The Times - UK (2022-03-18)

the times | Friday March 18 2022 19

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 14 words, average;

19, good; 23, very good; 28, excellent

1427 12 97

3759 74986

79 531762

689 12 31

26437 24

21 46879

97 89 698

843975 31

42163 7124

31 89 9312

F U N G A L

N O

I N T R O

O O P

S N E A K

D

J U M P E R

E I

T E M P T

O I

N R

T E A

Kakuro 3133

Futoshiki 4174 Lexica 6268

Cell Blocks 4421 Set Square 3136 Lexica 6267

Suko 3440

Train Tracks 1582

Piggin (c) A small wooden

bucket (OED)

Monoblepsis (b) A condition in

which vision is more distinct

with one eye open only

(Chambers)

Laches (c) Negligence in

enforcing a legal right (Brewer’s)

Word watch

1 a4! traps the black queen after

1 ... Qe2 2 Rae1. Fischer tried

1 ... h3 but after 2 axb5 hxg2+

3 Kxg2 White won easily

Chess — Winning Move

1 Past

2 Barren

3 Pliers

4 Pointer

5 Jet engine

Quintagram

1 Hamburger 2 Mobile phone — Harrison was the son

of Vodafone’s chairman. The comedian Ernie Wise

made the second call a few hours later 3 Venus flytrap

4 Justin Trudeau 5 Robert Pattinson 6 Weddell Sea

7 St Bartholomew’s Hospital or St Barts. It features

London’s only outdoor statue of the Tudor king 8 Maori

culture 9 Julian Clary 10 John Wyndham 11 A Raisin in

the Sun — in 1959 12 First Punic War 13 William Grant

Still 14 Goal keeper 15 Frederick Douglass

Quiz

Easy 11; Medium 315; Harder 8,803

Brain Trainer

Yesterday’s answers

açai, actin, actual, anal, anti, antic, aunt,

canal, cant, cantal, caul, clan, ictal, ital,

lacuna, laic, lanai, liana, linac, lunatic, nail,

natal, nautical, taal, tail, tala, talc, tania,

tian, tuna, tunica, ulna, uncial

times2 CrosswordNo 8855 Brain Trainer

Across

1 Grasping money lender (6)

4 Character in Othello(4)

8 Global network (8)

9 Facilitate (4)

11 Frozen water (3)

12 Share out (9)

13 Starting point (6)

15 Introduce air into (6)

18 Fluent speaking (9)

19 Curve (3)

20 Spoken exam (4)

21 Notorious (8)

22 Biblical garden (4)

23 Ear inflammation (6)

Down

1 Unfasten (5)

2 Very funny (10)

3 Free (from an obligation) (6)

5 Variety of coffee bean (7)

6 Large sea (5)

7 Japanese martial art (6)

10 Not appropriate (10)

14 Period of ancient history

(4,3)

16 Mitigate (6)

17 Undo woollen stitches (6)

18 Express exaggerated

feelings (5)

19 Small particles (5)

Solution to Crossword 8854

T2 CROSSWORD No 8855

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

8 9

10

11 12

13 14 15 16

17

18 19

20 21

22 23

BALSAMIC CASK

L I I O A Y

U CLOSINGTIME

ECHO C S C B

J O E C H O

AMORAL IDYLLS

Y S LEE A A

SCYLLA NIACIN

H I N T T C

E T E I HINT

GASTRONOMIC I

T E U U K T

USER SISTERLY

Cell BlocksNo 4422

© PUZZLER MEDIA

Polygon Set SquareNo 3137

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

KillerModerate No 8212 Solutions

KillerDeadly No 8213

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).

Similar ... but different (26)

Contrast these two trump suits.

(i) ♥AK642 facing ♥ 873

(ii) ♣AK642 facing ♣ 73

In (i), you cash ♥AK and both

opponents follow. There is one high

trump out. Leave it out — the rule

of one stating you should normally

leave the master trump outstanding.

In (ii), you cash ♣AK and both

follow. You should probably lead a

third round this time, hoping the

two remaining trumps are splitting

one in each hand, in which case

they will crash. The danger of leav-

ing them out is they will both

score — via two separate ruffs.

West led ♥2 to East’s ♥A, East

switching to ♦Q (best). Winning

dummy’s ♦K, declarer crossed to

♠AK, both following to reveal the

3-2 split with one high spade out. If

she had now led a third spade,

West would have won ♠J, led ♦ 5

to ♦A and when declarer played

on clubs, East would win ♣A and

cash ♦J — one down.

Making no mistake, declarer left

♠J out and led ♣Q. West played

♣10, signalling her count (high —

even) and East ducked. To no avail

— declarer continued with ♣5 to

♣J. East won ♣A and led ♦J but

declarer could win dummy’s ♦A

and lead ♣K, discarding ♦7 as

West ruffed. Game made.

West leads ♥J to ♥A, East

cashing ♦K-then-♦A (unusual

order to indicate a doubleton) then

leads ♥6. Declarer wins ♥K and

cashes ♠AK, both following. With

two high trumps out, declarer

must lead a third spade. When ♠J

and ♠Q crash, declarer can claim

her 2♠, losing only ♣A from here.

Note, if declarer fails to lead

that third spade, the defence will

win ♠J and ♠Q separately. Say

instead declarer leads ♣ 2 to ♣K.

East wins ♣A and leads ♥Q, West

overruffing declarer with ♠Q and

East scoring ♠J — one down.

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N

W E

S

1 ♠ Pass 2♣ 2 ♥

2 ♠ End

S W N E

♠J97

♥AQ6532

♦AK

♣A9

♠ 3

♥ 874

♦Q104

♣KQJ763

♠AK8654

♥K10

♦J76

♣ 52

♠Q102

♥J9

♦ 98532

♣ 1084

N

W E

S

♠Q9

♥AQ653

♦QJ10

♣A98

♠ 73

♥ 87

♦AK4

♣KJ7632

♠AK8654

♥K10

♦ 762

♣Q5

♠J102

♥J942

♦ 9853

♣ 104

1 ♠ Pass 2♣ 2 ♥(1)

2 ♠ Pass 3♠ Pass

4 ♠(2) End

(1) Marginal, in spite of 15 high-card points.

East’s suit is sub-par for a Two-level over-

call, the shape is barren and ♠Q wasted.

(2) Close but the four high cards are huge.

♥K is upgraded with ♥A probably on the

right; ♣Q is upgraded — in partner’s suit.

S W N E

Deal One

Dealer S

Deal Two

Dealer S

Bridge Andrew Robson

P R E P A R E S S E E R

I A O E C Y

I D O L B I T C H I E R

G I T O S

M E T H A N O L O B O E

O E L R

G R I M E S S U B L E T

E E E U

O V E R R I N G S I D E

E A P A E

P R I N T E R S R U M P

S G N T A O

B E D E T R Y S T I N G

Sudoku 13,074

Killer 8210

Sudoku 13,075

Killer 8211

Sudoku 13,076

Quick Cryptic 2093

KenKen 5530

Codeword 4538

75 + 2 35 x 6 11 + 20 3 x 90

2 x 75 57 + 2 20 x 11 6 + 35

35 + 14 10 x 24 24 + 10 15 x 10

14 x 35 15 + 10 57 x 2 90 + 3

2 2 3 6 10 10 11 14 15 20 24 35 35 57 75 90

34 150

490 25 114 93

49 240

31 270

150 59 220 41

77 210

Tetonor 240