Dull game capturing Queen almost allowed (9)
I believe the answer is:
cheerless
'dull' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'game capturing queen almost allowed' is the wordplay.
'game' becomes 'chess' (chess is a kind of game).
'capturing' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'queen' becomes 'ER' (short for Elizabeth Regina ie Queen Elizabeth).
'almost' means to remove the last letter (almost the whole word is kept).
'allowed' becomes 'let' (to let is to allow or permit).
'let' with its last letter taken off is 'le'.
'er'+'le'='erle'
'chess' enclosing 'erle' is 'CHEERLESS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for cheerless that I've seen before include "Dreary" , "Miserable" , "not hip?" , "Bleak" , "Gloomy, depressing" .)