Solstice 2014 - Quiz

Teams of two or three members

Top five teams from the prelims make it through to the final
Points are carried over from prelims to the final
Will follow Infinite Bounce unless otherwise indicated
For sake of simplicity, each question is worth 10 points
Part points at my discretion
As always, in case of any dispute or disagreement, listen to me
Best of luck and have a fun quiz

Round 1 Sports

1. Connect and provide the funda

First flood-lit cricket game played between

Arsenal and Middlesex. Denis Compton who
played football for Arsenal turned up for
Middlesex along with his brother Leslie

2. X was a tennis linesman who was struck

inadvertently by an erratic serve from player Y
during a U.S Open match in 1983. X fell backwards
from his chair and injured his head on the hard
court. He was unconscious when he was brought
to the hospital and died few days later. His family
sued the U.S.T.A and were awarded a huge sum as
compensation. ID X and Y.

Umpire Dick Wertheim & player Stefan

Edberg

3. For a long time, the England cricket team was

always captained by amateurs. X was the last
professional to captain England before Len Hutton
(Since then they have always been led by
professionals). W.G Grace famously remarked
Give me __ when asked who he wanted in his
team. ___ here is the first name of X. Xs last name
(also the name of an English town) is also
uniquely associated with a famous biscuit made in
India. X, the first to 1000 Test runs, shot himself.
Who is X?

Arthur Shrewsbury

4. X (top left) was one of the most popular tennis stars of her era. Surprisingly
though, she made the headlines for the wrong reasons when she ended up
requesting Y (man in the top right picture) to design her an attractive outfit. The
design stunned the traditional and conservative Wimbledon crowd because it
revealed her gold-laced panties. Photographers queued up to take vantage
positions and this resulted in an uproar in the Parliament. X had to sport shorts
the next game onwards and Y, the official designer, was banned from the
tournament for 30 odd years. ID X and Y. Also, there was something startling
revealed about Y after his death. What? (bonus 5 points)

Gussie Moran (gorgeous Gussie) & Ted Tinling

(revealed to have been a WW2 spy)

5. In all, this has happened six times in international cricket (five times in ODIs
and once in Tests). Mohinder Amarnath is the Indian on the list. Four are
Pakistani batsmen. The one other instance came in a Test match. What are we
talking about and who was the player involved (blanked out)?

Len Hutton Obstructing the field

6. Give me the connect. Comprehensive one. No part points for a superficial

connect.

Denis Bergkamp non flying Dutchman

KLM freq flyer Flying Dutchman

7. X, one of crickets greatest players, was a loner and maintained very few friends
during his playing career. He hardly seemed to praise any player or achievement
and was regarded moody, arrogant and snobbish. He was quite obsessed with his
individual performances and hated comparisons with other top players. He was
however quite infamous for his womanising ways. A contemporary cricketer even
quoted that the two ruling passions for X were his cricket bat and his genitals.
He had unhappy marriages and was involved in multiple affairs & relationships
during his career. However, his cricketing record remains one of the finest ever.
ID X.

Wally Hammond

8. From the commentary clip ID the bowler and the batsman. This hat-trick (if it
had happened) would have meant the bowler would have been part of an elite
group of bowlers with two Test hat-tricks.

Damien Fleming bowler & Javagal Srinath

batsman

9. This legendary basketball game saw it all. A thrilling finish, a one-point win
and the end of a winning streak for a champion team. However, the end was
marred by controversy as the losing team suddenly discovered that a few crucial
seconds that had actually elapsed had been added to the clock and this enabled
the eventual winners to take a one-point lead. The runners-up refused to come up
and receive their medals. Political reasons also meant that the defeat was not
really taken in the right spirit. Which game are we talking about and why was
this such a big deal? (teams, venue and the political situation)

USA and USSR 1972 Munich Olympics

during the height of the Cold War

10. The player in the picture below made the U.S open final in 1977. However, it
was the year before where she made the headlines. After being denied an
opportunity to play for certain reasons, she contested the decision in the Supreme
Court. She ultimately went on to win the case, a landmark case in U.S history and
went on to play in the tournament. Who is the player and what is this episode
being referred to?

Renee Richards born a man. Underwent sex

change surgery. Case for trans-sexual rights.

Round 2 War zone

1. X had a very crucial role to play for the Allies during WW2. However, he was
an extremely difficult person to work with. For starters, he was openly gay which
made him a security risk. He came up with brilliant ideas but had no social life
and could never relate to anyone properly. To help X in his role, Y came up with a
scheme which was quite a fascinating one (stuff of action movies). The scheme
however never quite worked but Y was to use these kinds of ideas in his career
after the war in a totally different field. Who are X and Y and what is this
mission?

X- Alan Turing Y- Ian Fleming Operation

Ruthless to try and retrieve Enigma code books

2. During the WW2, Germany wanted to place a number of spies and intelligence
agents in the Soviet Union. With their trademark precision and meticulous
planning, the Germans forged many Soviet passports and sent in a number of
spies. However, to their shock, within a few days, all the spies were captured. The
U.S tried similar tactics during the Cold War phase but to no avail as their spies
were captured too? What was happening? Why were the captures happening
despite the best laid plans?

Soviets used normal staples which rusted

while the Germans and Americans used
stainless steel staples which did not rust

3. X wrote a number of brilliant thrillers, predominantly military based ones. One

of those books revolves around the hunt for Y, who was the commander of a
ghetto during WW2. Y was known as the butcher of Riga. The film (based on the
book) brought about the real-life exposure of Y, who fled after an initial arrest in
South America and later died in Paraguay. ID X, Y and the name of the book
(movie).

Frederick Forsyth, The Odessa file, Eduard

Roschmann

4. This was considered to be one of WW2s greatest war crimes. Thousands of

American and Filipino POWs were transferred after a particular battle to Camp
ODonnell, the destination war camp. Many of them were abused and killed on
the way while several others died due to starvation. A few hundred survivors of
this journey were rescued in an incredible operation carried out by Americans
and Filipino guerillas. This mission was documented in an award-winning book
that topped the best-seller charts. ID the name given to the journey and the name
of the book.

Operation Bataan march and Ghost Soldiers

5. X ascended the throne of his kingdom after the death of his uncle and brought
about a number of radical changes including abolishment of child marriage,
making primary education compulsory etc. He was opposed to the views of the
countrys major party Y for a long time. Under attack by mercenaries, X was
forced to sign an accession agreement by leaders of Y which acceded the whole of
his kingdom to country Z (ruled by Y), which sent troops to defend Xs kingdom
from the mercenaries. This agreement triggered a major war in the subsequent
days. ID X and Y.

Hari Singh and Congress

6. X, one of the worlds greatest scientists, was profoundly influenced by Vedanta

and the Gita especially. He even recited a few lines from the Gita at Franklin
Roosevelts funeral. In(famously), he in known to have uttered the line Now I am
become death, the destroyer of worlds from the Gita after a seminal moment in
history. Who is X and what moment are we referring to?

Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan

project to develop the atomic bomb

7. One of the worlds most famous industrialists, X was known for his anti-Semitic
views. He also espoused eugenics the idea that only good genes should be
allowed to carry forward. Y, a multi-faceted scientist, coined the term eugenics
and published dozens of papers and books on heredity and inheritance. The
hugely controversial idea of eugenics spread in many countries including the U.S
and in Germany where the Nazis used it against the Jews. In the U.S, X supported
the movement by subscribing to the outlook that eugenics was simply the
application of big business methods in human reproduction. ID X and Y.

Henry Ford and Galton

8. During the Normandy (D-Day) landings, the Allies had given code names to
each of the five beaches. Four of these were Utah, Omaha, Gold and Sword. The
other (also a name of a recent Oscar-winning movie), was one where the Allies
suffered great losses in the beginning but managed to take control soon after.
Also, in the context of the D-Day, the Allies had a nickname Rupert for
something that gave their invasion a major boost. What was the fifth beach and
what did they nickname Rupert?

Beach Juno, dummy paratroopers were called

Rupert

9. X was used during WW1 and a lot during WW2 as a weapon which crippled
submarines by subjecting them to a powerful hydraulic shock. X could be
deployed by ships, aircraft or helicopters. The Allies (especially the British)
effectively used X and destroyed many German U-Boats. However, the use of X
required very highly co-ordination among Sonar, crew and movement of other
ships. What is X?

Depth charge

10. X was knighted for his services to history. He is considered an expert on the
Nazis and Hitler in particular. He served as an adviser for multiple BBC
documentaries including War of the Century. Perhaps his most famous work
was the two-part biography of Hitler titled Hubris and Nemesis. It was
famously said that nobody dared to write another biography of Hitler after Xs
work. Who is X?

Ian Kershaw

Round 3 Closer in time

1. X was more famously known by his pseudonym which meant Brother Number
one. There have been alternative explanations given for this pseudonym too. X
and his party were against capitalist practices such as trade and business. Instead,
they sought to make agriculture the dominant practice in the country. An attempt
to take the country back to its glorious past resulted in a massive genocide that
eliminated much of the intelligentsia. ID X and his real name.

Pol Pot Saloth Sar

2. In approximately 100 days of bloody fighting, nearly 20% of the countrys

population was killed and 70% of the minority community had been eliminated.
The genocide had a lasting and profound impact on the country and its
neighbors. Also, the pervasive use of war rape caused a spike in HIV infection.
The country commemorates this genocide with two public holidays. An
international criminal tribunal was created in the aftermath of the tragedy to fasttrack prosecution of people involved in war crimes. Which country is this and
who were the warring parties?

Rwanda Hutus and Tutsis

3. X had a brilliant military and political career. He led his country to a decisive
win in perhaps the most famous war it was involved in. He also served as the
countrys ambassador to the U.S in the years after the war and strengthened the
relations with the U.S. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for numerous peacekeeping
accords and efforts. However, he was assassinated by a radical who was opposed
to the peace process. ID X and the war being referred to.

Yitzhak Rabin and the 6-day Arab-Israel war

4. Connect the three images and put

funda.

Movie Kissa Kursi Ka was a spoof on Sanjay

Gandhi & Maruti deal. VC Shukla was the I&B
minister who had the movie banned during
that phase. The negatives and prints were
burnt in the factory.

5. X is a long poem (mix of facts and legend) that narrates nearly 1000 years of
history of a particular country. One of the protagonists of this poem is known to
have fought and killed off a large army of invaders. After losing sleep over the
killings, he is informed by monks and holy men that the invaders were heretical
and equivalent to animals and killing thousands amounted to only killing one
and half men. Thus the king was comforted and never worried about such
killings. This incident has found a near parallel in recent decades as the majority
community has resorted to violence to safeguard the religion and believes that
the leader of the country is an incarnation of the poems protagonist. The poem in
effect offered proof of an antique enmity between the two communities. ID the
poem, country, king and the leader.

Mahavamsa, Dutugemunu, M Rajapakse, Sri

Lanka

6. A former finance minister of his state, X had two tenures as acting chief
minister too 18 years apart. In his first tenure, he succeeded Y, with whom he had
joined hands to form a rival party (breaking away from the main party). X and Y
had moved to form their own party after disputes with the founder of the original
party despite the main ideology staying the same. 18 years later, X filled in after Z
died while in office. Z had been the chief minister for two terms already. ID X, Y
and Z.

Nedunchezhiyan, Annadurai and MGR

7. In one of Xs most famous movies, his countrymen are oppressed by the rulers
(another country). This is exactly as it happened in history. Around 30 years after,
innumerable atrocities (mass murder and rape) were committed. Despite a
general silence regarding these massacres, this movie tried to restore pride among
Xs countrymen by showcasing Xs exploits that crushed all the villains and
defied the terrible rules in place. In the movie, X smashes a board that has a rule
stating that the park will not allow dogs and Xs countrymen. Despite this boardsmashing scene being only a creation of the film, Xs countrymen have almost
gone on to believe that such a board might very well have existed in the days of
occupation. ID X, the movie and the atrocity being referred to.

Fist of Fury, Bruce Lee and the Rape of

Nanking

8. This institute was started in Deolali near Bombay, then moved to Quetta in
Pakistan and then finally to a place in South India. Famous alumni include Sam
Mankshaw, K.S Brar, ex Fiji and Nigerian heads of state, head of the German
special forces. It is affiliated to the Madras University and awards an M.Sc degree.
Which institute are we talking about and where is it located?

Wellington Defence Services College

9. A former bureau chief of the BBC in New Delhi, X covered almost all major
political events in India through the late 1960s till the early 1990s. He was barred
from entering India during the Emergency period when there was a ban on the
press. Perhaps the most famous book of his revolves around the Indira Gandhi
years leading up to Operation Bluestar and the anti-Sikh riots. He was knighted
in 2002 and received the Padma Bhushan in 2005. Who is X?

Mark Tully

10. X is a documentary film released in 2006. The movie tells the story of
numerous attempts made by the CIA to kill Y. Multiple methods including
exploding cigars, femme fatales, poison syringes etc. were used. The CIA also
trained many exiles to continue further attempts on Y. Z, who was in charge of Ys
security, ended up saving Y on many occasions. ID X, Y and Z.

638 ways to kill Castro, Fidel Castro and Fabian

Escalante

Round 4 Books & movies

1. Roderick Thorp came up with a novel titled The Detective in 1966 where the
protagonists name was Joe Leland. A movie based on the book starred Frank
Sinatra and was a massive box office success. 13 years later, Thorp wrote a sequel
to the book titled X. However, Sinatra did not star in the sequel and instead Y
starred in what was to become one of the greatest blockbusters. Thorp indicated
that the inspiration for the sequel came after he watched The towering inferno.
ID X, the movie based on the sequel, and Y.

Nothing lasts forever, Die Hard and Bruce

Willis

2. The movie (image below) was produced by Daryl Zanuck. He paid a massive
amount to X, who wrote many great war-based books including one that this
movie was based on. The movie starred John Wayne, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda
and Richard Burton among an ensemble of stars. Xs other famous book (later a
movie starring Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins) got its title from a famous
comment made by an Allied commander to Field Marshal Montgomery. ID the
two books and author X.

The Longest Day, A bridge too far, Cornelius

Ryan

3. X was a sociologist and anthropologist who completed her doctoral studies in

Germany. She penned a number of works one of the most famous being a
critical study of the main characters of the Mahabharata. In this work, she goes on
to suggest that the Mahabharata is a more realistic and accurate portrayal of life in
those times and dissects each character thoroughly while drawing an analogy
with modern-day personalities and traits. ID X and the work being referred to.

Iravati Karve & Yuganta

4. X, one of the worlds most famous zoologists, also published a number of

works on human sociobiology. Perhaps his most famous work (Y), translated into
23 languages, was published in 1967. In this work, X compares humans to animals
and evaluates various behavior patterns in light of this comparison. A massive
football fan, X also published Z, a psychological, sociological and anthropological
analysis of the world of professional football. ID X, Y and Z

Desmond Morris, The Naked Ape & The

Soccer tribe

5. This author (image below) is one of the authorities on the colonial history of
India and the Far East. He has (among many works) written two major books on
India : India a history and India discovered. ID him.

John Keay

6. This protagonist X has many enemies including a fellow college-mate who tries
to unsuccessfully seduce him, an evil twin brother, a half-brother. But perhaps his
biggest enemy is an organization that gets its name because of the number of
headquarters they have around the world. Over the years, X manages to destroy
their HQs one by one. His friends and assistants include one he met on his travels
to Africa (Y), and his martial-arts trained chef (Z). ID the three.

Mandrake, Lothar and Hojo

7. X is an award-winning film that takes a look at how top pharmaceutical giants

collaborated to prevent low-cost AIDS drugs from being shipped to Africa. The
movie also showcases the battle against these organizations and how the battle
ultimately was won. The movie set a record for the longest theatrical run for a
non-fiction feature film (5 weeks) in Mumbai. ID the name of the movie.

Fire in the blood

8. X perhaps suffered from what is known as erotomania a belief that someone

from a higher status (or famous person) is in love with him. His obsession with Y
after watching her in a movie Z led him to do something outrageous to gain her
attention. Following this act though, he was arrested but let off with a lighter
sentence. Public outcry led to the laws being reformed. ID X, Y and the incident.
What exactly prompted the lighter sentence and the subsequent reforms? * part
points possible.

John Hinckley was obsessed with Jodie Foster

after watching her in Taxi Driver. He shot and
injured Ronald Reagan to gain her attention.
The insanity appeal was accepted and this
created a huge hue and cry and change in laws

9. Connect A (man on the right in the top image) and B (the man in the bottom
left image) with Gregory House. Clue It is something to do with their research
and works.

V Ramachandran mirror technique for

phantom limbs and Oliver Sachs multiple
cases mentioned in his books including one
where an old woman comes in with an
extremely high libido owing to re-occurrence
of syphilis. These are both featured in House
episodes

10. X is an action movie based on a television series by the same name. The movie
was No.1 on the charts for six weeks and was a major financial success. It
spawned a less-successful sequel too. A real train was used to film a smash-hit
train crash scene and filming this cost over $1 million. The whole scene was
incredibly done in a single take. ID the movie and the lead star.

The Fugitive Harrison Ford

Round 5 Scientifically
speaking

1. One of the foremost proponents of the theory of evolution, X is also an

extremely vocal critic of creationism and intelligent design. He focuses on the
study of evolutionary biology/genetics by studying the fruit fly. X also has
authored a book called Why evolution is true and maintains a website by the
same name. Also, as an outspoken proponent of atheism, X has cited often that
religion and science are incompatible. Who is X?

Jerry Coyne Why evolution is true

2. X suffered from Severe combined Immunodeficiency, which meant that he

could be infected from the slightest exposure to the environment. He was kept in
a sterilized bubble and came to be known as the bubble boy (also featured in a
Seinfeld episode). Bone marrow transplantation, the available technique at that
time, failed in this case because the donors blood was infected with a virus. Years
later, when Y was diagnosed with the same disorder, the doctors came up with a
radical alternative treatment (Z) where the patients infected white blood cells
were isolated, altered by inserting healthy genes using a virus and then
transplanted back into the body. ID X, Y and Z (generic name for Z is enough)

David Vetter, Ashanti Silva & gene therapy

3. X is a protein on the surface of the white blood cells that HIV uses to bind to
before entering the body. A mutation of X, however, seems to block the entry of
HIV. It has a higher rate of prevalence in European populations. Scientists have
hypothesized that the mutation rates may be higher because such a mutation
might have guarded against a different disease in the past (like plague) or came
about because of higher incidences of prostitution in ancient Greece. The
mutation rate is higher by almost 13.7% among Y (a community), who have a
fairly large list of genetic diseases associated with them. ID X and Y.

CCR-5 and Ashkenazi Jews

4. X (image below) is known for his study of extraterrestrial life and for his
popular science books. He also narrated and co-wrote an award-winning TV
series that turned out to be the most widely watched series on American public
TV. He became associated with the usage of a phrase Y in his works though he
never really believed he did so. ID X and Y.

Carl Sagan Cosmos: A personal voyage

5. After beginning to work with the government on a major project, X had a

disagreement because he felt that the methods being used were too slow and
expensive. He quit and started working on the same privately. Xs company Y
wanted to patent the technique but were dealt a killer blow when President
Clinton announced that these techniques could not be patented. Ys stocks
plummeted and the sector as a whole lost $50 billion in two days. Finally, both the
government and the private sector (led by Y) completed the project in parallel.
Towards the end of the project, however, X was fired by Y. ID X, Y and the project
being discussed.

Craig Venter, Celera and the human genome

project

6. X was one among many scientists actively involved in a research undertaking.

Xs results, although not accurate, provided Y and Z the opportunity to build
further and win the Nobel Prize. X, himself a Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry,
was interrogated a few years later by the F.B.I after giving speeches which had
fairly accurate numbers of the constituents of nuclear bombs. When questioned
regarding how he managed to get the numbers, X replied that he calculated the
information from publicly available papers. Following his wifes comment that he
was not convincing when he spoke about the nature of war and the need for
peace, X changed his approach completely and shifted focus to international
relations and peace eventually winning a Nobel Prize for peace. ID X, Y and Z
and the initial research undertaking mentioned.

Linus Pauling, James Watson and Francis

Crick. The DNA structure

7. Researchers at Oxford and Cambridge indicated in a study that both X and Y

might have perhaps suffered from Z (a form of autism). People suffering from Z
are often regarded as being eccentric. They sometimes lack social skills, are
obsessed with complex topics and can have problems communicating.
According to the researchers, X showed signs of the disorder from a young age.
As a child, he was a loner and often repeated sentences obsessively until he was
seven years old. He was also a notoriously confusing lecturer. The researchers
believe that Y also displayed classic signs of the condition. He hardly spoke, was
so engrossed in his work that he often forgot to eat and was lukewarm or badtempered with the few friends he had. If no one turned up to his lectures he gave
them anyway talking to an empty room.
ID the two people and the name of the disorder being referred to

Einstein and Newton Aspergers syndrome

8. Some of Americas finest research during WW2 was led by X. He was however,
denied a tenure at Harvard and could never obtain a green card. Born in the then
Madras Presidency, X discovered the source of energy in the cell and also
developed the first chemotherapy treatment for cancer in collaboration with Y. Y
is regarded the father of modern chemotherapy and has a world famous cancer
treatment center (at Harvard) named after him. A science writer, writing about X,
said "You've probably never heard of X. Yet because he lived you may be alive
and are well today. Because he lived you may live longer." ID X and Y.

Y Subbarow, Sidney Farber

9. One of Xs most famous works is Many lives, many masters. In the book, he
goes on to discuss reincarnation, past-life regression and survival of the human
soul after death. His primary research has also revolved around these topics. X
believes that many problems of patients are rooted in past lives and
acknowledgment of the same by patients can lead to curative effects. He is a
regular speaker on these topics (including on Oprah) and has authored many
books on reincarnation. Who is X?

Brian Weiss

10. X is perhaps best known for exhibiting the property Y. However, X is not the
only element that exhibits Y. Silicon, Sulphur, and Boron are also capable of
exhibiting the property of Y. However, the stability is not quite as strong in case of
other elements as in case of X. What are X and Y?

Catenation

Round 6 Pick your sport

Audio

Controversies

Derbies

Top knocks

Managers

Numbers
game

Commentators

Athletics

Affairs

Tennis records

ID the batsman, bowler and match. If it helps, there is a certain degree of irony
associated with this whole episode.

Ian Chappell and Tony Grieg sitting forlorn in front of a dug-up pitch. What
exactly happened and where?

Which is this derby and whats unique about it?

Coming in with the team at 8/3 and soon 26/4 against a top-quality attack, X
scored a brilliant century that figures in the all-time top ten knocks. His captaincy
stint however was marred by controversy and lack of support. X announced his
retirement famously in tears. His biography Golden Boy was recently published.
Who is X.

Known as the little general after his mentor, who was nicknamed the general, X
(in image), led his national team to the QF stage of the one WC he was in charge.
He also took over again for a second stint after his team had failed to qualify for
the WC 8 years later and led them to the Euro semis. ID him.

Plug the missing numbers and identify the matches in question

252, 213, __ , 184
407, 308, 182, ___

X (in image), was one of Indias earliest cricket commentators. He had the ability
to commentate almost the whole day without interruption and disliked sharing
the microphone. His command over English and distinct style were immensely
popular. He is also honoured by the Cricket Club of India which has a gate
named at Brabourne stadium after him. ID him.

Nicknamed the Flying Finn, X (in image) set 22 world records at distances
between 1500 m and 20 km, and won 9 gold and 3 silver medals in his 12 events
at the Olympics. ID him.

Xs affair with a much younger waitress started well after his playing days. The
waitress made several statements including how X had moved into her flat and
ended up breaking the bed during sex. The allegations nearly ended Xs marriage.
However, he was able to restore his family relations. His autobiography was titled
Dont tell Kath. ID X.

Xs win-loss performance in all Grand Slam singles tournaments was 90.12%

(21023). She was 95.31% (613) at the Australian Open, 90.38% (475) at the
French Open, 85.10% (519) at Wimbledon, and 89.47% (516) at the US Open.
Her Grand Slam haul included 11 Australian Open titles (the most at a single
major). Who is X?