Crossword Genius

A: winner; B: in a draw; ___ ? Not so far! (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

closer

'not so far' is the definition.
('close' can be the opposite of 'far' so perhaps 'closer' is reasonable for 'not so far')

'a winner b in a draw ?' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'draw ?' could be 'close' (drawing is a kind of closing) and 'close' is found in the answer.
A single letter 'r' remains which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

(Other definitions for closer that I've seen before include "Nearer or meaner" , "One winds up" , "more precise" , "Cresol (anag.)" , "Not so far off" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.