Inquisitor Review of 2015-16 by Nimrod

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Leading up to Saturday, March 26th in what will surely go down in history as The Year of Loss, I thought I’d lost it. We thought we’d lost it. Then we found we hadn’t lost it. And two weeks later, emailer Heather Roberts definitely thought I’d lost it:

“Now that I have the solution, and with the aid of an old A-Z and my microwave instructions, […] I have deduced that this is not a crossword at all, but secret instructions about the invasion of Narnia by an armchair and six toothbrushes at 4am tomorrow morning, followed by cocktails on the terrace. Obviously the three “winners” named are actually spies.  Perhaps you would let them know that their bover is clown. Seriously, I’m not sure I would like where my mind was taking me if I could solve the IQ.  Good luck to anyone tackling it.  I hardly know what I shall do with all the time I will save…”

Almost certainly the toughest puzzle of 2016, “Life After Death” was (as I replied, acknowledging Heather had a point) “a nasty way [for the i readership] to meet the Inquisitor.” Its preamble alone went well over the heads of solvers used to cryptic puzzles at the gentler (i.e. non-Nimrod – Ed.) end of the Independent’s spectrum, producing the third-largest e-postbag of the year. “Like trekking blindfold through a maze”, it drove Jim Newbery to drink (albeit a good, sustaining malt). “Unfathomable…instructions [with] a jargon all their own”, Paul Methven “simply couldn’t be arsed”. And being “absurdly overcomplicated”, Iain McNiven predicted “that the Independent Inquisitor will end with one of the lowest submission rates ever.”

Well, I can’t confirm that last prediction, so I can’t prove Iain wrong – it’s only recently that I’ve started getting entry numbers – but happily, as the stats show an overall growth in the number of envelopes received each week, it looks as if the excellent series of puzzles we’ve had since March 26 has won over quite a few i solvers.

Still, the IQ probably wouldn’t be here at all, had not star-of-the-show Dave Tilley put together the petition that so many of you signed. Your response ensured that The Independent Crossword and GK remained part of the Indy online package (their continued safety relies, please, on your regularly logging in to use it). Importantly, though, the IQ (with its twists, turns, double entries, drawings and highlighting) could never have worked online; it seemed logical that it should find a new home on paper. That it would eventually do so seemed clear to me, if only from the volume of your concerned mails (top e-postbag) and, later, your relieved mails (runner-up e-postbag).

So, many thanks for your support. Also, usual thanks to setters, the solving and blogging teams, to Mike, Stuart, Ian and Warren for their huge help with putting the finished product on the page – and to a certain other person I’m currently thanking “elsewhere”…

Usual instructions! I invite you to vote for your favourite puzzles of the year. You have 6 points at your disposal. Normally 3= your favourite, 2= second and 1= third, but you are at liberty to distribute your points differently with halves (no other fractions, please!) if you like. No more than 3 points may be awarded to any one puzzle. Please register your vote on the thread below or by emailing me at nimrod1@jetdoc.co.uk.

We’ll close the voting on January 11th, the solving deadline for Inquisitor 1471. You may not vote for Plunder by Pointer or Crosswords for Beginners by Plench (“live” puzzles), but by all means include the end-of-2015 puzzle It’s a Wrap! by Plench, not included last year. Compilers may not vote for their own puzzles!

Asterisks indicate team difficulty ratings. “Bunches of five” all average out at medium difficulty. Eg (my vote): 3pts (1452) Intended by Ifor; 2pts (1457) Clue Two II by eXternal; 1 pt (1425) Process of Elimination by Serpent.

A Happy New Year to all!

John

26/12/15:1418 It’s A Wrap! Plench***
2016 PUZZLES
02/01/16:1419 Fierce Pro Lato**
09/01/16:1420 Coming Through Phi**
16/01/16:1421   Domain Name   Ferret**
23/01/16:1422   Good Work   Eclogue**
30/01/16:1423   XXXX   Wiglaf**
06/02/16:1424   Dickens   Shark**
13/02/16:1425   Process of Elimination   Serpent**
20/02/16:1426 Euro Schadenfreude**
27/02/16:1427 Fulfilment Kruger***
05/03/16:1428 Smallcoal Phi*
12/03/16:1429 Title Bics**
19/03/16:1430 Re?olution Jixaur **
26/03/16:1431   Life After Death?   Nimrod***
(This puzzle marked the IQ’s
move from Independent to i)
02/04/16:1432   Female Quartet   Schadenfreude**
09/04/16:1433   Underline and Highlight   Ifor**
16/04/16:1434   Connect Four   Lato**
23/04/16:1435   Prize Puzzle   eXternal*
30/04/16:1436 My Diet Gila**
07/05/16:1437 Comparability Study Samuel*
14/05/16:1438 Something Fishy Phi***
21/05/16:1439 Evolution Kruger**
28/05/16:1440 Prove it Schadenfreude**
04/06/16:1441   StIV   Triton**
11/06/16:1442   Text Message   Xanthippe**
18/06/16:1443   To Tear Up   Chalicea*
25/06/16:1444   Ours   Eclogue***
02/07/16:1445   More Surprising   Ifor**
09/07/16:1446 Seasonal Change Schadenfreude**
16/07/16:1447 One & Only One The Ace of Hearts**
23/07/16:1448 The Enemy’s Gift? Poat**
30/07/16:1349 Pleasant Spot Shark**
06/08/16:1450 Triptych Phi**
13/08/16:1451   Doctor’s Orders   Charybdis**
20/08/16:1452   Intended   Ifor***
27/08/16:1453   Downtime   Quixote*
03/09/16:1454   By Following Lines   Kruger**
10/09/16:1455   Outsiders   Serpent**
17/09/16:1456 Bad Company Schadenfreude**
24/09/16:1457 Clue Two II eXternal***
01/10/16:1458 Getting Around Ploy**
08/10/16:1459 Joint Effort Chalicea*
15/10/16:1460 PW RBS Base**
22/10/16:1461   Elimination Contest   Eclogue**
29/10/16:1462   Double, Double   Harribobs***
05/11/16:1463   Health Warning   Nutmeg**
12/11/16:1464   Provisions   ’Eck**
19/11/16:1465   Wattwhip   Phi*
26/11/16:1466 Lucky Number Triton*
03/12/16:1467 Multiplication Radler***
10/12/16:1468 Rule Ifor**
17/12/16:1469 Stop Second Calls Schadenfreude**

 

28 comments on “Inquisitor Review of 2015-16 by Nimrod”

  1. I’ve restricted myself to puzzles I blogged, as I remember them better. My favourite for 3 points was number 1462 Double Double by Harribobs – the one with the fabulous bat picture for Halloween. Two points for 1442, Text message by Xanthippe for memories of Douglas Adams and 1 point for 1466 Lucky Number by Triton because I enjoyed it and it caused enormous controversy in the comments – always a good thing!!

  2. 3 points each for Lucky number and PWRBS.

    I nominate these because they are the two that have stuck in my mind. I think what they have in common is that they revealed themselves a little by little as the solving solving process went on. Like a good thriller, a series of twists and turns.

    I would also suggest creating a new difficulty category if 4 stars (at least) for Life After Death. Three stars didn’t even begin to cover it.

    Thanks to everyone involved for a fabulous puzzle.

  3. You’re a legend sir. I won’t vote: I hated all of them because they were too hard for me, but I enjoyed trying. Enormously glad this one was saved anyway. Now, can we somehow get Beelzebub back?

  4. 2 pts for
    1444 Eclogue “OURS” (Sydney Olympics. coxless fours)

    1 pt each for
    1424 Shark “Dickens” (the Devil bound by 1000 years)
    1425 Serpent “Process of Elimination” (Cluedo)
    1457 eXternal “Clue Two II” (eventually led to Hampton Court)
    1460 Base “PW RBS” (~Only Connect)

  5. Having been pretty busy in 2016, I didn’t manage to test-solve all the published puzzles. I should also point out that sometimes the version we solve isn’t always quite the final version that appears. So apologies if my votes aren’t quite fair.

    That said, my 6 points are allocated as follows:

    2 points each to Process of Elimination by Serpent (1425) and Double Double by Harribobs (1462)
    1 point each to Underline and Highlight by Ifor (1433) and PW RBS by Base (1460)

  6. I would love to spend a few hours wandering back through this year’s offerings, but I can’t really justify the time at the moment so I’m going to have to go primarily on memorability – I’m sure I’ve missed quite a few deserving puzzles:

    3 points for Double, Double (1462) – Haribobs. Stands out in my memory as the perfect balance of challenge and inventiveness.

    1 point each for:

    It’s a Wrap (1418) Plench and Clue II (1457) eXternal – both of which had wonderful, inventive features.

    And finally 1 point for Life After Death? (1431) Nimrod – perhaps the most memorable of all (I agree with PeeDee on the need for a 4th star – one of these a year perhaps, though) and deserving of recognition for so many reasons – most of them good!

  7. 3pts – Life after death: a joyful celebration of the reprieve. Hard but rewarded the effort.

    2pts – Clue Two II: clever trickery and beautiful grid construction.

    1pt – Coming through. Nice idea, well executed.

    All three made me smile when I (finally) twigged what was going on.

  8. Just the ones that particularly stuck in my mind.

    2 points each for
    1462 Double, double
    1457 Clue Two II

    1 point each for
    1425 Process of Elimination
    1431 Life after death?

    Heartfelt thanks to all setters and bloggers for another fantastically cryptic year.

  9. Thanks again to all setters and bloggers for their efforts during 2016.

    I can’t separate the following 5, all of which gain un point from me:

    Process of Elimination – Serpent
    Female Quartet – Schadenfreude
    Underline and Highlight – Ifor
    Prize Puzzle – eXternal
    The Enemy’s Gift – Poat

  11. A really great year of puzzling, many thanks to all the setters and bloggers.

    My votes are as follows: 3 for Lucky Number (Triton); 2 for Life after Death ? (Nimrod) and 1 for Something Fishy (Phi)

  12. Every year this is incredibly difficult to pin down. Another vintage year, I have decided to give 1 point to each of these. All memorable and brilliant puzzles, and hard to discard a few which just missed the cut.

    1425 Process of Elimination by Serpent
    1427 Fulfilment by Kruger
    1431 Life after Death by Nimrod
    1452 Intended by Ifor
    1457 Clue Two II by eXternal
    1462 Double Double by Harribobs

    And to think what we almost lost. Thanks to all involved.

  13. My favourite puzzles had such a lot going on in them, and some fresh ideas for this crossword.
    I was pleased to be a winner once this year, but a bit disappointed with the Chocolat prize – a lot of packaging and small amount of goodies, I don’t submit entries now but enjoy doing the puzzles.

    3 pts – 1457 Clue Two II by eXternal (Hampton Court maze, using concise puzzle grid as well)
    2 pts – 1460 PWRBS by Base (Only Connect theme with picture clues)
    1/2 pt- 1462 Double Double by Harribobs (Bat drawn using grid references)
    1/2 pt- 1444 Ours by Eclogue (3 or 4 men in a boat)

  14. After a lot of revisiting my three are:

    3 pts – 1456 Bad Company by Schadenfreude (The Vicious Circle ring)
    2 pts – 1425 Process of Elimination by Serpent (Cluedo)
    1 pt – 1460 PWRBS by Base (Only Connect)

  15. I’ve found this exercise difficult in the past so decided to mark the puzzles this year, giving up to 5 points each for originality and fun. Two scored 9.5, namely Process of Elimination (Cluedo) and Ours (3/4 Men in a Boat), but the former was a masterpiece which should really have scored 10 but it seemed rash to award the maximum so early in the year! Four puzzles scored 9, namely The Enemy’s Gift (Snow White / Alan Turing), PW RBS (number 64), Double, Double (Halloween bat) and Provisions (Diet of Worms), but looking back at these the one that gave the most pleasure was The Enemy’s Gift, so the marks from the Stalybridge jury are:

    3 pts 1425 Process Of Elimination
    2 pts 1444 Ours
    1 pt 1448 The Enemy’s Gift

    Thanks to all the setters and bloggers and the editor for another terrific year of puzzling, with a special doff of the fedora/trilby to Schadenfreude who gave us 6 superb puzzles which all scored highly on my list. We’re currently grappling with the first Listener of the year, which he has set.

    It’s been a very lucky year for Mrs T and me as we’ve won three times, helped Kippax to two wins and also managed a Listener win, which was very timely as our copy of Chambers was falling apart. Best wishes to everyone for 2017.

  17. Another great year, so many thanks to JH and the team, fellow setters, bloggers and commenters. My points as follows:

    2 points apiece (for the originality of idea/execution):
    PW RBS by Base
    Clue Two II by External

    1 point (for a lovely final grid):
    Double Double by Harribobs

    1 point (because I was so happy to see it at all that I’ll forgive the fact that it was murderously difficult!)
    Life After Death by Nimrod

    Here’s to 2017

    Ali/Gila

  18. I’ve gone back through my record of puzzles that I managed to complete. A great year, with such ingenuity and imagination on display. Thanks so much to all concerned.

    My favourites:

    3 = Process of elimination by Serpent. Magnificent. A crossword and game of Cluedo all in one. I was actually sad to finish this.

    1 point each for Clue Two II by eXternal, Double Double by Harribobs and Domain Name by Ferret.

    @15 Terrier’s assistance and encouragement is much appreciated, but I would note that the help does occasionally go in the opposite direction 🙂

  19. I hold my hands up! Terrier certainly helped us over the line with the Only Connect one, which we were lucky enough to win.

  20. After much deliberation, my six points are allocated thus:

    2pts Double Double (Harribobs)
    1pt Clue Two II (eXternal)
    1pt PW RBS (Base)
    1pt Domain Name (Ferret)
    1pt Rule (Ifor)

    Many thanks to John and his team, and all the Inquisitor setters and bloggers!

  22. A really good IQ year in the new home. Lots of really challenging puzzles, many of which defeated me at the final step.

    But I can’t remember any of them. Old age probably – or maybe I’ve tackled too many puzzles. New Year Resolution – keep a note of the best ones so I can vote next year.

  23. I’ll allot 2 points apiece to 1424, 1444 and 1456. The standard of puzzles this year was exceptional; quite a few went way over my head, and I’ve only voted for those I completed. Thanks guys.

  24. As usual, I really wanted to give points to every puzzle, but since I can’t, I’m dividing my allocation equally among the six puzzles that gave me the most enjoyment during the year. Thanks to all setters!

    One point to each of the following:

    Process of Elimination by Serpent
    Life After Death? by Nimrod
    Underline and Highlight by Ifor
    The Enemy’s Gift? by Poat
    PW RBS by Base
    Wattwhip by Phi

  25. Hi,

    3pts to Double, double by Harribobs – I’ve enjoyed all his puzzles this year
    2pts to Life after Death? by Nimrod.
    1pt to Clue Two II by eXternal

    Thanks for a great year of crosswords

    -I hope you noticed the ‘stop’ John (growl, growl)

  26. Incredibly hard decision.

    Here is my vote, one point for each puzzle in order of publication:

    16/01/16:1421 Domain Name Ferret**
    13/02/16:1425 Process of Elimination Serpent**
    26/03/16:1431 Life After Death? Nimrod***
    23/07/16:1448 The Enemy’s Gift? Poat**
    15/10/16:1460 PW RBS Base**
    29/10/16:1462 Double, Double Harribobs***

    Another year of brilliant and witty puzzles.
    Thanks to John and his team, to setters, testers, solvers and bloggers, for keeping the IQ alive and kicking.

  27. Sorry about the late posting but a hard decision so maybe I can claim it took me to the last minute to decide
    Anyway, two pairs which I could not split …

    1425 Process of Elimination, Serpent 2 points
    1457 Clue Two II, eXternal 2 points

    1431 Life after Death?, Nimrod 1 point
    1462 Double, Double, Harribobs 1 point

    Thanks as always to John, ALL setters and all others concerned in maintaining this excellent series
    A happy new solving, setting and bloggng year to all

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