Dateline

This puzzle was a late arrival in 'Puzzler', making its first appearance in issue 111, January 1982.

The puzzle is a small version of a numerical crossword, but there is an unclued, tinted strip that runs across the middle of the grid. The digits in the strip all come from intersecting Down answers. Once the puzzle is complete, the numbers in the strip form a significant date.

As the main objective is to complete the digits in the tinted strip, the best puzzles will use an open grid in which many of the clues are connected with the answers that run through the middle strip. Also, the compiler will endeavour to ensure that the clues for answers running through the middle will be cross-referenced to clues for answers that do not. In this way, all parts of the puzzle are tied together.

The charm of the puzzle lies in the way the clues are expressed. Where possible, the compiler will replace straightforward sums with oblique references to numbers. Certain clues may require some general knowledge. For example, 'Baker's dozen times a cricket team', or 'Feet in 284 yards' or 'Ten score'.