SMAll CROSSWORd

ACROSS

Good 14; very good 21; excellent 27 (or more). Solution next Saturday.

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

For today’s solution call: 0907 181 2583 *Calls lAST SATURdAY’S SOlUTION dOWN 1 Bracelets, 2 Unit, 3 dedicated, 4 ray, 5 Centuries, 7 Imagine, 9 ranks, 10 Seaside, 13 Saves, 18 Torn, 19 mar.

ACROSS 1 Boundary, 6 ring, 8 Erase, 11 midday, 12 Cats, 14 Pat, 15 Packs, 16 Lid, 17 Stir, 19 method, 20 Tease, 21 Tree, 22 Tridents.

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Across: 1 Stint, 4 Magical, 8 Pen, 9 Any day now, 10 Indulge, 11 Husky, 13 Grumpy, 15 Scrape, 18 Deter, 19 Insular, 21 Easygoing, 23 Ash, 24 Masonry, 25 Tokay.

Down: 1 Sapling, 2 In no doubt, 3 Trail, 4 Mayhem, 5 Graphic, 6 Can, 7 Lowly, 12 Small talk, 14 Paragon, 16 Earthly, 17 Airily, 18 Dream, 20 Sight, 22 SOS.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

Across: 1 Carry, 4 Refusal, 8 Mid, 9 Advisedly, 10 Amnesia, 11 Incur, 13 Deadly, 15 Angler, 18 Attic, 19 Drawing, 21 Billiards, 23 Ape, 24 Engages, 25 Needs.

Down: 1 Command, 2 Redundant, 3 Years, 4 Reveal, 5 Fashion, 6 Sad, 7 Layer, 12 Cultivate, 14 Licking, 16 Regress, 17 Adores, 18 Amble, 20 Arson, 22 Log.

Easy Puzzle

1 Farming handtool for cutting (6)

4 Make used to (8)

9 Handbook (6)

10 Habitual criminal (8)

12 Askew (4)

13 Think fit (5)

14 Run away (4)

17 Shrewd bargaining (5-7)

20 Fiercely (5,3,4)

25

Down

1 Compassion (8)

2 Extreme opposite (8)

3 Shakespearean king (4)

5 Passed to different owner (7,5)

6 Threatening (4)

7 Thing of little value (6)

8 Musical miscellany (6)

11 A frank talk (5-2-5)

15 Lure into a trap (5)

16 Slyly derogatory (5)

18 Unlikely story (4,4)

19 Inopportune (3-5)

21 Concealed marksman (6)

22 Powerful in effect (6)

26 Determination (4)

27 Complain pettily (4)

1 Difficulties (8)

6 Pack (4)

8 Celtic language (5)

The Alphabeater

lAST SATURdAY’S SOlUTION

11 Letters at the beginning of a word (6)

12 Exam (4)

14 Curve (3)

15 Tag (5)

16 Stupid person (3)

17 Long-necked bird (4)

e c r t e r H u

19 Fighting implement (6) cAn you crack the Alphabeater? each grid number represents a letter – or black square. As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet is used. But you have to complete the grid too! use the given letters and black squares below the grid to start. the grid is ‘rotationally symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the same if you turn the page upside down. Solution tomorrow ergo gamer gaper gear germ goer gore gram gramme grape grope groper mare moper more ogre opera ormer pager pare parr pear perm pore pram proem

20 Intended (5)

21 Creative pursuits (4)

22 Gifts (8)

HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? in making a word, each letter may be used once only. each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. no plurals. Verb forms ending in s permitted.

DOWN pROGRAMMe prom rage rammer ramp rape rare ream reap rear rearm remora repro roam roar roger romp romper rope

TODAY’S TARGET

1 Farm plots (anag.) (9)

Good 26; very good 39; excellent 52 (or more). Solution tomorrow

2 Rowing blades (4)

3 Rescue vessels (9)

Yesterday’s Sudoku Answer call 0907 181 2585 for today’s target solution

4 Blend together (3)

5 A dimension (9)

Yesterday’s Kakuro Answer

Target Battleships

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

7 Control machinery (7)

9 Ascends (5)

10 Maid, for example (7)

13 Snatched (5)

18 Threadbare (4)

19 Conflict (3)

FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off.

Solution tomorrow

2345678910

Call 0907 181 2586 for today’s Target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. All puzzles use The Chambers Dictionary

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to your mobile, text DXBEAT to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus your usual operator

Word Builder

Answer the clues so that each word contains the same letters as the previous word, plus or minus one.