Deceive partner to secure small victory over board

Latest answer — August 23, 2026

3 Down

Recall the quickest possible checkmate in chess ♟️

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Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Being primarily lonely, I iron with class
  2. 5Shower manufacturer payment minister recalled
  3. 9Flyers for race plastered around island
  4. 10Way Republican restrains single or joint authority?
  5. 12Officers in Sussex on surveillance
  6. 13I must stop playing the piano in Foreigner
  7. 14Opener at the crease enthrals queen with Jos Buttler shot, mostly
  8. 18Where Marathon Man may appear eventually
  9. 21Best thing in hand for the prime minister, say
  10. 23Festival not attended by tense relief worker?
  11. 24Maiden in Dancing on Ice creates interest, perhaps
  12. 25Man takes hour to get space in gas station
  13. 26Wrong time for the French to visit mum
  14. 27King who corrects Shylock?

Down

  1. 1Jumper primate puts on clerk (frayed at edges)
  2. 2Female on flight creates beastly issue
  3. 3Deceive partner to secure small victory over board
  4. 4A certain role adapted for play
  5. 6Opening in satin trousers
  6. 7Thieving company one put in the dock
  7. 8Trump is one to cover up current state
  8. 11Job to get chart entries for elderly rocker and Move producer?
  9. 15A union in East End needing change revolted
  10. 16Ducks in metal buckets delivered by Spooner
  11. 17Exceptional year in foreign capital
  12. 19Having missed first, others will catch my train
  13. 20Coat salesman sent north to cross border
  14. 22A big noise bored by masculine office work

The answer to “Deceive partner to secure small victory over board” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is FOOLSMATE — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 23, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 3-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Deceive partner to secure small victory over board” answer

FOOLSMATE (9 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is FOOLSMATE.

Why the answer is FOOLSMATE

Recall the quickest possible checkmate in chess ♟️

When else has “Deceive partner to secure small victory over board” appeared?

The Times Cryptic reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 23, 2026 (most recent) → FOOLSMATE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Deceive partner to secure small victory over board”?

The answer is FOOLSMATE, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Deceive partner to secure small victory over board”?

9 letters: FOOLSMATE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 23, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 3-Down.

Can “Deceive partner to secure small victory over board” have a different answer?

Yes — The Times Cryptic sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Times Cryptic answers?

The full grid for August 23, 2026 is on the Times Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Times Cryptic Crossword is published by The Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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