Puzzles to try while the Times site is down

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on Categories Announcement
Here are some links to sites with puzzles, in the absence of a working Times site. We start with four current Christmas puzzles, then move on to sites with old puzzles, but these should include enough to keep anyone busy.

Spectator Christmas puzzle (22×22 barred puzzled – fairly involved preamble but I’ve made a good start on this)

New Statesman Christmas puzzle (21×21 blocked grid – has a UK-related theme)

Chambers Christmas Prize Crossword – by Araucaria – I haven’t tried this one yet.

Private Eye puzzle – doubtless includes the obscenities and Private Eye in-jokes that make this puzzle unique. You’ll need a fine point biro!

Seven puzzles linked on my site, including four old ones of my own

Magpie free issue – these puzzles are tough. I’ve only finished the Tiburon one so far. Clues for the A grade one are solved but the final step eludes me at present.

Puzzles by Ximenes – some nostalgia for Jimbo. Includes a ‘Christmas Soiree’ puzzle.

More from the Crossword Centre – more barred-gird style puzzles – the Round Robin one is quite good, though I’m biased as one clue is mine. Searching around the links here will lead to lots of old barred-grid treasure.

ukpuzzle.com – the site that led me to push Anax into sending some puzzles to Richard Browne – plenty of challenging stuff here.

Crossword Crazy – site of Michael Curl – Orlando in the Guardian and Cincinnus in the FT. Includes some Araucaria puzzles.

Other monthly cryptics from Chambers

The ones I forgot first time around:

Alberich’s free crosswords site – includes at least one Anax puzzle and one from our former blogger dhogg, among a range of puzzles by non-pro setters.

One comment on “Puzzles to try while the Times site is down”

  1. Thanks for this Peter, much appreciated. I’ve looked at the Ximenes site and it contains the famous “soft drinks” puzzle that was set at Lent time. A word of warning about these puzzles. Ximenes made extensive use of Chambers, including even the misprints that were contained in the then current version. So the modern Chambers may not contain some of the answers. Jimbo.

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