Today's Independent

[porilo]

<DIV>Is anyone doing today's Independent Weekend Crossword 569 "Taking Sides by Nitsy" on page 69 of the magazine? I thought I try it as I haven't attempted one of those before, but the grid seems to be wrong. The two clues for 1 down should each have a 5-letter answer, but in the first column there's a bar under the "1", so how do you put in 5 letters going down? The "other" 1 down, in the 8th column, seems OK and 5 letters would fit there, buit what to do about the first column? If anyone has experience of this type of puzzle could you give me a hint please? I've solved quite a few of the clues but it's putting the 1 down that's bothering me. Do you think the grid is wrong?

[ulysses100]

Look carefully at the grid and you'll see that the top left numbers 1 and 2 have been placed in the wrong squares -- move each one one place to the right and that will make it clear to you.. 1 down and 2 down should now be in the right places.

[porilo]

Very many thanks for pointing that out. I studied the grid for ages and didn't spot that at all! Maybe I can now make some headway with it at last. It seems to be a challenge fron the "normal" cryptics, so even if I don't manage to finish it, I shall still enjoy giving it my best effort. First time I've ever tried one of these!

Gregory

[ulysses100]

Gregory --- just asking if you managed to have a go at this crossword. It took a little while but I managed to crack it ! Most weeks they are quite a challenge, but it's good to try and get your brain around them. There's a similar type in the magazine section of the Sunday Telegraph called Enigmatic Variations if you want a further challenge.