A Guide to Crossword Tournaments

What Are Crossword Tournaments and How Do They Work?

Like most tournaments, Crossword Tournaments follow a similar format as they are competitive events where players gather to tackle specifically created crosswords. They are scored based on their accuracy and speed in a timed event, most of the time, with the tournament usually taking place over a weekend. The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) which was founded by Will Shortz in 1978 is the most famous crossword tournament around.

The ACPT follows the same rules as mentioned above, where solvers earn points for the right answers with bonuses based on speed and accuracy. It also has penalties for errors, which makes things even more competitive for players. The ACPT, alongside the World Puzzle Championship (WPC) and other tournaments, often features a knockout round format with a playoff.

The Most Prestigious Crossword Tournaments in the World

While they’ve become immensely popular over the last decade or so, crossword tournaments have been held annually since the late 1970s with the creation of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT). Inspired by that, several other constructors and countries have created their tournaments which has led to an increased interest in crosswords. So much so, that now in the modern age, there are several crossword tournaments for a player to attend in a year.

Here are a few examples of crossword tournaments:

American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT): The oldest and the largest crossword tournament in America, it was founded in 1978 by Will Shortz and attracts over 700 competitors every year.

Times Crossword Championship: A tournament based out of the UK, it attracts skilled crossword solvers from across the world and is well known for its challenging puzzles.

World Puzzle Championship (WPC): An annual tournament that features countries from across the world, it has been held since 1992 and focuses more on logic puzzles rather than solely on crosswords.

Lollapuzzoola: Another annual tournament, it is held in New York City on a yearly basis and features creative but unconventional puzzles.

Australian Crossword Club Championships: This competition brings together the best solvers from Australia into one tournament, and features unique but challenging crosswords.

Indian Crossword League: Created in 2012, the Indian Crossword League is still growing as a tournament but has established itself as one of India’s top crossword tournaments.

What to Expect at Your First Crossword Tournament

For any player, attending their first tournament can be both exhilarating and a nervous experience but at the same time, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for many. Thus, as a result, rookies especially tend to feel extra nervous when surrounded by hundreds if not more, players of a similar or better stature. That being said, even experienced solvers often face these challenges and the entire point of the tournament is to enjoy oneself, so here’s what to expect:

Registration and seating: Many solvers opt to arrive early in order to get the best seat possible or even to interact with their fellow crossword enthusiasts before the tournament begins.

Social Events: The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) features a wine-and-cheese night on Friday, as it takes place over the weekend, and a Sunday talent show. Other tournaments also have similar events to help make the weekend easier and give solvers a chance to socialize as well.

Timed solving: Most crossword tournaments are focused on speed and accuracy, and thus players will be tasked with solving a set of puzzles in a certain amount of time.

Scoring system: In tangent with the point above, the speed and accuracy of a player’s guess are often key here as points are awarded based on that. Some tournaments also feature bonus points based on the answer and even point deductions.

Divisions and Categories: Like any other tournament, crossword tournaments are also divided into multiple divisions and categories with rookies, novices, and experts often placed in different brackets for most tournaments.

Tips and Strategies for Crossword Tournament Success

Crossword tournaments often feature the best of the best from the region, city, or even area which means an individual will get to see players showcase their abilities over the course of the tournament. That is especially the case with most tournaments as they are based on speed and accuracy which most rookie and novice solvers don’t have when they start off. That usually comes with time, experience, and a lot of practice, especially at a competitive level.

Yet, that being said, here are a few tips and strategies to do your best in a tournament:

Practice daily: The obvious one, playing the crossword on a daily basis does help but when it comes to a tournament, many players opt to go above and beyond. Some even tackle past crosswords created specifically for tournaments in order to be in the best possible shape for the event.

Solve on paper: Thanks to smartphones, laptops, and tablets, most modern crossword solvers don’t use pen and paper to solve their crosswords, making it uncomfortable when it comes to tournaments. Thus, practice without digital aids in order to help make the transition easier.

Use a timer: As most tournaments are timed events, using a timer will help simulate the tournament conditions and help improve a player’s speed and accuracy.

Learn crosswordese: Another obvious tip for most, is that learning and memorizing crosswordese makes any crossword solver’s life easy but for those tackling tournaments, it makes it a breeze.

Create a solving strategy: While most players tackle a crossword randomly, those attending tournaments should, ideally, create a strategy that helps them get through the puzzle faster.

Know when to move on: Everyone gets stuck on a clue but the key part, especially in timed tournaments, is knowing when to skip it and move on to the next one.

Use the community: Crossword tournaments are filled with like-minded solvers who have their own methods and strategies for tackling tournaments and crosswords. Pick their brains and learn from their ways.

Famous Crossword Champions and Their Techniques

Crossword tournaments are often the perfect place for not just constructors to show off their skills but also solvers and puzzle lovers. Thus, many former champions of said tournaments tend to thrive or are a part of a niche community who have created their own methods and strategies to tackle not just crosswords but crossword tournaments as well. This has led to many famous champions emerging over the years, each with their own technique and method.

Paolo Pasco: The 2024 winner of the ACPT at only 23, Pasco revealed that he focused on remembering multiple clues at the same time and using a “downs-only” solving method to help improve his pattern recognition.

Dan Feyer: Between 2010 and 2019, Feyer lost only two ACPT tournaments and is now well-known for his training regimen, where he solves around ten puzzles on a daily basis.

Howard Barkin: A winner in 2016 and a four-time runner-up, Barkin revealed the importance of learning something about everything; from pop culture to sports in order to keep up with the clues.

Tyler Hinman: A seven-time winner and a six-time runner-up at the ACPT, Hinman emphasized the need for players to practice using pen and paper, in order to improve and train their eye movements.

Crossword Tournaments You Can Join Virtually

Thanks to the advent of modern technology and because of how popular crosswords have become online, several tournaments have now gone virtual. That includes the ACPT, as they offer a virtual option ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re not the only ones as more than half a dozen other tournaments also do the same including Lollapuzzoola. Here are a few popular examples:

American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT): As mentioned above, while the ACPT does have an in-person tournament, they also offer a virtual option for those interested.

Boswords: A Boston-based tournament, it has successfully transitioned itself into a virtual tournament, hosting events throughout the year that attract solvers.

Crossword Tournament From Your Couch: Created and launched during the pandemic, it has now become one of the largest virtual crossword tournaments in the world.

USA Today Crossword Tournament: While it isn’t held consistently, USA Today has hosted virtual tournaments in the past, allowing solvers to complete their puzzles for a prize based on various factors.

Independent Constructor Tournaments: Many independent constructors often hold their own tournaments but to compete in these players need to keep a close eye on social media and community forums for news.