Guardian Genius 130 by Qaos
The preamble to Genius 130 states: “Before being entered in the grid, six solutions must undergo 24 down 9, while another six must undergo 26 15. In the process only valid words may … Read more >>
mc_rapper67
Independent 8584 by Klingsor (Saturday Prize Puzzle 19 April 2014)
A neat puzzle from Klingsor, with lots of lovely surface readings, and no twists in the tail in terms of Nina or themes, at least as far as I can see…readers may think otherwise?… … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1116: Morphed by Shark
The preamble says ‘In the definition of every clue a letter has been MORPHED and must be changed back before solving. In clue order, alternating between correct and morphed letters in each set of … Read more >>
Independent 8554 by Tees (Saturday Prize Puzzle 15 March 2014)
Several linked/cross-referenced clues here, which often suggests a theme may be present; and also several references to ‘cardinals’ in the clues – is there going to be some sort of Monty Python/Spanish Inquisition theme? … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1112: Title, Please by Syd Lexis
A sad moment – this is (presumably) the last EV from Syd Lexis (Alan Donovan), whose recent passing was announced the week before in Nimrod’s Inquisitor 1322 editorial, and to whom tributes have been … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1108: Dreams by Rasputin
In ‘DREAMS’ solvers need to turn one man’s dreams ‘into reality’ by single word removals from various clues, and by erasing 51 cells from the completed grid – so pencils and/or correcting fluid at the … Read more >>
Independent 8524 by Jambazi (Saturday Prize Puzzle 8 February 2014)
‘Jambazi’ is ‘Tramp’s Indy pseudonym, but on closer inspection of this puzzle, could he also be ‘Cyclops’ in disguise?… On my initial solve, this seemed a fairly straightforward puzzle – suitably difficult for a Saturday … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1104: Nice by Ferret
The preamble tells us that twelve answers need to be substituted with a ‘thematically associated’ word before entry. And the one unclued entry can be ‘similarly’ associated with a word which must be … Read more >>
Independent 8494 by Nimrod (Saturday Prize Puzzle 4 January 2014)
After the veritable smorgasbord of fancy themed and Nina’d centenary/Christmassy puzzles across all sources over the past few weeks, Nimrod brings us back down to basics with a good, honest hard-working cryptic prize puzzle…a … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1100: Compère by Oxymoron
The EV series clocks up another hundred on the mileometer and, due to the rotation of the four current bloggers, I am the lucky one to mark the occasion (as I was with EV1000 … Read more >>
Independent 8465 by Monk (Saturday Prize Puzzle 30 November 2013)
A tough (but fair) mental workout from Monk this week. This needed a few return sessions to get to completion – in fact I think my first scan through only offered up the … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1096: Demand by Samuel
The preamble to DEMAND tells us that ‘the hunt is on’ for the unclued 14D. In 34 clues an extra letter in the wordplay will give us a ‘group’ met on the way, … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 124 by Picaroon
The preamble, or ‘Special Instructions’, as the Genius calls them, tell us to resolve one clash in each across solution, working out which of the clashing pair ‘best fits’ the grid. These corrected … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1092: Burnt Offering by Mynot
Hmmm…a ‘burnt offering’…not quite the 5th of November, so unlikely to be Guy Fawkes…the (reasonably brief) preamble tells us that in ‘most’ clues the wordplay will lead to an extra letter, which will … Read more >>
Independent 8435 by Anax (Saturday Prize Puzzle 26 October 2013)
Remember, remember, the 26th of October…unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it up to the Northern S&B get-together last weekend…but will Anax have remembered?… Not just any old S&B get-together, but a celebration … Read more >>