Answer and anno for 23A left for a first time commenter till 10 AM.
ACROSS
1 American firm's easier alternative: cutting India's growth (8) INCREASE {INC}{EAS
5 Girl's husband leaves cake in lawn (6) GARDEN {G}{
9 It supports sailor (4,4) POLE STAR {POLE S}{TAR} &lit
10 Picture of an ancient prophet (6) MOSAIC [DD]
12 Another balsa tree (5) SABAL*
14 Mother and son with unknown disease (6) MALADY {MA}{LAD}{Y}
16 Resilient one enters crumbling castle (7) ELASTIC {ELAST{1}C*}
19 Conman's comic act here (7) CHEATER*
21 Ancient language of native American hiding heart of gold (6) CREOLE {
23 Say, I have a gadget (9)
25 Newborn hugging a businessman (5) BARON {BORN}* over {A}
26 Stand for party from the East, divided by me perhaps (6) EMBODY {DO<=} in {BY+ME}*
27 Following short cut, Andie somehow reaches estate (8) HACIENDA {HAC
28 For the most part, extra-stupid person in confusion (6) MORASS {MOR
29 Dad hated even the fancy tie (4,4) DEAD HEAT
DOWN
1 Force one to compose poems (6) IMPOSE {1}{POEMS*}
2 Party's dirty, unfinished beer bottles left in box (9) CELEBRATE {BEE
3 Some take a selfish stand (5) EASEL [T]
4 Chess master's father is boarding ship to Kentucky (7) SPASSKY {S{PAS}S}{KY}
6 Turnaround of female champion after a fight (5,4) ABOUT FACE {A}{BOUT} {F}{ACE}
7 Play-acted Ramayana, in parts (5) DRAMA [T]
8 Make out with doctor to get a jewellery item (8) NECKLACE {NECK}{LACE}
11 Perfect darling? Not quite (4) HONE HONE
15 A crazy despot in Australia or New Zealand (9) ANTIPODES {A}{DESPOT+IN}*
17 Charity to extremely lonesome people, having nothing to start with (9) TOLERANCE {TO}{L
18 Reportedly see and cry for treat (3,5) ICE CREAM
20 Cause cheer (4) ROOT [DD]
21 Coach's radical tips to English team, about how to get the Ashes (7) CREMATE {C
22 Actually, first amongst children has to make way for new baby (6) INFANT INFA(-c+n)NT
24 The Parisian: "After retirement, appropriate to work in America" (5) LABOR {LA}{ROB<=}
25 Before start of dusk, bat mostly is unable to see (5) BLIND {BLIN
GRID
Answer and anno for 23A left for a first time commenter till 10 AM.
18d ~eye scream
ReplyDelete+1
Delete+2
DeleteThanks Ramesh
Delete23A. Cellphone
DeleteKalsri, your answer is correct but you have not given the annotation
DeleteYes Ramesh's anno is what I had in mind.
Deletesomething is wrong with the anagram in 29A- one E missing and there is an extra A. Is there any other way of parsing?
ReplyDelete29A (DAD+AE+THE)*; even letters of hated.
ReplyDeleteThank you Doc. Interesting.
DeleteCol. to correct the anno in the main post.
+1 the fancy
DeleteThanks Doc. Didn't check the fodder correctly
DeleteYes doc!
Delete12A- curiously Salba is also a tree and it kept me floundering in NW corner.
ReplyDeleteplant or tree.
DeleteYou are right. It is a plant. I slipped. Did not expect so many anagrams in plant/tree.
DeleteSuperb surfaces as usual. Interesting clues. Thank you Ramki.
ReplyDeleteHad a good laugh about ashes!
25D- Though I filled in Blind, I could not parse it. Blink for bat (eyelid) is extremely nice.
ReplyDelete9A- I took it as CD.
The 70s world championship was an event to CELEBRATE.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest DRAMA in the world of chess.
SPASSKY vs Fischer.
Chess tips:
To ROOT out an opponent in chess one has to HONE his skills and LABOR hard from an INFANT age itself.IMPOSE strict discipline within oneself. Play BLIND fold chess. Be ELASTIC in thinking maybe. Avoid SHORTFALL in strategy.
CGB is innovative.
DeleteI did not quite understand how blindfold is played- nowadays it is not used. They have moved on to Rapid & Blitz, like ODI & T 20 in cricket.
Great story remembering Spasky v/s Fisher encounter: one of the most memorable ones in the history of the game.
DeleteFollowed the games when they were being played. Unfortunately no computers/TV then. So I had to wait eagerly for the newspaper to keep abreast. It is not cricket,to be followed in radio newscasts. Hard to believe those days.
DeletePaddy:I think a blondfold was played between a strong chess player and an amateur(or amateurs as many were simultaneous games played between that player and many). The strong player was blind folded and someone would tell him the position. He would move using his imagination.
DeleteNo Vasant. Blindfold games were regularly played between grandmasters. What you say is called simultaneous games- there the GM will keep hopping boards of different players, taking much less time for each move.
DeleteBlindfold chess (also known as sans voir) is a form of chess play wherein the players do not see the positions of the pieces or touch them. This forces players to maintain a mental model of the positions of the pieces. Moves are communicated via a recognized chess notation.
DeleteBlindfold chess was considered miraculous for centuries, but now there is greater recognition of people who can keep track of more than one simultaneous blindfolded game.[1] In simultaneous blindfold play, an intermediary usually relays the moves between the players.
Wah wah CGB!
DeleteYes Vasant - while learning chess, I remember going through a book which had detailed explanations for every move in every game in that historic Fischer-Spassky tournament.
23A CELLPHONE self~ + one from a
ReplyDeleteMy take is:
DeleteI=SELF
HAVE=OWN
SELF+OWN:
Suresh, you are not a first time commenter so you should have waited till 10 to give time for rookie commenters to come out in the open
DeleteNoted, Deepak
DeleteActually I did not see the footnote
DeleteThanks
DeleteSuresh
DeleteNor did you see headnote.
As headnote was missed by some yesterday, I suggested to the Col to add a footnote as well.
Now is a middle note needed?
Or a side note?
Or a booming note?
Since Suresh had noted , no note is needed !
DeleteKRK's anno was what I had in mind - hp of (SELF+OWN)
DeleteLovely puzzle!Loved the simple and entertaining clues. Too many good clues to pick as favorites. Thanks Kriskross.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vasant.
DeleteI think there are many who read the blog but do not comment as can be seen from yesterday's and today's comments. The reasons might be many:lack of time, diffidence to name two. I remember I was a silent reader for more than 2 years!
ReplyDeleteMine was less than a year. I have to thank CV for initiating me.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion
ReplyDeleteOn a weekend, say Fri or Sat, post clues only.
Invite newbies to post answers with annotations under Comments.
Fix a time that's convenient for you, say 4 p.m. or whatever.
Meanwhile, keep your usual blog ready as draft.
After the time limit, replace clue sheet with the regular, pucca blog.
This give time to newbies to post their answers. The 10 a.m. deadline will be tough not only for office-goers but others including housewives.
If it is Sat, the regular blogger has more time for his painstakingly done blog.
And there need be no limit to the answers the irregulars post under the Comments. No need to keep watching the Comments either. It is an open field until the blog with answers and pucca Anno's comes.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. Worth giving it a try. It will certainly bring in more participants.
DeleteRamki has set our brains abuzz ! excellent cryptic creation ! SABAL anagrammed becomes BALSA too ! another tree whish is also used as wood . SABAL , SALBA and BALSA !
ReplyDeleteThanks Raju!
DeleteCREMATE is Creative wordplay ! Ashes to ashes ?
ReplyDeleteRefer Chaturvasi's comment at 10:50 above. Shall we try this out on Fridays? If agreed tomorrow I will post only the clues till 4 PM and rookie/irregular/first time commenters can post the answers with annotations in the comments section till 4 PM sfter which the clues will be replaced wit the regular blog post with answers and annotations
ReplyDeleteComments please.
Sounds oK by me but what about those who peek at the answers in th ONLINE version of the gird ? We let them go by their instinct and conscience ?
DeleteCV: Housewives ? I don't find any one of the fairer sex here although there are many who solve better than the Househusbands ! In any case, 10 am was too early and 4pm sounds fairly reasonable. It also keeps the blog alive as many sign pff after noontime.
I think it's a great idea! Definitely worth a try.
Deleteaw..830 for checking anno's has become ritual. thats the strong motivation to wake up early.
DeleteNoted again.
DeleteNice idea. Will bring more participation and will liven up the comments section.
DeletePrasad:you have an enviable position; we poor working people have to finish our crossies before getting ready for work😀😀
Delete+1 for the idea. Definitely worth trying to encourage more participation in the blog.
DeleteGood idea
ReplyDeleteOkay, shall try it out tomorrow and see how it goes.
DeleteInteresting grid Ramki :)
ReplyDeleteIt might be useful to add that on reaching the website, if one wants to post a Comment one must, with an email account such as gmail or any other sign in to THCC.
ReplyDeleteOnce signed in, every time they visit, they can post a Comment until they choose to sign out. That is, there is no need to sign in every day. They can stay signed in.
If, at right-most end in top gray horizontal band, they see 'Sign out' it means they are signed in and can confidently submit a Comment which will be 'published'.
If, after posting a Comment, they have second thoughts, they can delete their comment and if they so wish they can post a fresh valid Comment.
If you have a gmail account and are signed into it, when you visit THCC by merely clicking on Sign in at top right in gray band, you will be automaticaly signed in to THCC and can publish your Comment. Pl check.
Pl. see box Comment as: xxxx (Gmail)
SOP(standard operating procedure) for a new commentor!Thanks CV sir on behalf of all who are gearing for tomorrow's challenge!
DeleteRamki/ Vasanth,
ReplyDeleteI recently got that book on that World Championship game,but not yet gone through except for a random browsing. It is at my daughter's place in U.S. So it will have to wait till my next visit- don't know when.