Inquisitor

It was another fantastic year of Inquisitors in this crossword centenary year, for which, on behalf of the solving team, I’d like to thank the ever-ingenious compilers; also to say how much we’ve … Read more >>

It’s a while since I blogged one of Phi‘s puzzles. And before I start, let me wish everyone a happy festive season – I’ll be trekking & camping in the Anti-Atlas (so no … Read more >>

Preamble: Mistakes made in the construction of the grid have resulted in some answers being too long for their allotted space and an equal number being too short. Fortunately, by transferring parts of … Read more >>

After the horrors of 1309, (still unfinished at the time of writing) we were hoping for something a little more simple this week, and so it turned out. A first read through on … Read more >>

Following recent feedback, the editor has asked me to let you know that, as from tomorrow, this puzzle will appear on the inside back page of the Sport section.

The preamble for this puzzle by Nimrod stated that "Yes, in one case (enemy repulsed); no, in another (enemy just maybe appropriately positioned).  The 43 cells containing letters that are ignored in clue … Read more >>

Schadenfreude for me again … and another highly asymmetric grid (with a large number of clues).         “18 misprinted definitions give what must appear in the completed grid; one character … Read more >>

Preamble: Sixteen cells in the completed grid, forming three interconnected straight lines, spell out a work (without its definite articles) and its format. Each clue contains a superfluous word: taken in order, the … Read more >>

A new setter this week, welcome Wan. The rubric was “Twelve clues contain a thematic object which must be discarded before solving. Twelve other clues contain one in disguise which must also be … Read more >>

The preamble for this puzzle by Nimrod (John Henderson, editor of the Inquisitor series and prolific crossword compiler for all of the cream of the national dailies and many other publications) stated "To … Read more >>

Two unclued entries (top row right, bottom row left) separated by a third (~middle row), and then six links (40 other cells) to be highlighted; extra single letters in the wordplay of 15 … Read more >>

Preamble: Starting at an unchecked square in the top row, the clockwise perimeter contains a 7-word non-English phrase. Unchecked letters, including corners, rearrange to give I SUB A HAIRCUT. Four clues omit a shared thematic definition. The other 34 clues include a … Read more >>

A complicated rubric, giving little away! Down clues must undergo schism, generating a pair of answers in the order shown. Solvers must respond to a request in ODQ when entering across answers, and … Read more >>

The preamble told us that ‘the author associated with a well-known character appears in the initial grid, depicting a gravestone.  Where an answer contains any of three thematic letters, the wordplay in the … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1300 … setter Schadenfreude … are we in for a treat?         I paraphrase the preamble: Ten clues with an extra letter in the wordplay, and eleven with a … Read more >>