehicle (3)
10 Wheel centre (3)
11 Have a good journey (3,6)
12 Succulents (5)
13 Healthy, strong (5)
16 Predicting the future (9)
18 Target (3)
20 Small drink of spirits (3)
21 Amuse (9)
22 Cough mixture (7)
23 Prison rooms (5)
Down
1 Repair (fabric) (5)
2 Sharp, forthright (7)
3 Permanent staff (13)
4 Purpose (6)
5 Like light-operated
circuits (13)
6 Russian villa (5)
7 Witchcraft (7)
12 Washington building (7)
14 Protection from waves (7)
15 Social standing (6)
17 Frequently (5)
19 Lacking (5)
Solution to Crossword 8810
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9
10 11
12 13 14
15
16 17 18 19
20 21
22 23
ISOLATE PECAN
N W N N R O E
DONNA TROJANS
I E R X S T
ACCOMPANY TOE
U I P L G
LIBYAN ADDING
U A C R N
MEN GOLDENEYE
P H E A S V
STERNUM SHAME
U E R U E L N
MELEE PARAPET
Cell Blocks No 4378
© PUZZLER MEDIA
Polygon Set Square No 3100
Please note, BODMAS does not apply
Killer Tricky No 8131 Solutions
Killer Deadly No 8132
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)
12. Hand Evaluation
(c) Golden Cards
Golden cards are high cards which
have improved in their point-count
value. Typically, this is because
they are in partner’s long suits. Or
perhaps they are in right-hand
opponent’s (RHO) suit. Conversely,
high cards in partner’s short suits,
or left-hand opponent’s (LHO) bid
suit should be downgraded.
Partner opens 1♦, you respond
1 ♥ and partner rebids 1♠. What
now with these?
With the first, jump to 4♠. You
love having all your high cards in
partner’s bid suits. Also, the deal is
a double fit — partner is 5♦-4♠ so
there are two eight card fits. And
that singleton club is clearly mas-
sive. Give partner a minimum such
as ♠AQ43, ♥5, ♦A10543, ♣J43
and 4♠ is a fabulous contract.
With the second, content your-
self with a raise to 2♠, feigning 6-
9 points. All your high cards are in
partner’s short suits — the hand
should be downgraded.
With the third, jump to 3♦.
Your hand is improving hugely in
value — all your high cards are in
partner’s long suits and you have
the crucial ninth trump.
You open 1♥, LHO bids 2♦,
partner bids 2♥ and RHO bids
2 ♠. What now with these?
With the first, pass. With ♠ 982
sitting over East’s strength and
♦KJ2 sitting under West’s
strength, your hand has declined
markedly.
The second hand has improved
— with ♠KJ2 over East’s bid. You
are worth a game try and the best
technical bid is 3♦, LHO’s suit, log-
ically asking for help in diamonds.
West led a normal (but unfortu-
nate) ♣A v 4♥ and hurriedly
switched to ♥2. Declarer won ♥7,
ruffed ♣7, and led dummy’s pre-
cious ♠Q (incidentally, a card the
Losing Trick Count ignores —
which illustrates why the LTC is a
good guide, but far from a gospel).
East won ♠A, cashed ♦A and
tried ♦5. Declarer ruffed, ruffed
♣J, led ♥K to ♥A and cashed
♥Q, drawing the last trump. He
could now enjoy ♠KJ106 and that
was ten tricks made — with only 17
high-card points.
[email protected]
N
W E
S
1 ♠ Pass 1NT(1) Pass
2 ♥ Pass 4♥(2) End
(1) Dustbin 1NT, lacking the strength for 2♦.
(2) Loving having all her high cards in part-
ner’s majors. Would love a fifth heart but
you can’t have everything. And don’t forget
the singleton — wow.
S W N E
♠A5
♥ 65
♦A Q 10 5
♣Q10842
♠Q3
♥KJ104
♦ 987432
♣ 3
♠KJ1062
♥AQ97
♦ 6
♣J76
♠ 9874
♥ 832
♦KJ
♣AK95
♠KJ82
♥ 76432
♦KJ2
♣ 2
♠ 9753
♥KQ62
♦ 84
♣KQ2
♠K10
♥ 8743
♦AJ102
♣ 952
Dealer: South
Vul: Neither
♠ 982
♥AJ872
♦KJ2
♣AQ
♠KJ2
♥AJ872
♦ 982
♣AQ
Bridge Andrew Robson
BRAVEST JIVE
E I S A A I
WORST LOWDOWN
I P I E L E
LEO MINESHAFT
D R A T H H
ESTATE MOUSSE
R E T R E R
INCESSANT ALL
N A P C S A
GERMANE AGA I N
O X R K L D
BLUE SIESTAS
Sudoku 12,956
Killer 8129
Sudoku 12,957
Killer 8130
Sudoku 12,958
Quick Cryptic 2056
KenKen 5486
Codeword 4494
20 x 5 1 x 18 50 + 2 14 x 2
20 + 5 49 x 4 1 + 18 8 x 9
3x329+82x502+14
3 + 32 49 + 4 10 + 10 10 x 10
52 28
25 196 19 72
100 18
100 16
35 53 20 100
96 17
Tetonor 225