### Clue: Article on splendid match causes political and diplomatic confrontation (3,5,4)
### Answer: THE GREAT GAME 
 ### Explanation: Definition: political and diplomatic confrontation
 THE(the article in grammar) **placed above**(on, in a down clue) GREAT(splendid/impressive) + GAME(a competitive match/contest).
Defn: … between the British Empire and the Russian Empire over Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, in most of the 18th and the early 19th centuries.