Times cryptic chess clue

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Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Wed Jan 26, 2022 3:12 pm

Simon Brown wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:23 pm
Hard one today; "Twice make knight's move? Not me (6)".
I did get this once I had P as the last letter. It does depend on one knowing that BIS means 'twice'.

My habit is to do the Times crossword in bed at night before sleep. I sometimes finish it then, but almost prefer not to, as having a clue to think about is more interesting than counting sheep. I found this particular crossword difficult (Tuesday 25.01.22), needing to solve more than half of it at breakfast this morning. I was still punctual for my 8.10 a.m. golf tee time.

There is a good blog here on a website called Times Snitch which, among other things, explains clues and gives a difficulty rating for each day's crossword. I'm not sure if you need to be a Times subscriber to access it.

https://times-xwd-times.livejournal.com/2677664.html

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John Clarke
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by John Clarke » Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:34 am

Dunno about the rest of you, but I'd regard the definition part of that clue as pretty unsatisfactory. Defining something as what it's not hardly seems right. I doubt if D S Macnutt ("Ximenes" that was) would have passed it.
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(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)

Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:26 pm

John Clarke wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:34 am
Dunno about the rest of you, but I'd regard the definition part of that clue as pretty unsatisfactory. Defining something as what it's not hardly seems right. I doubt if D S Macnutt ("Ximenes" that was) would have passed it.
Twice make knight's move? Not me (6)

I'm with you on this one, John.

I did, however, invite comments on the Crossword Help Forum and have so far received these two:

I've seen 'not xxxx' referred to as an antonym definition. It's an accepted form of definition, albeit with the potential to introduce a lot of ambiguity, as is the case here.

I think it comes in the 'partial & lit.' category, partial as it requires 'not me' in addition to the wordplay to give the definition.


Hmm - I'm not convinced.

Simon Brown
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Simon Brown » Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:19 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:26 pm
John Clarke wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:34 am
Dunno about the rest of you, but I'd regard the definition part of that clue as pretty unsatisfactory. Defining something as what it's not hardly seems right. I doubt if D S Macnutt ("Ximenes" that was) would have passed it.
Twice make knight's move? Not me (6)

I'm with you on this one, John.

I did, however, invite comments on the Crossword Help Forum and have so far received these two:

I've seen 'not xxxx' referred to as an antonym definition. It's an accepted form of definition, albeit with the potential to introduce a lot of ambiguity, as is the case here.

I think it comes in the 'partial & lit.' category, partial as it requires 'not me' in addition to the wordplay to give the definition.


Hmm - I'm not convinced.
Sorry both, but I'm not with you on this. I rather like the more "modern" clues, to match the answers which Ximenes wouldn't have used, such as Eurostar and megabit, both of which have featured in the last week or so. Not wanting to ruin Paul's evening entertainment, there are at least two words in today's which are relatively modern, though the clues are more traditional.

NickFaulks
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Jan 28, 2022 1:01 pm

Simon Brown wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:19 pm
Sorry both, but I'm not with you on this. I rather like the more "modern" clues
Sorry, I don't see your point. In what way is using "not me" to cover just about anything "modern". Lazy, perhaps.
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Paul Habershon
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Paul Habershon » Thu Feb 24, 2022 4:09 pm

Times 12 across, 23rd February.

Exclusion of chess player crying out to be heard(12)

BLACKBALLING

With 'chess player' definable as BLACK or WHITE, there are fruitful clueing possibilities for the many solutions which contain one of those five-letter words. For instance something apposite for WHITEBAIT could be concocted with reference to a chess player's temper.

David Williams
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by David Williams » Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:20 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Jan 28, 2022 1:01 pm
Simon Brown wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:19 pm
Sorry both, but I'm not with you on this. I rather like the more "modern" clues
Sorry, I don't see your point. In what way is using "not me" to cover just about anything "modern". Lazy, perhaps.
I missed this at the time. "Not me" isn't referring to just about anything, it works because it's referring to another chess piece. I thought it was quite clever to come up with a clue for BISHOP based on the knight's move.

Richard James
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Richard James » Wed Mar 09, 2022 7:23 pm

Guardian Cryptic Crossword 09-03-22:

Bishop's pawn has work with English opening (4)

An easy one, I think.

Mike Alderson
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Mike Alderson » Wed Mar 09, 2022 9:51 pm

The Bishop of Rome, no less!

Gordon Morse
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Gordon Morse » Mon Aug 29, 2022 3:21 pm

From today's Telegraph crossword:

Line taken by bishop when villain invades land taken back (8)

A bit convoluted, this one. My wife, who taught me how to do cryptic crosswords and is still better than me, found this clue a tough one to work out. The first letter was 'unchecked', I.e. it didn't intersect with a down clue/answer, which usually makes a clue more difficult to solve.
I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all.

John Sellen
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by John Sellen » Mon Aug 29, 2022 3:41 pm

diagonal : d iago nal land backwards and iago villain from Othello

Gordon Morse
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Gordon Morse » Mon Aug 29, 2022 7:01 pm

Correct!
I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Aug 29, 2022 7:33 pm

Gordon Morse wrote:
Mon Aug 29, 2022 3:21 pm
From today's Telegraph crossword:

Line taken by bishop when villain invades land taken back (8)
I actually got that immediately (which pleased me)

er, any relation to Jeremy?

Reg Clucas
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by Reg Clucas » Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:13 pm

Gordon Morse wrote:
Mon Aug 29, 2022 3:21 pm
From today's Telegraph crossword:

Line taken by bishop when villain invades land taken back (8)

A bit convoluted, this one. My wife, who taught me how to do cryptic crosswords and is still better than me, found this clue a tough one to work out. The first letter was 'unchecked', I.e. it didn't intersect with a down clue/answer, which usually makes a clue more difficult to solve.
'Diagonal' was the first thing that occurred to me, without evaluating the second part of the clue.

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AlanLlewellyn
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Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Post by AlanLlewellyn » Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:57 pm

ive got an open fire and i am a chess nut roasting by it.

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