Who's going to win Carlsen or Caruana?
ACROSS
8 Game snow leopard prowled, sparing wandering wardens (4) POLO {snOw+LeOPard}*
9 Greek character's programme in Karnataka (5) KAPPA {K{APP}A}
10 Russian in Tel Aviv answered (4) IVAN [T]
11 Stirring, two kiss endlessly ... that's one way to get up (3,3) SKI TOW {{TWO+KISs}*
12 Ninth cog is broken — results in making marks on wood (8) NOTCHING*
13 Son captures vehicle with Royal Air Force unit (8) SQUADRON {S{QUAD}{R}ON}
15 A pal is confused about animal (6) ALPACA {A+PAL}*{CA}
17 Why late? Worried? That's rich! (7) WEALTHY*
19 Wants of French fathers (7) DESIRES {DE}{SIRES}
22 Finally dark, dark part of the day for titled man (6) KNIGHT {darK}{NIGHT}
24 Order cattle head (8) NEATNESS {NEAT}{NESS}
26 Croon about monarch and a parliamentarian trying to cut expenses (8) SKIMPING {S{K}{1}{MP}ING}
28 See! Copper has manuscript backups (6) LOCUMS {LO}{CU}{MS}
30 Against soldier at beginning of insurgency (4) ANTI {ANT}{In...y}
31 Modem merchant stores foodgrain (5) EMMER [T]
32 Sub-machine gun returned in practice areas (4) NETS <=
DOWN
1 Castle bird (4) ROOK [DD]
2 Number of people entering Foreign Office with book before autumn in the U.S. (8) FOOTFALL {FO}{OT}{FALL}
3 Lance Naik finally ends up in drain (6) SKEWER {S{naiK}EWER}
4 1 to 27-4, for example? (7) OPENING [CD]
5 Carry witch before commencement of Easter in old place (8) CARTHAGE {CART}{HAG}{Ea...r}
6 Live — I hear — and do marketing for church functionary (6) BISHOP (~be){BI}{SHOP}
7 Father, wife and last son — what they might do at uncle's place? (4) PAWN {PA}{W}{soN}
14 27's 29? Question English Earl first! (5) QUEEN {QU}{E}{EN}
16 Revolutionary is chased by paramilitary force? It's just a war game (5) CHESS {CHE}{SS}
18 Dedicated telephone connections arranged in hotels (8) HOTLINES*
20 Bar gets zero money? Not guilty! (8) INNOCENT {INN}{0}{CENT}
21 Badly need to cover magazine returned for final stage of competition (7) ENDGAME {END{MAG<=}E*}
23 Good scope for plan (6) GAMBIT {G}{AMBIT}
25 Everyone at old place initially exuded attraction (6) ALLURE {ALL}{UR}{Ex...d}
27 Family girl gets the Crown, perhaps (4) KING {KIN}{G}
29 Couple's friend (4) MATE [DD]
GRID
8 Game snow leopard prowled, sparing wandering wardens (4) POLO {
9 Greek character's programme in Karnataka (5) KAPPA {K{APP}A}
10 Russian in Tel Aviv answered (4) IVAN [T]
11 Stirring, two kiss endlessly ... that's one way to get up (3,3) SKI TOW {{TWO+KIS
12 Ninth cog is broken — results in making marks on wood (8) NOTCHING*
13 Son captures vehicle with Royal Air Force unit (8) SQUADRON {S{QUAD}{R}ON}
15 A pal is confused about animal (6) ALPACA {A+PAL}*{CA}
19 Wants of French fathers (7) DESIRES {DE}{SIRES}
22 Finally dark, dark part of the day for titled man (6) KNIGHT {
24 Order cattle head (8) NEATNESS {NEAT}{NESS}
26 Croon about monarch and a parliamentarian trying to cut expenses (8) SKIMPING {S{K}{1}{MP}ING}
28 See! Copper has manuscript backups (6) LOCUMS {LO}{CU}{MS}
30 Against soldier at beginning of insurgency (4) ANTI {ANT}{I
31 Modem merchant stores foodgrain (5) EMMER [T]
32 Sub-machine gun returned in practice areas (4) NETS <=
DOWN
1 Castle bird (4) ROOK [DD]
2 Number of people entering Foreign Office with book before autumn in the U.S. (8) FOOTFALL {FO}{OT}{FALL}
3 Lance Naik finally ends up in drain (6) SKEWER {S{
4 1 to 27-4, for example? (7) OPENING [CD]
5 Carry witch before commencement of Easter in old place (8) CARTHAGE {CART}{HAG}{E
6 Live — I hear — and do marketing for church functionary (6) BISHOP (~be){BI}{SHOP}
7 Father, wife and last son — what they might do at uncle's place? (4) PAWN {PA}{W}{
14 27's 29? Question English Earl first! (5) QUEEN {QU}{E}{EN}
16 Revolutionary is chased by paramilitary force? It's just a war game (5) CHESS {CHE}{SS}
18 Dedicated telephone connections arranged in hotels (8) HOTLINES*
20 Bar gets zero money? Not guilty! (8) INNOCENT {INN}{0}{CENT}
21 Badly need to cover magazine returned for final stage of competition (7) ENDGAME {END{MAG<=}E*}
23 Good scope for plan (6) GAMBIT {G}{AMBIT}
25 Everyone at old place initially exuded attraction (6) ALLURE {ALL}{UR}{E
27 Family girl gets the Crown, perhaps (4) KING {KIN}{G}
29 Couple's friend (4) MATE [DD]
GRID
14d QUE,E, N(oble), IMU.
ReplyDeleteWill 27's 29s be always queens? Is a raja's 'andhapuram' full of queens?
Deletesree_sree, Please excuse me if I intervene today and say some of your suggestions wrt annos and explanations are rather bizarre and intensely personal with which others may not quite agree.
DeleteSree_Sree, QUE stands for Quebec but QU is for question. So, Col is correct.
DeleteCol;,'Themed' labels to be added to this blog and yesterday's.
ReplyDeleteThanks CV. I forgot to do that
DeleteCol.'s opening: With 8 games drawn uptill now, Carlsen has a slight edge especially after a scintillating 8th game with black.
ReplyDeleteWhat a chess (war!) game. Enjoyed it thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteI was struggling for a while with 'Pol' for 8A until crossings helped me.
Opinions-parsing- may differ, but I liked 14D. For king's mate, I was thinking about endgame before turning to queen.
Typo.Read 'Pool'
ReplyDeleteBeing a chess-player, enjoyed the Xword!
ReplyDelete4D Clue would be more appropriate if it was 7 to 27-4 as it would mean Pawn to King 4 ie P-K4 which is called KP opening
Well spotted! My mistake. That is what was intended
DeleteIs there any typo in the clue. I also could not get what exactly it meant. K to clarify? does it mean King rook pawn is moved to 4th rank?
ReplyDeleteI took it as 1(Rook:answer to 1 Down) to 27( King:answer to 27D) & 4 is 4th position..as commander has given above..P moves to K4 or in the universal notation e4..an opening called King's pawn opening
DeletePlease see response to earlier comment. The rook can't move to
DeleteK4 ... Unless it flies
At least not as an opening move
DeleteI thought of it and dropped for the same reason.
DeleteSkewer is a theme word too. It is an attack technique
ReplyDelete