Crossword News September 2024
The August Prize Puzzle was Harmony by Dysart, published as
a tribute after the death of the setter. Extra letters give THE MUSIC OF THE
SPHERES. Hidden in the grid are PYTHAGORAS, ARISTOTLE and KEPLER, all of whom
have considered the theme. Also hidden is COLDPLAY, a musical group using the
thematic title, centrally placed. The completion of 22 involved placing O in
the central square to represent the sun as the centre of the universe, which
the ancient Greeks knew about well before the time of Pythagoras.
Here are some of the comments from solvers.
I'm
very sorry to read of the passing of Dysart. He's provided me with some lovely
mental tussles over the years. This one
was another. Quite a toughie I found. As
ever, I've learned something new from a master setter. Who'd have thought
Coldplay, Aristotle, Kepler and Pythagoras could all be linked thus. Sad
to think I'm unlikely to do another Dysart puzzle.
This was the third Dysart puzzle I had solved this month (the others were in
The Listener and Magpie) and it took longer than either of the others, mainly
because of an error on my part at 36ac/32 dn, which meant that I could not find
Kepler in the grid. Some tough clues allied to an unfamiliar theme made
this a fairly chewy puzzle.
This was a steady but not a rapid solve, with well-disguised extra letters
throughout the down clues. Many thanks to Dysart and The Crossword Centre.
There were 36 entries, of which 7 were marked incorrect,
although only two had the wrong central vowel. The lucky winner, picked from
the electronic hat, was David Howell from Ilkley, who will be receiving a prize
of Chambers Crossword Dictionary which was donated by Chambers.
There is a full solution at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2024/09/solution-to-harmony-by-dysart.html
The October Prize Puzzle will be Location by Gnomie.
We do not have a puzzle for November, so submissions would
be welcome.
***
After solving the republished Cain’s Jawbone by Torquemada, John Finnemore has
created a similar puzzle book. The
Researcher’s First Murder is another Torquemada mystery. A body is found
stabbed to death in a locked room. The police find no weapon, no motive and no suspects.
However, the murderer has in their possession a box of one hundred cryptic
picture postcards which – if properly understood – would explain not just this
murder, but nine others. These are those cards. Solvers must rearrange the
pages of text to unravel the story and identify the murderer, victim and
location for each of the ten murders. They must also consider the separate
puzzles presented by the curious images on the other sides.
Amazon is selling it for £19.55 and there is a Kindle
version for £5.99, although I cannot see how you could rearrange the pages on a
Kindle.
***
A reminder that the York S & B will take place on the 25th and
26th October. All the details, booking options and a list of who is
going her -
https://www.fifteensquared.net/2024/08/06/sb-york-2024-friday-25th-saturday-26th-october-2024/
***
The Times Crossword Championship is scheduled for the 19th October.
This year there is a limit of 120 competitors and already, most of those have
been taken. Most of the top 50 finishers from 2023 have taken up their
guaranteed places but there is also a healthy number of first-time competitors
who will be in the running for the new Richard Rogan prize for the best new
entrant.
***
Peter Biddlecombe has published a fine collection, 100 Years of the Sunday Times Crossword. The
Sunday Times crossword will be 100 years old in 2025 and Peter has chosen a
puzzle from each of year. He suggests that you start solving from the newest
ones and working backwards. In that way you can better see how the crossword
evolved and prepare you for clue styles that would not be acceptable today.
***
Mick Hodgkin, in an article
in The Times, confirmed that a long-standing rule had been lifted.
Two months ago, we lifted a long-standing Times Crossword
rule that barred mentioning any living person apart from the monarch in cryptic
puzzles. As the puzzles newsletter explained, the plan was for a gentle
introduction of the occasional famous name, allowing the crossword to feel more
contemporary and moving away from the idea that the only good celebrity is a
dead celebrity. I added a caveat: “We will, however, exercise caution in
avoiding topical references that could prove controversial.”
***
If you are looking for book for an imaginative 10-year-old, A Riddle for a King by Mark Forsyth might be
just right. A boy sets off on a weird adventure and faces riddles and
conundrums. The book is beautifully illustrated by Matthew Land and I think it
would delight readers of any age.
***
Twenty years ago, Apex sent me some documents for me to photocopy and use on
the website. One was an essay and a puzzle that had been published in the
magazine, Games and Puzzles. The puzzle, Side by Side, has been on the Apex
website since then, but, I recently learned that it was in the magazine of the
19th February 1977. I have revived the puzzle and a link to the
article on the blog.
https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/p/side-by-side-by-apex.html
***
The latest Azed Slip is on the Crossword Centre with the results of the clues
for FOLKLORIST. http://www.crossword.org.uk/Azed2720.pdf
J. Burscough won with this compound anagram.
Holst, liker of dances – —— he?
The final Annual Honours List will be published later this
month and we will learn who won the 2023/24 competition.
With Azed getting close to 2750 crosswords it is most
probable that there will be a celebration next year.
***
The 2025 Listener Dinner will take place on 15th March 2025 at the Waterfront
Hotel, Southport.
***
Best wishes
Derek
