Crossword Genius

Playboy's name missing from column, last in article (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rake

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'playboy's' is the definition.
(old-fashioned term for a womanising man)

'name missing from column last in article' is the wordplay.
'name' becomes 'n' (common abbreviation e.g. on forms).
'missing from' indicates named letters should be taken away.
'column' becomes 'rank' (column on a chess board).
'last in article' becomes 'e' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'rank' with 'n' removed is 'rak'.
'rak'+'e'='RAKE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for rake that I've seen before include "His Progress, Hogarth" , "Degenerate" , "One may see a croupier with one" , "Pronged tool with long handle" , "Garden tool with prongs" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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