Times cryptic chess clue

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Geoff Chandler
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Geoff Chandler » Sat Nov 07, 2020 11:25 pm

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David Williams
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by David Williams » Sun Nov 08, 2020 12:41 pm

A clue I remember from the Times a few months ago, which requires knowledge of how to set the board up (and a bit of heraldry). Something like

Where white queen starts, black causes damage. (7)

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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Gerard Killoran » Sun Nov 08, 2020 1:33 pm

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John Clarke
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by John Clarke » Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:18 pm

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Sat Nov 07, 2020 12:24 pm
"I'm intrigued by mention of that 3-2-1 show (which never made it to NZ TV). Can anyone provide a specimen clue or two?"

Here's one... (Dusty Bin was the useless prize)

"For example, a wishbone brought on by Sonny Hayes came with the clue "Take one that never changes, add a pub and a precious stone, bring them all up-to-date, and now, you're on your own.", which the contestants rejected hoping it referred to Dusty Bin. Rogers' explanation of the clue was: "'Take one that never changes', well, that could be Dusty Bin which of course is where you might throw a wishbone. 'Add a pub and a precious stone', well, that doesn't point to Dusty. 'Bring them all up-to-date, and now you're on your own.'. Well, what about the wishbone? Sonny said 'a large wishbone', so what might a large wishbone come from? Something larger than a chicken. Turkey, maybe? Now, 'one that never changes.' is a constant, a pub can also be an inn, there's a lot of precious stones but how many go with 'constant inn'? How about opal? Yes, Constantinople, up to date, the pride of Turkey, you've rejected a 3–2–1 holiday!".
I take it the clue was meant to be a little four-line verse - were they all like that? The phrase "up-to-date" suggests the actual answer was "Istanbul".
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)

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John Clarke
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by John Clarke » Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:35 pm

MJMcCready wrote:
Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:22 pm
Someone should make a chess cryptic crossword, it would drive most players mad, me included. Even when I was living in the states briefly my partner back then was a huge fan of the NY Times Crossword. I could do some of that but not much as it became progressively harder as the week days rolled on, Friday being the hardest crossword of the week. There was one clue that had her stumped which I will never forget. I can't remember the number of the clue so I shall improvise that, it went: 13. (6)
Hmm! I think I'd need letters from intersecting lights* to get that one. Reminds me of a clue I once saw in the Telegraph cryptic,when I was cutting my solving teeth as a mid-teen: "This mark!" (11,4).

Incidentally, MJ's clue as displayed has only one blank space between the "13." and the "(6)"- that's how the software on here seems to work: no matter how many blanks you type into your "copy", only one is ever shown. But if you hit the quote-mark symbol at top right of the post, you'll see a lot more blank spaces (10 in all) were originally included - and that could be critical to finding the answer. Which could be "blanks".

* Cruciverbalists' term for the rows or columns of white squares you write answers into.
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)

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John Clarke
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by John Clarke » Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:36 pm

Try this on for size, folks: "Nice keyboardist is worried - sort him out, grandmaster." (5)
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)

Kevin Williamson
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Kevin Williamson » Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:52 pm

John Clarke wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:36 pm
Try this on for size, folks: "Nice keyboardist is worried - sort him out, grandmaster." (5)
KEENE

Keith Emerson is the keyboardist in the band Nice.
Remove the letters in 'sort him' leaving K, E, E, N, E

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MJMcCready
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by MJMcCready » Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:26 am

John Clarke wrote:
Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:35 pm
MJMcCready wrote:
Sat Nov 07, 2020 5:22 pm
Someone should make a chess cryptic crossword, it would drive most players mad, me included. Even when I was living in the states briefly my partner back then was a huge fan of the NY Times Crossword. I could do some of that but not much as it became progressively harder as the week days rolled on, Friday being the hardest crossword of the week. There was one clue that had her stumped which I will never forget. I can't remember the number of the clue so I shall improvise that, it went: 13. (6)
Hmm! I think I'd need letters from intersecting lights* to get that one. Reminds me of a clue I once saw in the Telegraph cryptic,when I was cutting my solving teeth as a mid-teen: "This mark!" (11,4).

Incidentally, MJ's clue as displayed has only one blank space between the "13." and the "(6)"- that's how the software on here seems to work: no matter how many blanks you type into your "copy", only one is ever shown. But if you hit the quote-mark symbol at top right of the post, you'll see a lot more blank spaces (10 in all) were originally included - and that could be critical to finding the answer. Which could be "blanks".

* Cruciverbalists' term for the rows or columns of white squares you write answers into.
So (13.) (6) is more accurate. The intersecting clues I can't remember but the answer was NOCLUE anyway.

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MJMcCready
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by MJMcCready » Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:59 am

It's very easy to create a crossword, should we rally together and create a Cryptic Chess Crossword and send it off to the various publications still in existence, perhaps as an Christmas treat or something?

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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon Nov 09, 2020 1:47 pm

Hi MJM,

Over at Red Hot Pawn I've been composing chess crosswords for years.

Back by popular demand another crossword. Answer the clues and the shaded boxes will reveal the name of a famous chess player.

Image
Image

answers here! (don't cheat!)

https://www.dailychess.com/chess-blog/t ... d-trap.310

David Teague
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by David Teague » Mon Nov 09, 2020 1:53 pm

I used to set chess-themed cryptic crosswords for the Open University Postal Chess Club's magazine back in the '90's. A bit niche :wink: I don't have any surviving copies, but it was fun. I've just returned to solving cryptics after a break of many years. If you allow surnames of living titled players as solutions it gives the setter lots of scope for invention!

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MJMcCready
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by MJMcCready » Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:42 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Mon Nov 09, 2020 1:47 pm
Hi MJM,

Over at Red Hot Pawn I've been composing chess crosswords for years.

Back by popular demand another crossword. Answer the clues and the shaded boxes will reveal the name of a famous chess player.

Image
Image

answers here! (don't cheat!)

https://www.dailychess.com/chess-blog/t ... d-trap.310
Very good, Giri, is the player I think

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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Simon Brown » Fri Nov 13, 2020 4:30 pm

From today's Times - "One piece by queen in drag, failing to finish lines (5)"

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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Gerard Killoran » Fri Nov 13, 2020 5:07 pm

At the risk of being pedantic, the crossword posted by Geoff Chandler isn't cryptic. Not in the slightest. It's barely difficult enough to make it into the 'simple' category.

An example of a cryptic chess clue could be 'Rear Admiral's weakness' (4,4).

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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Geoff Chandler » Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:24 pm

...hi boys, my crossword was a...'silly gag' (4)

I did them with word searches and anagrams for months always using the same four players, Giri, Euwe, Fine and Reti.

Used to put them in between games as mild relief. Quite popular, ideas/clues were sent in by the members.
They are not meant to be taken seriously. (I leave the serious stuff to the adults.)

The Duck would always appear and slag me off.

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The duck became much more famous than me, I ended up buying one and it travelled all over the world
as the RHP members sent it to each other, took a picture and sent it onto to another chess player.

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In vietnam

Italy, Mexico, Canada, Germany, South Africa...got lost on way to New Zealand.

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Custom declaration sending duck to America.

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