The Times - UK (2022-02-16)

the times | Wednesday February 16 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 18 words, average;

24, good; 29, very good; 34, excellent

13 978 13

2139856 21

42136 13

21 6289

658174 97

13 639857

2135 12

21 63124

34 6589312

15 879 31

I D I O C Y

I U

A R

E L F I S H

V O E

E B I D E

H S

ACUMEN

M OA

TSUP

JUSTP

N Y

Clamjamphrie (b) Spoken

nonsense (Collins)

Rem (a) A unit of radiation

dose (Chambers)

Homilise (c) To preach (OED)

1 Qd8+! causes inteference on

Black’s back rank. 1 ... Bxd8

2 Rc8 and 1 ... Rxd8 2 Rxd8+

Bxd8 3 Rc8 are both mate

Kakuro 3111

Futoshiki 4152 Lexica 6224

Cell Blocks 4395 Set Square 3114 Lexica 6223

Suko 3414

Train Tracks 1556

Word watch

Chess — Winning Move

1 Karma

2 Elegy

3 Shandy

4 Lashings

5 Bodywork

Quintagram

1 Harry Potter 2 Gross domestic product 3 St

Valentine’s Day Massacre 4 Curium — named after

Pierre and Marie Curie 5 Cliff Richard 6 Flat feet

7 Surrealism 8 Lily James 9 John Dryden 10 Absalom,

Absalom! 11 Himeji Castle 12 La Monte Young 13 Roa

— named after the Forcella della Roa trail in the

Dolomites 14 John Spencer 15 Hyacinth macaw

(Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

Quiz

Easy 125; Medium 1,822; Harder 4,181

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

aah, aha, apathy, apt, away, ayah, hap,

hat, haw, hay, pah, pat, path, pathway,

paw, pay, phat, pya, tap, tapa, taw, tawa,

thaw, wat, way, whap, what, yah, yap,

yaw, yawp

times2 CrosswordNo 8829 Brain Trainer
Just follow the instructions from left to right, starting with the number given to reach an answer at the end.

ANSWER

EASY 8

ANSWER

MEDIUM^14

ANSWER

HARDER 232

x 5

SQUARE

IT

90%

OF IT

+ 11

+ 903 + 884

/ 2

OF IT

1

• 14 ÷ 2 x 5

x 2

+ 932

+

x 2

+ 88

x 4

x 2

x 6^12

/

OF IT

7

/ 4

OF IT

(^3) / 9
OF IT
7

• 28^4
  /
  OF IT
  3


• 95^2
  /
  OF IT
  +^1


• 384 75%
  OF IT
  70%
  OF IT
  Across
  1 Dances heavily (6)
  5 Internet or board user (6)
  8 Latin American farm
  worker (4)
  9 Tangled up (8)
  10 Readers' group (4,4)
  12 Form of agate (4)
  13 Device removing heat (6)
  15 Opposed (to) (6)
  17 Stuck-up person (4)
  19 Armed sailing ship (3-2-3)
  21 Facade (8)
  23 Line of rotation (4)
  24 Called, rang (6)
  25 Jungle hero (6)
  Down
  2 Wavering effect in music (7)
  3 Belarus capital (5)
  4 West Indian percussion
  instrument (5,4)
  5 Maths problem (3)
  6 Fried ball of minced
  meat (7)
  7 Abrasive powder (5)
  11 Most intelligent (9)
  14 Mediterranean country (7)
  16 Staying power (7)
  18 Compass point (5)
  20 Natural aptitude (5)
  22 Say further (3)
  Solution to Crossword 8828
  T2 CROSSWORD No 8829
  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
  CABOT SOLOMON
  O A O H O O O
  HABI TUE WOUND
  E Y A L T S E
  SISAL VIEWED
  I I E C P
  OUTLAY THUMBS
  N N F O A
  DETOUR FRILL
  U X D A E S M
  SATAY MAESTRO
  E R N E D E D
  DEADEND SUNNY
  Cell BlocksNo 4396
  © PUZZLER MEDIA
  Polygon Set SquareNo 3115
  Please note, BODMAS does not apply
  KillerTricky No 8164 Solutions
  KillerDeadly No 8165
  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)

13. Declaring Notrumps
    (a) Counting your Top Tricks
    Declaring a notrump contract, it
    really is vital you count up your
    top tricks — only those tricks you
    can win before losing the lead —
    before embarking (it’s less crucial
    in many trump contracts). Only by
    counting up your top tricks do you
    know how many extra tricks you
    need.
    On Deal A, you win West’s ♠ 4
    lead (to ♠J) with ♠K, and count
    six top tricks — ♠AK, ♦A and
    ♣AKQ. Needing three more, there
    is a surefire route: force out ♥A.
    Lead ♥7 to ♥Q, East winning ♥A
    and leading ♠9. You win ♠A and
    cash ♥KJ10, following with
    ♣AKQ and ♦A. Nine tricks made.
    The trap is to look no further
    than the long diamonds and hope
    for a favourable opposing layout.
    With East holding ♦KJx, you’ll go
    down. Bad luck — yes — but also
    (let’s be brutal) bad play.
    On Deal B, you win West’s ♠ 4
    lead with ♠K and count eight top
    tricks — ♠AK, ♥A and
    ♣AKQJ10. You need only one
    more — and the superficially
    attractive diamond sequence is not
    the answer. The reason is that the
    opponents will win five tricks
    before you win nine. Say you lead
    a diamond (either at trick two or
    after cashing the clubs); the oppo-
    nents win and lead another spade;
    you win and lead another dia-
    mond; the opponents win and cash
    three spades. Down you go.
    Your only legitimate chance is
    to try to promote ♥Q by leading
    towards it. Lead ♥3 at trick two.
    Let West win ♥K (or ♥Q scores)
    and lead a second spade, for you
    can win, cross to the promoted
    ♥Q then cash five clubs and ♥A.
    Nine tricks made.
    Note, you could not cash the
    clubs before leading up ♥3, for
    West rises with ♥K and leads a sec-
    ond spade and, with hearts blocked,
    you cannot untangle your winners.
    [email protected]
    Dealer: South, Vulnerability: Neither
    N
    W E
    S
    1 ♥ Pass 2♦ Pass
    2NT(1) Pass 3NT End
    (1) Best played as 15-19 and forcing-to-game
    facing a new suit response at the Two-level.
    S W N E
    ♠J98
    ♥A83
    ♦KJ3
    ♣ 10865
    ♠ 652
    ♥Q2
    ♦AQ1052
    ♣K42
    ♠AK
    ♥KJ107
    ♦ 9876
    ♣AQ3
    ♠Q10743
    ♥ 9654
    ♦ 4
    ♣J97
    N
    W E
    S
    ♠J98
    ♥J1065
    ♦K74
    ♣ 976
    ♠ 652
    ♥Q2
    ♦Q10832
    ♣K103
    ♠AK
    ♥A73
    ♦J96
    ♣AQJ52
    ♠Q10743
    ♥K984
    ♦A5
    ♣ 84
    A
    B
    1 ♣ 1 ♠ 2 ♣ 2 ♠
    3NT End
    S W N E
    Dealer: South, Vulnerability: Neither
    Bridge Andrew Robson
    W V A G J N
    N I N E B A R B E C U E
    S S I I S L
    P H O T O N M E T T L E
    B R G E
    H O L Y D I A T R I B E
    N O L O
    P E R S O N A L G O N E
    E A U H
    O B J E C T T A I L O R
    I T E S T M
    W A R H O R S E A X I S
    S E M A R E
    Sudoku 13,004
    Killer 8162
    Sudoku 13,005
    Killer 8163
    Sudoku 13,006
    Quick Cryptic 2071
    KenKen 5504
    Codeword 4512
    4 x 25 5 x 4 30 + 5 25 + 4
    4 + 14 14 x 14 4 + 5 3 x 32
    (^) 14 x 4 14 + 14 14 x 11 14 + 11
    3 x 11 32 + 3 3 + 11 30 x 5
    3 3 4 4 4 5 5 11 11 14 14 14 14 25 30 32
    35 29
    18 196 9 96
    100 20
    154 25
    33 35 14 150
    56 28
    Tetonor 231