Independent 9296 / Jambazi

14 comments on “Independent 9296 / Jambazi”

1. This seemed much easier than the same setter’s similarly-themed crossword in yesterday’s FT (in which 9 across was an absolute cracker, incidentally). Just as good, however. Top clue for us was 11.7

2. Thanks, B and J.

   I agree that this was more straightforward than yesterday’s Skitnica – it certainly didn’t take me so long – but what an achievement, to produce two stunning puzzles on the same theme, neither needing knowledge of football, as the references were all in the clues.

   9ac is indeed brilliant and I was very impressed by ‘Martin Peters’, too, along with lots of others.

   I’m sure Neil had huge fun compiling both puzzles – renewed thanks and congratulations to him.

3. I’m with Eileen and David on the (again!)brilliant spot in 9a and the “Martin Peters” idea; really very good.
   My football-apathetic German wife loves everything about England and lived there happily for 20 years, but simply cannot understand the 1966 brouhaha

4. This was really brilliant. Thought BROTHEL, SWALLOW DIVES, KENNEDY were outstanding. ‘Also’ for ‘PS’ seems fine to me.

5. Great stuff – to be honest I preferred the FT one but this one made me work harder. Quite an achievement to produce two themesters on the same subject – easily of Guardian Prize standard – without any overlap and without any requirement for the solver to have detailed knowledge – although you miss a few allusions of you don’t have any at all – I think I got most of them.

   Agree with all above – the twist in 9a was superb – we all think we’ve learned the lesson to avoid over-obvious associations in decoding wordplays (there must be a better way of putting that) – then he springs a gotcha like that on us – brilliant. Great PDM though.

   Thanks all round.

6. Thanks for blog-I hadnt parsed GALLERY among others-understand the parsing of BROTHEL but no def leaps out-i was always under the impression that one paid for services rendered.But what would I know. I think the local call girl on this small island is still a virgin.

   I still love 9 in his puzzle yesterday.

7. Re: 8A. Yes, as I understand it, it’s given – for a price. But of course the clue alludes to the famous crucial goal that was ‘given’ by the referee, on the advice of the not-Russian linesman, and has been the subject of debate for all the 50 subsequent years.

8. Yes, great effort to produce two puzzles on the same theme which didn’t need any specific football knowledge. Fell for 9 as intended, but all the better when the penny finally dropped. Correct answer but completely wrong parsing for SWALLOW-DIVES – again an excellent clue. Loved BROTHEL (v. similar position on the grid to yesterday’s slightly naughty clue), WASPS, RADISHES and ALLERGY.

   Thanks again Jambazi / Skitnica and B&J.

9. eimi@7
   Thanks! That was the missing information I was after.

10. It’s difficult to find anything more to say except to reiterate that a good themed puzzle needs no specialist knowledge to arrive at the solution – and this was just such a puzzle, although an awareness of the theme helped. I wasn’t too happy with 14ac; the answer was pretty obvious from the crossing letters but the clue didn’t seem to be complete – maybe that was the reason for the question mark. On the other hand I thought GALLERY was brilliant – my CoD.

    Thanks, Jambazi and B&J

11. I got about half of this done without difficulty but then ground to a halt. Got there eventually, with only little help, but there were many I couldn’t parse – 8ac, 7dn, 19/21, and 24ac – and I was dubious about my guess to 8ac but it turned out to be right.

    All I remember about 1966 was listening to the game on a small transistor radio in a tent on the banks of the River Ouse in Yorkshire, the one time I went to scout camp. I can’t remember if it was raining at the time, but it seemed to be most of the week and I hated it.

12. Small matter of son’s wedding interfering with this weekend but love this setter in all his guises.

    Solved in fits and starts when time allowed.

    Excellent, thank you.

13. Thanks to Bertandjoyce for the superb blog and thanks to others for comments. Thanks also to eimi for publishing the puzzle.

    Extra time was meant to be parsed:

    Minutes + {(remaining + match) going over} = M + {(extra + tie) going over}

    Neil

14. Because I reported on the 1966 event, I was misled..got carried away at the sight of the old names.

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