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

It was!! I say it towards the end, that it wasn't easy, but it's not the diffuculty that I will remember it for. It's the scale of the journey and the brilliance of the construction. To compress this, D in Magpie D-grades often stands for Difficult, but E in the best E-grades stands for Epic.

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

If you want to see all those PDMs coming in real time, Simon from @crackingthecryptic.bsky.social recorded his solve fpr their Patreon. It's 5 videos, the last one being 2.5hrs long and is the one where all the endgame stuff happens.

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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

Here's him analysing some of the Times clues.

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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 · 25/08/2026

Very nice, many thanks! Got a paper and spent about 10 mins in Deal solving it over some very good coffee. I rarely do the Guardian and when I do I often struggle with some of the more unorthodox setters but here there were no issues :)

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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

It's not often you see a grid and preamble pushing ALL the clues to the next page...

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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 · 21/07/2026

That was absolutely nothing compared to this week Listener though. Have a feeling I got it as a punishment for calling Dimity "slightly underwhelming".

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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

Hi Magpie comeback last year was also slightly underwhelming but way harder!

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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

Sabre now solved, though, and the video is coming.

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

Turns out that about a week later I still remember about half of the answers (or, less flattering, I have already forgotten half of the answers) but most worryingly I completely forgot about the crucial bit of the endgame that related to the necessity of this whole exercise.

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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 · 16/05/2026

Also the existence of this thread: www.reddit.com/r/fastandfur... suggests it's not such a widespread knowledge. Hey, I'm a non-native speaker with Russian as first language and I'm all for cricket references :)

reddit.com

From the fastandfurious community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the fastandfurious community

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

2/2 And they suggested it as a movie reference. Even reading wiki article did not make it clear for me -- are these systems just making cars go faster? Or is it something that you need to press a button and activate?

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

1/2 I guess because it took me ages and dictionaries / googling did not help much (probably because of word "no" being in the way) and then it took asking a whole forum of expert cryptic setters and they came up with two different explanations, and were not sure which to prefer?

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

So it's either that, or the recreational users slang. Okaaay.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Ok, a very clever friend explained to me that it's from Fast and Furious where NOS is something used to get a burst to pass other cars. But that is very weird reference to find here.

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Yeah, I still have no clue, could someone enlighten me? As in, gas=talk and No is what you say when pass, or what?

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

I have two thoughts here: a) should have been a prize puzzle b) should have been an E-grade

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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 · 08/05/2026

In hindsight it wasn't crazy difficult, in Magpie terms it would be hard C I imagine. But yeah, I struggled somewhat..

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Dmitry Adamskiy @michpunk.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Also, the second day of Guardian 30000-th celebration was fun! Thanks, @enigmatistelgar.bsky.social !

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

Upd. 6th anniversary of course! Also, this 20000th by Araucaria is quite something:

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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 · 06/05/2026

I looked at the 20000th by Araucaria and it seems that in the best Grauniad traditions there are two clues for 4d... (Maybe I'm missing something and it's thematic of course)

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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

What is your stance on L/S=Large/Small which are universally used, but are not in Chambers?

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

(it certainly helped me today!)

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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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