Independent

First of all, we want to offer our apologies to Hob. As far as we can see, the Indy has published three puzzles from this new setter and we have now blogged all … Read more >>

It’s Monday, it’s a Quixote puzzle … you know what to expect. A pleasing, accessible crossword which is often a quickish solve for more experienced crossworders, but a fine learning device for those … Read more >>

I think we welcome another new setter to the IoS this week, though I do recall one or two Inquisitors set by eXternal quite recently. This was a good puzzle, which required a … Read more >>

I think I have solved all the clues correctly, but I can’t quite explain the parsing/wordplay in all cases. And although I could detect an underlying theme-ette, there were a couple of ‘almost-nina’s … Read more >>

Phi has a theme running through today’s puzzle.       Literature is not my strong point, but I managed to dredge up all the relevant Shakespeare CHARACTERs [9 across] from The TEMPEST … Read more >>

A rather difficult but enjoyable and so far as I can see utterly sound crossword from Tees (except perhaps for 1dn, about which I shall no doubt be corrected). He has achieved a … Read more >>

Last Wednesday we had a special May Day offering from Donk but we are now back to normal with a lovely puzzle from Dac It’s difficult to know what to say about Dac’s … Read more >>

Tuesday today, so you take pot luck in terms of the setter. Today offered me a rare opportunity to blog a puzzle by Jambazi. I made quite swift progress through this crossword, thanks … Read more >>

Klingsor starts the week, he seems to have gone for a &lit record attempt it felt like today. Can’t see any theme or Nina beyond that however. Second time lucky my first attempt … Read more >>

A pleasing puzzle from Hypnos in the usual IoS style – not too challenging, but with plenty of good clues to enjoy.  This one fell out nicely – it was a solver-friendly grid … Read more >>

As expected, this was a somewhat challenging Saturday puzzle from Nimrod. Several of the clues were deceptively straightforward, but there were quite a few that were fiendishly constructed, really stirring up the grey … Read more >>

It isn’t giving anything away to the casual reader of this blog to say that all the across clues are of two words. I found it rather hard to get started on this, … Read more >>

A lovely offering from Nestor today with nothing to complain about!   Hopefully, if you haven’t spotted the theme/nina the opening sentence will give you something to think about! Across 8   Opening … Read more >>

It is Wednesday today, and yet we are not crossing swords with either Dac or Crosophile? How can this be? Have I slept right through Wednesday and missed my blogging slot altogether? There … Read more >>

Alchemi is one of the newer setters on the Independent block.  This was a pleasant solve without too many pitfalls.       I had to think a bit about the parsing of … Read more >>