Inquisitor

A third offering from Hedge-sparrow, a relative newcomer to the illustrious company of Inquisitor setters. The rubric read: One letter per grid row is not indicated by the wordplay of the clues. These … Read more >>

Nimrod is also the editor of the Inquisitor series and tends to set challenging crosswords, so this was always likely to be a difficult solving experience.       The  preamble stated: that … Read more >>

Fifth puzzle from Vismut here. Very short title, gives nothing away. Grid not quite symmetric – middle row.   Preamble: Extra letters generated by the wordplay of 25 clues, not to be entered, … Read more >>

Follow the Leader by Serpent The entry at 24 is to be deduced. Answers to 12 normal clues must be modified before entry. The remaining clues contain an extra letter that must be … Read more >>

The number 1666 for this puzzle was always going to be the most important clue to the subject matter, so let’s dispose of it straight away. It had to be the Great Fire … Read more >>

eXternal is the setter this week.  In fact, eXternal was one of the setting team of eXtent whose puzzle I blogged just 4 weeks ago.  Looking through previous blogs of eXternal’s Inquisitors I … Read more >>

Phi – not seen for a while.   Preamble: Answers to italicised clues are entered in a letter-substitution code. The clue answer is composed of letters in a name, and the entry (also … Read more >>

Equivalency by Eclogue The unclued across and down entries each illustrate one side of an equivalency whose statement and source is provided, in clue order, by superfluous letters generated in wordplay. Solvers must … Read more >>

Wordplay in each clue yields an extra letter not to be entered in the grid. Those from across clues explain the puzzle’s title and source of the theme; solvers must complete the unclued … Read more >>

eXtent returns this week.  I blogged the last puzzle from this setter back in January.  That puzzle also featured some blanks in the grid during the solving process.       The  preamble … Read more >>

A third puzzle from Penumbra, averaging about one a year.   Preamble: All clues contain a word that must be removed before solving. Initial letters of those words, in clue order, give a … Read more >>

Now You See Me by The Ace of Hearts One letter must be deleted from each clue before solving. These letters in clue order spell out a quotation from a film. Six thematic … Read more >>

Ifor is a frequent setter, this is his 31st puzzle and his third this year. None of them is easy! Each down clue contains a letter that must travel up or down within … Read more >>

It’s been over a year since we last saw an Opsimath Inquisitor.  This is Opsimath’s fourth puzzle in the series, but the first that I have blogged.  Kenmac blogged all of the previous … Read more >>

Nudnix – a setter new to me.   Preamble: The theme involves two events – one possibly apocryphal – that happened on two (unrelated) visits. In the first, 1dn travelled East to 20; … Read more >>