The Times - UK (2022-06-08)

the times | Wednesday June 8 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 10 words, average;

14, good; 18, very good; 23, excellent

 


 


 

 
 


 



 

 
 


  

 (^) 



EFFORT
XI A
PUNK R
OG
STROBE
ET
SCOP
COO A
ALADY
RL
FA
CR I ER
Kakuro 3191
Futoshiki 4232 Lexica 6384
Cell Blocks 4491 Set Square 3194 Lexica 6383
Suko 3510
Train Tracks 1650
1 ... Rh5+! 2 Kxh5 drags the
white king up the board. Now
the black rook and knight
combine beautifully: 2 ... Ng7+ 3
Kh4 (3 Kh6 Rh8 is mate and 3
Kg4 is met by 3 ... Nf5+ leading
to the same finish as in the
main line) 3 ... Nf5+ 4 Kh5
Rh8+ 5 Kg4 Rh4 mate
Opeidoscope (c) A device
illustrating sound using light
(Chambers)
Nelson’s blood (a) Rum
(Brewer’s)
Wa ve r (c) A young tree left
when others are cut (OED)
Word watch
Chess — Winning Move
1 Mars
2 Ashes
3 Oddity
4 Pressure
5 Beginners
Quintagram
1 Pablo Picasso 2 Queen Victoria 3 Holly Golightly
4 The Quran 5 Montreal — founded as Ville-Marie
6 Pectoral or pectoralis muscles or pectoralis major
and pectoralis minor 7 Thomas Cromwell 8 Tonga
9 Berlin 10 Mali 11 The Sperrins 12 OpenSea
13 William Turner 14 Celtic 15 Thomas Adès
Quiz
Easy 34; Medium 631; Harder 4,015
Brain Trainer
Yesterday’s answers
cense, censer, cere, eensy, ere, erne, eye,
née, rec, rye, scene, scenery, scree,
screen, sec, see, seer, sen, sene, sere,
sneer, syce, syne, yen, yes
times2 Crossword No 8925 Brain Trainer
ANSWER
EASY 11
ANSWER
MEDIUM 16
ANSWER
HARDER 124 x 8

• 3
  SQUARE
  IT

• 8

50%

OF IT

x 6

x 3

x 2

÷ 4

+ 88 /^2

OF IT

+^1

• 389 + 668

+ 9 + 7

/ 4

OF IT

3

/ 7

OF IT

5

75%

OF IT

+ 276 +

x 2 /^3

OF IT

2

+ 48 – 86 + 67

30%

OF IT

+ 778 /^4

OF IT

+^1

Across

1 Llama relative (6)

7 One of Shakespeare's four

lovers (6)

8 Plant of cabbage family (8)

10 Afternoon meal (4,3)

11 Reddish purple (7)

12 Upright carved stone

(A, not E) (5)

14 Country house (5)

15 Good or bad luck (5)

19 Meaningless refrain (3-2-2)

20 Percussion instrument (7)

22 Candied stalks (8)

23 Garden plant (6)

24 African carnivore

(variant spelling) (6)

Down

1 Photograph books (6)

2 Theatre attender (8)

3 Notorious seducer (8)

4 Eg, Bangkok native (4)

5 Something outdated (3,3)

6 Open a secure closure (6)

9 Quack, fraud (9)

12 Cruel violent behaviour (8)

13 Level a score (S, not Z) (8)

16 Mountain in Turkey (6)

17 For the most part (6)

18 North African desert (6)

21 Phoenician god (4)

Solution to Crossword 8924

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

8 9

10

11

12 13

14

15 16 17 18

19

20 21

22

23

24

DETER OCTOPUS

I I E W O O T

SEMICONDUCTOR

T E O I T L U

UNCARING SUIT

R O D G C C

BONNET MONKEY

S R H L I

BLUE REDOUBLE

L M L A S A L

EMINENT SYNOD

S N V E U J E

SAGGY RESPOND

Cell BlocksNo 4492

© PUZZLER MEDIA

Polygon Set SquareNo 3195

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

KillerTricky No 8340 Solutions

KillerDeadly No 8341

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

16. Bidding Big Hands

(b) Opening 2 ♣

The 2♣ opener is the strongest

opener in bridge, showing any

hand with 23 or more points, or an

upgrade for shape. Bear in mind

that when you open 2♣, you have

missed out a whole level of bidding

space, and told partner nothing

about your shape. In particular,

beware of opening 2♣ when you

have a when you have a two-suited

(or three-suited) hand; or when

you have a single-suited minor.

The auction can become unwieldy

and it’s better to open at the One-

level then jump with your rebid.

The occasions to open 2♣ are

when you have a balanced hand of

23 or more points (2♣-2♦-2NT ...),

or when you have a single-suited

major (2♣-2♦-2♥/♠ ...).

Would you open 2♣ with these?

The first is a balanced hand, lit-

erally with 22 points but clearly

worth more — look at the fine

five-card suit and great intermedi-

ates. The hand is worth nearer 24

or even 25 points and is a clear 2♣

opener, planning to rebid 2NT.

The second may contain 23

points but I would not open 2♣.

It’s partly that my bare ♠QJ and

♦K should be downgraded; but

mainly that I foresee bidding prob-

lems (eg 2♣-2♦-3♣-3♠ ...?). It’s

wiser to open a quiet 1♣, planning

to jump in hearts next time.

The third is a 21-count that

looks like at least 23. Open 2♣ and

rebid 2♠ over partner’s expected

2 ♦ response. This is game-forcing

with five or more spades. Note, if

responder has a spade fit, a raise by

her to 4♠ would be weaker than

3 ♠ (the Principle of Fast Arrival).

Declaring 4♠, South let West’s

♥J lead hold the first trick, win-

ning ♥6 (to ♥Q) with ♥A. She

crossed to ♣J and led ♠2 to ♠J,

the finesse winning. She crossed to

♣Q to lead ♠3 to ♠Q, West dis-

carding. She cashed ♠A then led

♣A. East ruffed, cashed ♥K and

switched to ♦4. However, declarer

could win ♦A and cash ♣K, dis-

carding ♦5. Ten tricks made.

[email protected]

N

W E

S

2 ♣(1) Pass 2♦(2) Pass

2NT(3) Pass 3♥(4) Pass

3 ♠(4) Pass 3NT(5) Pass

4 ♠(6) End

(1) Showing 23 or more points (or an

upgrade), unrelated to clubs.

(2) Normal response, consistent with nothing.

(3) Showing 23-24 balanced, the only rebid

that responder can pass (with nothing).

(4) Stayman and Transfers operate as per

over a 1NT or 2NT opener. The 3♥ bid is a

transfer to spades, showing five cards,

dutifully completed by opener.

(5) Offering a choice of games (North has

enough for game facing 23-24).

(6) Knowing of the eight-card spade fit.

S W N E

♠K1097

♥KQ8

♦Q964

♣ 85

♠ 86432

♥ 542

♦ 53

♣QJ2

♠AQJ

♥A73

♦AJ8

♣AK93

♠ 5

♥J1096

♦K1072

♣ 10764

♠KJ10

♥AQ

♦A109

♣AKJ104

♠QJ

♥AKJ2

♦K

♣AKQ862

♠AKQJ98

♥KQ3

♦AQ2

♣ 6

Dealer: South

Vul: Neither

Bridge Andrew Robson

MUSCLE MOOR

E P A J S V E

DRAFTEE IDEAL

I W I E A R A

CONUNDRUM SHY

A Q E E

LAWFUL ASCEND

A A E E

HEX RIGHTEOUS

A W T L W Z S

BOOZE EPISODE

I R R E N N R

TAKE ASSENT

Sudoku 13,260

Killer 8338

Sudoku 13,261

Killer 8339

Sudoku 13,262

Quick Cryptic 2151

KenKen 5600

Codeword 4608

11x45x171x202x96

96 + 3 1 + 20 3 x 96 17 + 5

10+202x524+114x25

20x104+2596+22+52

15 100

200 29 98 54

30 104

20 192

99 21 288 22

44 85

Tetonor 263