Crossword lovers, have we got a treat for you!
This issue includes a special 10-page section featuring every puzzle from the most recent American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, which took place from March 31 to April 2, 2023. That includes the seven crosswords solved by every attendee, as well as all three versions of Kameron Austin Collins’s fiendishly clever final puzzle, “‘L’ of a Challenge.”
GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES is able to share these puzzles with you because we sponsored the 45th annual ACPT. But our sponsorship wasn’t the only thing noteworthy about the tournament: This year, a record-breaking 774 contestants attended; the amount awarded for first prize grew to $7,000; and Dan Feyer won his ninth ACPT in a nail-biting finish, beating runner-up Paolo Pasco by just one second.
Of course, the real secret of the ACPT is that the people are even more wonderful than the puzzles. For starters, there’s Will Shortz, who founded the tournament way back in 1978. He’s not just an indefatigable evangelist for puzzles, he’s also a wonderful host. Then there are the folks who work behind the scenes to make the ACPT so enjoyable. This year’s officials included Tracy Bennett, who edits the enormously popular Wordle, and Mike Nothnagel, who regularly contributes Mixed Doubles puzzles to this magazine.
That’s not even mentioning the attendees. This bunch, all passionate puzzle fans, includes newbies, casual solvers, and ACPT veterans. Of all the solvers there, about one-third were rookies. It’s also important to note that Miriam Raphael, the first-place finisher in 1979, was competing again this year!
Of course, there’d be no crossword puzzle tournament without the crosswords. This year, nine expert cruciverbalists constructed the puzzles. In addition to Collins, they are: Sam Ezersky, editor of the New York Times Spelling Bee; Joel Fagliano, editor of the NYT’s Mini Crossword; Christina Iverson, another NYT puzzle editor and mentor for its Diverse Crossword Constructor Fellowship; Lynn Lempel, known for her elegant themeless puzzles; Mike Shenk, editor of the Wall Street Journal puzzle page; and Robyn Weintraub, a constructor whose work has appeared in many publications, including The New Yorker; as well as Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels, who collaborated on the ACPT’s opening puzzle.
These puzzles may be tough—especially the notorious number five—but they’re not insurmountable. In fact, 85 contestants solved all of the first seven puzzles with no errors. Fortunately, you’ve got two crucial advantages over the folks who attended the ACPT: First, you’re not elbow to elbow with hundreds of other solvers. You have the luxury of working on them at your kitchen table, with a hot mug of coffee nearby. Second, you can work on them at your leisure; you’re not solving them under the constraints of a time limit. (Or, maybe you are! You can time yourself at home—but only if you want to.)
So relax and enjoy these wonderful crosswords. Who knows? You may like them so much that you decide to join the fun at next year’s ACPT, which is already scheduled for April 5
