Listener No 4211 One Shot at a Time, by Artix

[Ruthrobin]

What a cracker Artix! The Friday club is very quiet and that is no surprise as this was a massive challenge but what a masterly compilation. Brilliant, thanks (and sorry, AB friends - I hope I have got the number right this week).

[jim360]

The way I see it, keepatit, I'm still in the learning phase of listeners. I only started doing them properly jut over a year ago now. I'm not really familiar with all of the tricks, and so at times I ask for help. My aim isn't to be able to do these entirely on my own now, but in a few years' time. I'm actually very pleased with myself because, up to aids and prior to this listener, I was on a streak of 3 or 4 done entirely by myself, and on the most recent numerical I think I was one of the first to solve.

Also there have been a couple of times when I've received more help than I asked for. Say on a clue I might have an idea of the wordplay but want to check one part of it, I send an email asking am I on the right lines and occasionally get back a reply saying no the answer is actually such-and-such. One time I think I got back half the grid on a question like that. That time it did take the fun out of for me, because I was making some good progress on my own.

To be sure, this week I probably gave up faster than I could have, but to the people who gave me help I gave some back in turn this time, as I finished before them, so maybe it was really just an unequal collaboration.

[Coalminers]

Thanks, Andrew G-S, I will certainly give that software a try.

[Ruthrobin]

Coalminers, there is Sympathy, too, which does much the same as Crossword Compiler and costs much the same, but none of the free ones are a patch on either of those. Your first crossword 'sold' to a major outlet will fund one or the other so they are a good investment. I actually use both as some editors prefer one or the other. Lots of us would be happy to give you help and input. Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like more details of programmes or any help.

[magichour]

This is a real slog for me, but enjoying it more now that Mrs Magichour has helped to work out the 'thematic phrase'. This has helped and making more progress - still a way to go, but the course fully laid out. These are really tough clues.

[Alekhine]

I teed off a little late this week, but what joy when I did so!

Quite superb.

[BlackHugh]

Marvellous - just finished and it has been great to see a hard set of clues and no doubt or controversy about the end-game!

[BlackHugh]

forgot to add - I've just received an e-mail from the amazon.com marketing dept. : "Trade in "The Chambers Dictionary 12th Edition" and get an extra £5 gift certificate" - Are they making a comment about my Listener performance?

[IainGrace]

Close to abandoning this due to inability to solve more than a couple of the par 4s. Solved most of the rest.

[AndrewG-S]

IanGrace, if you have got that far you should be able to work out the course, fill in a fair bit of the grid and have a go at the thematic phrase. It is worth carrying on and maybe putting the clues to one side and trying to make progress elsewhere. There again you may have tried all that...

[tenflags]

This was a great Listener IMHO.

Will have to reflect on whether it supersedes Spiral by Samual as the best of the year for me.

In any event it was one of the most enjoyable; A few easier clues to get going, then a lot of pretty tough clues (that did not all yield easily), different types of logic / puzzle elements to work with, interesting theme (learnt something - usually the case for me), bit of humour, and no head scratching about the clear end point.

And what a clever construction.

TVM indeed Artix

[IainGrace]

Thanks, Andrew G-S. Will try that approach. An additional problem, apart from the par fours is that, while we have clues 1 and a, we have yet (irritatingly) to solve b, which looks pretty key to breaking into the grid pattern.

[olichant]

I've just come back to this to transcribe my messy solve into the grid to submit. Looking it with fresh eyes, I find myself even more delighted than before by the deviousness of some of the clues and, above all, the quality of the construction: the mind boggles slightly. I do hope we get a setter's (or setters'?) blog. Thanks, Artix.

[jim360]

For what it's worth, Iain, I broke into the grid pattern with just a and 3. With one hole put in and numbered, most of the rest is pretty much forced, up to maybe one ambiguity that soon disappears once the message is understood.

[magichour]

I'm finally at the 19th hole with a well-earned drink! What a tour de force that was. Really tough clueing throughout, and it's been a slow process deciphering some (I still don't understand the wordplay for 8 or b). Certainly one of the best of the year, I would say - despite being a slog, it was I couldn't leave alone. Superb.

IainGrace, b was one of the clues I only solved towards the end. I recommend trying to determine the grid pattern by trying different combinations of word lengths to see where they lead you - that makes things a whole lot easier.

[Texasetes]

I said above, magichour, that the wordplay in 8 uses a device novel to me. Nobody's mentioned having seen it before, though I guess it must have been used somewhere by someone, sometime.

[iamamoose]

I agree with all the praise above for this puzzle, although I found the lack of connection between the 'surface' theme and the 'actual' theme a bit strange. At least, i couldn't see any connection..

[olichant]

iamamoose - there certainly is a connection, and a satisfying one at that - worth going the extra mile to find.

[iamamoose]

thanks olichant - I will give it another look

[jumperjudy]

I have got an almost complete grid, with the thematic phrases and unclued entries sorted, but 1 and 4 are still eluding me as are b and c(upper). Time for a break, when hopefully a little light will dawn.

[Cruncher]

This has kept happily entertained for most of a week. Great puzzle, especially as looked quite intractable early on. Quinaplus was certainly a great help.