iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This line was so beautiful -- pity it was not found but still.. www.youtube.com/live/2LSWCQx... So glad that @polborta.bsky.social found it and showed it.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

You might have noticed no Listener videos recently. Basically, here's why. I couldn't make myself to record anything until I cover this puzzle. The best one I have ever solved. But it's not easy and so my 'quick recap' turned out to be 1 hr long! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhz2...

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Magpie 284.2 Periodical Location by Nebuchadnezzar

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Hopefully coming out of hibernation soon. Meanwhile... 1) latest Listener by Smudge is seriously good. 2) Little A. turned 8 and has just produced his first cryptic clue, of which he's very proud. The surface is a bit wobbly, but it kinda works!

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Wow, Veselin Topalov is Norway's new king!

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

School holidays, so a little break in The Listener videos, but here's the new Unch and it's great!Just look at those clues by Eck'! Tiny bit of France on the horizon as well.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

1. New Listener Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YCj... 2. If you're into really good cryptics, drop everything and solve "Periodical Location" by Nebuchadnezzar from the latest Magpie. Work of genius and easily one of the best puzzles I have ever seen if not the best. It's really this good.

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Listener Crossword 4928 "You Can't Have Both" by Leo

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Also love the @unchcrosswords.com - Parseword partnership! Really good clues!

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

New Listener recap is out. This week the puzzle is by none other than Dimitry (John Grimshaw), another legendary setter, making a comeback after 18 years(!) hiatus. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPvy...

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Listener Crossword 4926 "Pie" by Dimitri

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

No Listener video today, but here's me struggling with the daily Times Crossword by Roger Phillips, from which you could see that not being able to finish dailies [without aids] should not stop you from attempting The Listener! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz9W...

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The Times Cryptic 29591

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Listener videos are back and we have Sabre, the legendary Setter whose first Listener was published 56(!!) years ago, on 30 July 1970. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJBE...

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Listener Crossword 4924 "Two in One III" by Sabre

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Afternoons do not get much better than this:

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Sandwich CC Sunday Friendly XI playing Hoboken CC (USA) was quite a spot for the shocking news from Trent Bridge. (Cryptic content coming back in a week)

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

The Listener videos are on their way, but meanwhile here's the complete live-(back)-solve of my favourite Magpie A-grader of all time! With a bonus, somewhat shocking (at least, for me!) fact right at the end. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm2q...

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Magpie 260.3 Building Blocks by Fer-de-Lance

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

The dreaded thing finally happened last week -- I left somewhere my folder with almost-finished Sabre and half-solved Magpie. Luckily, I had taken photos of the finished grids for Pandiculator and Porlock and various stages of Sabre, but had to refill Shoehorn from scratch.. Interesting expetience..

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Sabre! After a long hiatus propted by exam marking and a string of slightly less interesting Listeners, The Listener Recap will be back when (if?) I manage to solve this Sabre! I'll try to record an overview of all the puzzles that I didn't cover in detail.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Last year I went for the snobbish &lit.: Cacophony of noise with vigour lacking general intelligence (10). And this year the cacophony featured a chap who runs a small quirky museum in Ramsgate!

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Just finished a Magpie puzzle by one of my favourite setters @hawkcrossword.bsky.social and it did not disappoint! Although I do believe that they under-graded it and it's a solid E. Very, very tricky one.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Today is the 7th anniversary of this: www.youtube.com/live/kOx0CoA... Which was one of the best things that happened during the pandemic and indeed was a bit like meeting a tooth fairy! @polborta.bsky.social Also -- yes, the 30000-th crossword(s) in the Guardian is well worth it!! Back tomorrow!

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Oh, and the new Listener video is out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t43... Which is as simple as the Listeners get, but features a rather strange decision in row 8.

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Listener Crossword 4915 "Har the Herald" by Opsimath

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

In a rare editorial oversight(?) we get this from Loon yesterday: Reputedly boring individual teaches ceramicist (12) followed by this from Tilt today: What professor McGonagall does with small geeks? (13) in The Times Quick Cryptic..

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

New Listener video is out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWFh... with a puzzle by another omnipresent cruciverbal person -- Serpent!

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Listener Crossword 4914 "Figures of Fun" by Serpent

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

No Unch yet for me, but here's a new Listener video which I accidentally released a week earlier. Featuring one of the two of my all-time favourite clues. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlM_...

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Listener Crossword 4913 "British Summer Time" by Artix

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I'm contemplating whether I should start an informal crossword club in Sandwich. Before I post anything on the local FB groups and post on the very physical notice boards -- anyone with experience running crossword meetups, how would you go about this in a way that keeps it lively and interesting?

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

New Listener video is out! The one where I forget what I said a half a minute ago, but also the one featuring one of my favourite setters, the omnipresent Colin Thomas. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hcq...

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Listener Crossword 4911 "Ish" by Twin

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Bonus video on the excellent E-grade puzzle in the Magpie that was as close as it gets to the Puzzle Made Specifically for Me. (and a follow-up to their previous Magpie) Another half a dozen of these and we could publish "Best Cryptic Walks by Styphalides (with maps)" www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqaz...

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Magpie 279.4 "Boxing Day" by Stymphalides

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

The world is a better place when we can listen to Peter and Jan talking -- and we are treated to 14 days of this! Don't miss.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Get your copy, should be a great one! Meanwhule I have almost finished #2

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

New Listener video is out, this time asking a question: WHERE IS EVERYONE? www.youtube.com/watch?v=__qJ...

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Listener Crossword 4910 "Knock, Knock" by Karla

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Best Listener puzzles of 2025! The official top-5 and my personal favourites: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9hS...

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Listener Crossword Best Puzzles of 2025

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Wow! Really surprised by this from @polborta.bsky.social as this happened to be the _only_ chess book that I read, but I also was totally obsessed as a (slightly older) child and memorised it all. Candidates starting soon with Peter and Jan providing commentary! www.youtube.com/shorts/1kgU-...

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My Most Memorable Chess Book with GM Peter Svidler

YouTube video by Chessable

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Listener Videos are back with a brilliant puzzle by @cranberryfez.bsky.social Early AGC candidate this one. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVUZ...

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Arrgh, I was hoping that Parseword clues would be more Ximenean/strict than minute cryptic ones, but we see 'first embarrassing' for E today, which is a bit disappointing. I guess I'm in a small minority here though. @josh.powerlanguage.co.uk

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

No video -- numerical week! But, Colin Thomas set todays Ponder, main 15x15 cryptic and The Listener! Colin (Twin) is one of my favourite setters and POTY winner for both Magpie and The Listener. See you all in Eastbourne tomorrow for The Listener Dinner?

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

This is great! Definitely prefer this to minutecryptic, as this is much more instructive for the newcomers and hopefully forces the clues to be accurate -- while the MC ones are afwully loose sometimes. @crackingthecryptic.bsky.social -- this could be a good addition to the channel?

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

No Listener video today, but I recorded one about Stymphalides E-grader and will try to make one about the wonderful Listener by @cranberryfez.bsky.social

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

Hopefully this is not a spoiler, but the new Magpie E-grader is as close as it gets to a puzzle made specifically for me! Very impressed.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

New Listener video is out and it's Shackleton!! youtu.be/8sEOqmlujPM?... (Also, @cranberryfez.bsky.social has a Listener debut today! Thrilled!)

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Listener Crossword 4906 "The Simpsons" by Shackleton

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

New Magpie has landed with new Stymphalides puzzle in it! Their previous (debut) offering was my personal POTY that year, here's a video about it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtan...

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Navigation There & Back Again

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcUT... The shortest of the Listener Videos so far -- there isn't really all that much going on there.

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Listener Crossword 4905 "Tight Spot" by Skylark

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

New Listener video is out. This one is very short, the puzzle is somewhat unfotunate in having its carbon (vinyl?) copy published half a year earlier... www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXGh...

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Listener Crossword 4904 "In Memoriam" by Phidias

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

From @derekharrison.bsky.social newsletter: *** I noticed that he has figured in Anagram Genius with some very apt anagrams. Mean old serpent PM needs to learn Molest and preen Plot ensnared me Don peer’s mantle Repent sad lemon Lean modern pest Lamented person etc. ***

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Also, Shackleton in the Listener!!!! If you know, you know.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Listener videos are back! First three puzzles of the year, including a rather brutal one from Mr Snaky (whose Magpie offering I'm yet to finish). youtu.be/o1Kx1amPdyI?...

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Listener Crosswords 4901-4903

YouTube video by Dmitriy Adamskiy

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Wow! One FIDE decision that we could all get behind!

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Look what has arrived! (Also, the Listener videos will be back in two weeks, with the first one covering first the Listeners of 2026).

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

No Listener video as I messed up the sound again, but I did enjoy the Snakes&Ladders one, easy and elegant. Also, travelling now, so chances are the rest of 2025 Listeners will also not be covered. Normal service to be resumed soon.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

In case you happen to understand Russian, it is not too late to catch the last 1.5 days of @polborta.bsky.social providing commentary for World Rapid&Blitz Championships on LevitovChess. I'm of the firm opinion that life in general and chess in particular is better with Peter's commentary.

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