THE ALPHABEATER

CAN you crack the Alphabeater? It’s a tough twist on our popular Alphapuzzle, designed to stretch your mental muscles to the limit. Each grid number below represents a letter or a black square. As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet is used. But now you have to complete the grid too! Use the given letters and the given black squares below the main grid to start.

To add to the fiendish fun, Alphabeater is ‘rotationally symmetrical’. In other words the grid is the same if you turn the page upside down.

So, for example if there is a six-letter word Across which starts in the top left corner, there will be a corresponding six-letter word Across which ends in the bottom right corner square.

Every black square has a symmetrical ‘twin’ but the ‘twin’ may not always share the same number. This can help identify other black squares. Of course if the centre square is black it has no corresponding ‘twin’. Solution on Monday.

Call for up to six extra letter clues. (Deduct three minutes for each extra letter heard.) Callers will also be given two black square numbers free of any target time penalty. *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues direct to your mobile, text DSXBEAT to 84901. Texts cost £1 plus your usual operator rate.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Black squares: 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 31, 35, 39. Across: Quick, March, Seize, Worsted, Oxidise, Lac, Job, Pipette, Cleanly, Bated, Croft, Wafer.

Down: Crystal, Lark, Equivocate, Jive, Impunity, Skew, Imp, Yawn, Emergent, Buff, Trajectory, Ache, Bonding.