A stunning double puzzle using a novel device (and a misleading pseudonym)
Guardian Genius
Guardian Genius 276 by Pangakupu
Pangakupu challenges us with the June Genius puzzle.
Genius May 2026 bonus crossword / Enigmatist
Enigmatist presents us with a fitting challenge to complete the celebrations for The Guardian’s 30000th cryptic crossword.
Guardian Genius 275
A tricky but satisfying solve from Odo, who set last November’s Genius
Special Genius
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/2026/may/08/may-2026-bonus-genius-crossword
Guardian Genius 274 by KGB
I had been on tenterhooks since the Magpie get-together in January, where KGB informed me he had the April Genius slot, and I started having traumatic flashbacks to his previous one (Genius 265, the ‘redaction puzzle‘)…
Guardian Genius 273 / Turnstone
The Guardian Genius for March 2026 was set by Turnstone, a setter who is new to me.
Guardian Genius 272 – Qaos
The instructions seemed reasonably straightforward:
A turtle starts on a perimeter cell and moves forward cell by cell. If it lands on an L, it turns 90 degrees anticlockwise; if an R, 90 degrees clockwise; otherwise it continues in the same direction.
One word in each clue must be removed before solving; in clue order, these words’ first letters provide an extra instruction.
When the turtle exits the grid after making at least one turn, its path has traced what letter?
Guardian Genius No 271 by Claw
Claw last appeared in the Genius series in August of last year, with a very amusing puzzle based on a Castlemaine XXXX TV advertisement. Other than that, there are no other appearances by Claw that I can find in 2025, but such an accomplished setter must surely have other puzzles published, perhaps using different aliases.
Genius 270 by Pangakupu
Pangakupu provides December’s Genius
Guardian Genius 269 set by Glyph
Once again I get to blog a Genius by a new setter – so welcome, Glyph!
Guardian Genius 268 by Odo
A debut Genius from Odo…whose real identity was revealed to me at the York get-together…
Guardian Genius 267 / Soup
Soup is a regular Genius setter. He sets interesting and challenging puzzles with clever twists. Let’s see what he gives us this month.
Guardian Genius 266 – Claw
The special instructions are slightly mysterious, though with enough information to get us started:
Guardian Genius 265 by KGB
An unusual device characterised this particular puzzle (and made blogging it particularly challenging).