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Strands Turns One

Strands is now one year old, its been a fun and challenging first year for the cleverly clued Puzzle. All those deviously crafted spangrams have kept us busy for all this time. The editor of the Puzzle Ms Tracy Bennett has created a special puzzle for the game’s first anniversary for you to enjoy.

You can go play it on the official website and if struggling check our Answers for 4th of March here. The puzzle debuts on March 4, 2025, in the NYT app too.

Who knew that finding hidden words in a grid of letters and the phrase/theme that ties them all together(the spangram) was such a cool game idea that made millions of players play it daily. For many users it has become a daily routine.

Today’s Theme
Today’s Theme is a clue that is meant to guide your game play. And as always the spangram must touch two sides of the game board which are facing each other. If it happens that you solve words that are not part of theme you will be given a hint which highlights the letters that make a theme word.
Letters can be connected diagonally, vertically and horizontally and can also change directions mid-word.

Note that a theme word will be a perfect fit for the grid with no letter reuse

Strands anniversary is yet another milestone for the ever expanding NYT games portfolio, having celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Mini Crossword or the thousandth Wordle Puzzle NYT proves that New York Times focus on creating unique puzzles, continues…

Play the anniversary puzzle here.

Canadian Aerospace Student Publishes 10th Puzzle

Jeffrey Martinovic doing a puzzle.

Jeffrey Martinovic is a aerospace engineering student of Western University Ontario Canada. On his spare time he creates puzzles for the New York Times Crossword. While he has created many puzzles, it is the New York Times Crossword puzzles that can be considered his crown jewel. The engineering student has not published just one or two but 10 puzzles with the latest being the March 19, 2025

NYT Crossword Answers 03/19/25

But his road to puzzle stardom did not start off without its challenges. To get get his first puzzle accepted Martinovic had to submit no less 23 submissions which were rejected and helped him refine his art.

First Acccepted Puzzle

Jeffrey remembers the day he got the puzzle accepted, he says it was unlike anything he had experienced before and it actually came after a tiring at the university. He was surprised to get a first “approved” email from the Editors of the New York Times.

He would get that acceptance email many times afterwards and it really seems that Jeffrey has come a long way in his puzzle creating process although according to him each puzzle is very different than the previous.

He considers it an art rather than a science but in simple terms the process involves
Having an idea
Coming up with an inspiration for the theme
Going through the process of figuring out how to implement the theme
Filling in a full grid and expressing some creativity in writing the clues.

Sometimes he may seek help from a co author and submit the author with a friend or a colleague. For example the March 19 2025 puzzle was a collaboration between him and fellow student Evan Park.

How it started

Jeffrey remembers when his mom introduced him to the world of crossword at the age of 10, a little later he started playing with creating puzzles of his own.

Around the age of 12 he also published his own book Titled ‘The Chronicles of Time’ which also involves solving a mystery to save the world. ( read more : https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000043006145/Jeffrey-K.-Martinovic-The-Chronicles-of-Time)

He wanted to experiment with this creativity and wanted to test if he had the ability to make puzzles like other people did. And so he started, eventually this would become a lifelong quest that culminated in the New York Times. Jeffrey admits his talented in creating puzzles and not so much at solving them, he also shares some advice for people solving the NYT Crossword.

Future Plans

Solving is a different league game he ways and thinks the biggest struggle is learning the crossword language and terminologies, it is very much a sort of different branch on itself. To solve effectively he recommends playing mostly Monday/Tuesday puzzles to build up your crossword foundation words and get used in a smoothly to the crossword terminology.

Although his primary career will most likely always lean towards Aerospace Martinovic plans to keep his crossword creating passion alive for longer as it is an old hobby of him and the satisfaction of getting a puzzle acceptance letter is unmatchable.

World’s First Crossword, Its Types and Terminologies

A crossword is a puzzle with overlapping answer words. Hence the name Cross Words, they cross each other horizontally and vertically.

First Crossword Puzzle

The first published crossword puzzle was created by a British-born Journalist called Arthur Wynne on Dec 21, 1913 and it was published on the Sunday Newspaper New York World. The first puzzle had a diamond shape. Wynne is the credited as the inventor of the popular word game.

Cruciverbalist

The puzzle it’s made by a Constructor and solved by a Solver both of these people are called Cruciverbalists. Each answer
has it’s own distinct Clue.

The Grid

The grid is a combination of Columns, Rows and Black Squares.

Now, the grid is usually square like this:

but that is not always the case.

Black Squares

Now back to Black Squares

They can be arranged in fingers of two or more, that are perpendicular to and touching the perimeter of the Grid.

They can also be arranged as UTAHs

“L“-s

Black Squares that don’t divide a row or column like so:

are called cheater squares.

Grid Symmetry

Grid symetry refers to the convention that black boxes be arranged in a symmetrical pattern in the grid. The most common arrangement is 180 Degree rotational symmetry

so the grid would look just the same, if you turned it upside down.

Mirror Symmetry

Mirror symmetry refers to an arrangement of black boxes that is symmetrical across the middle column.

Minion Puzzles

Also called Entry.

Get filled in answer Slots also known as Words. If you add up all the answer words, both down and across, you will get the total word count of the crossword.

A clarification must be made however. Even if a slot contains an answer, that itself is made up by multiple words, that answer slow still only counts as one word in the crossword’s word count .

The point where two crosswords intersect is called a crossing.A crossing where most folks are unlikely to know any of the intersecting answers, is called a Bad Crossing.

A bad crossing is also called a Natick.

Unchecked Box

If a box only appears in one answer is called an Unchecked Box

Crossword Theme

Most crosswords tend to have a theme. That is an Idea, Motif or Gimmick, that some of the answers have in common. Answers that are part of the theme are called theme answers or just Themers.
Sometimes one of the theme answers explicitly describes what the theme is, thats called a Revealer.

Rebus

A theme that asks you to write multiple letters in one box is called a Rebus.

Fills

Answers in a themed puzzle that aren’t part of of the theme are called a Fill. Fill answers that very few people actually know or heard of are called Bad Fills. Examples of bad fills include partial phrases like “ONME” (on me) and crosswordese “ECARD” (e-card).
Crosswordese refers to answer words that tend to show up a lot in crossword answers but rarely get used in daily life.

Dublicates or Dupes

Occur when two answers contain the same word or variations of the same word.

Crosswords that don’t include a theme are called Themeless Crosswords or simply Freestyle Crosswords

Will Shortz’s Recipe for Post-Stroke Recovery

Table Tennis, Puzzles, and Physical Therapy are what Will Shortz is doing to recover.

The crossword legend suffered a stroke on Feb. 4, 2024, and is still piecing his life back together in the wake of his condition.

Will Shortz has been the editor of The New York Times crossword since 1993. In that time, he’s concocted thousands of puzzles while cementing his legacy among the elite crossword puzzlers of all time. However, for 2024, Shortz had to content with an issue that nearly 800,000 per year suffer. The man had a stroke.

Fortunately, Shortz recovered and has since done many interviews with publications like CNN and Brand and Life. During those interviews, Shortz recounts what it was like to have a stroke. On Feb. 4, 2024, Shortz was sitting at his desk when he leaned to his left and was unable to sit back up straight. Knowing that he was having a stroke, Shortz intended to change his clothes and use the restroom before heading to the hospital. It was in the bathroom when he collapsed.

Shortz would lay on the floor unsure of what to do before he wiggled his way back to his office “like a worm on my back,” he told CNN. From there, he called his partner who came to Shortz’s aid in under three minutes. Once at the hospital, the unthinkable happened. Shortz had a second, larger stroke while awaiting treatment at the hospital. After a treatment with intravenous thrombolytic medication, Shortz eventually recovered.

In the months since Shortz has been on track to recover. The stroke left Shortz with a barely functional left arm and leg along with slurred speech due to left-side weakness.

To combat this, Shortz started physical therapy immediately, which Shortz was happy with. “They get you feeling like you can walk again,” Shortz told Brain and Life. “I was so impressed with their encouragement and the therapy they gave me.”

However, one thing Shortz could not live without was table tennis. Until the stroke, Shortz boasted 4,141 consecutive days of ping pong, a streak his hospital stay broke. To accommodate the crossword legend, the recreation director at the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital had a special setup that used a regular table and books to replace the net so Shortz could continue to play while he worked on his rehab.

Shortz would move to an outpatient facility close to home in March where he continued to do physical therapy six days a week for two to three hours per day. In April, Shortz attended the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford, CT in a wheelchair, where he received a standing ovation.

In the months since, Shortz has since ditched the wheelchair and can get around reasonably well with a cane. He’s even playing ping pong standing up, although he admits he needs a spotter to keep him from falling over. Recovery is progressing but it’s also slow, which has at times frustrated Shortz but he’s committed to keeping a positive attitude.

“It’s like any time you’re faced with a problem that seems insurmountable or seems very complex,” he told CNN. “The thing to do is just pick one small element of it and work at that. I have always kept working at this, and then I have a new breakthrough.”

Shortz also credits his partner, whom he married last August, for his support during Shortz’s recovery, stating that his partner was sleeping by his bedside nightly while Shortz was in the hospital and has supported the crossword legend during his recove

Mini Crossword on the Spot

New York Times Mini Crossword Creator Joel Fagliano Shows the Internet How Crosswords Are Born

The 17-year veteran of the publisher runs through the creation of a five-by-five crossword in the span of an Instagram Reel

The New York Times is known for its excellent writing, large fan base, and, of course, its crossword puzzle. There are entire books on how the NYT has done its crossword puzzle over its 82-year history, but few are more qualified to talk about it than the people who currently work there. Joel Fagliano, editor of the Mini Crossword, took to an Instagram Reel to show folks how he gets it done.

Fagliano starts his journey by using what he refers to as a “seed answer” that runs across the middle of the five-by-five puzzle. He says that this can be any word that the creator wants whether it’s a theme word or just a word they’ve never used before. In his example, Fagliano uses the word “viral.”

From there, he opts to black out a few squares to make things interesting. He says that the key is not blacking out squares that make your life more difficult. In the example, Joel says that blacking out the two squares under the letter V in viral forces him to come up with a three letter word that ends with the letter V. There aren’t a lot of those so he blacks out the blocks above the V instead.

“Now the thing we usually do when we’re making a puzzle is start with the most constrained areas,” explains Joel. He then creates the word “vow” off of “viral” before continuing onward. This is where things get a little complicated as Joel effortlessly finds a four-letter word starting with “O” and a four-letter word that includes the letters “IK” in the middle. He then repeats this process in the opposite corner.

“One thing that I’m doing that I’m not telling you about—but I’m doing it in my head—is that I’m alternating consonants and vowels,” Joel explains as he fills in the crossword. “That’s really helpful when making a crossword.” Moments later, Fagliano finishes the puzzle.

Four New York Times crosswords by the time he finished high school

Joel Fagliano is quite the puzzle creator. He’s already good enough to have his own Wikipedia page and he works under the legendary NYT Crossword Editor Will Shortz. Fagliano had his first crossword submission published by the Times when he was 17 and four were submitted and published by the time he finished high school. Fagliano would intern for Shortz for three summers before attending college and coming to work at the Times as the editor of the Mini Crossword. The Mini Crossword is featured in the NYT Games app and website along with Wordle, Strands, Spelling Bee, and the full-size crossword puzzle.

Studies Show The Benefits Of Puzzles For Brain Health

A daily crossword has long been promoted as a great way to keep our brains healthy. Studies show that those that engage in this activity regularly can reduce the onset of cognitive decline. However, conflicting research also suggests that video games and problem-solving tools are more beneficial.

Cognitive Decline Is a Big Problem For Older Americans.

Statistics from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that as many as 1 in 9 adults in the United States will report symptoms of cognitive decline in later years. This worsens with age, with 8% of those in their late 60s affected compared to 15% in their late 70s and 37% of those 85 and over. It is also shown to be more common in Black and Hispanic communities than in other ethnicities.

Studies Into Crosswords For Cognitive Health And Dementia.

Researchers at Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Duke University Medical Center worked on a study to compare the effect of games and crossword puzzles on cognitive impairment. They assigned 56 people to a program of crossword puzzles and 51 to games and tracked their progress. This involved 12 weeks of intensive training with either the computerized game or crosswords, followed by six booster sessions. They measured responses based on the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive score.

The results of the study showed more improvements in cognitive function for those on the crosswords side compared to those working with the games. However, the differences aren’t as significant as they may have hoped. Following the tests, there were much better scores in the crossword group after 78 weeks. There were also better signs of brain health in the MRI scans of the puzzle group. However, statistics also show that while 17 of the crossword participants reverted back to normal cognition from a mild impairment, the same happened to 12 of those working with the games.

Although these improvements are encouraging, we can’t assume that crosswords will have a significant impact or stop the onset of dementia. Out of the participants in this study, 6 of the 56 assigned to the crosswords group still went on to develop dementia. It was a similar number in the games group, with 8 of 51. Some cases of early cognitive decline are early symptoms, and progression is inevitable.

The Problem Of Crosswords And Crystalized Intelligence.

It is important to note that other studies don’t show such a positive link between crosswords and reducing cognitive decline. Instead, they suggest that alternative methods or a variety of solutions could be more effective.

One such study was carried out by Zach Hambrick from the University of Michigan back in 1999. He found that participants in his study did not see any change. The reason for this comes down to the importance of the type of cognitive abilities tested when aiding people with cognitive decline.

There are fluid abilities and crystallized abilities, and it is often found that people with mental decline and dementia struggle most with fluid abilities. Crossword puzzles target crystallized abilities, such as verbal ability and social knowledge, where there is prior knowledge crystalized in the brain to tap into. Fluid abilities relate more to abstract reasoning and problem-solving. Therefore, puzzles that focus on these skills, such as jigsaws, model building, or video games, could be more effective.

Crosswords vs Video Games.

The CEO of Re:Cognition Health, Dr. Emer MacSweeney, has highlighted the potential of video games in improving cognitive health. This echoes findings from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. Here they tested crosswords against cognition targetting videogames and found those working with crosswords didn’t fare as well.

Of course, these studies highlight key differences between digital video games and paper crosswords, and we can’t overlook their age. The rise in apps for adapted crosswords with video game mechanics could close the gap and provide help with both crystalized and fluid applications.

Using Puzzles For Brain Health.

What is clear here, despite the contradictory studies, is that there is great potential for both types of puzzles. Many that use crossword puzzles do see improvements, but we can’t overlook the potential of other problem-solving puzzles and video games for helping with fluid intelligence. Perhaps the best solution is a combination of both.

Study Link

Is The New York Times Turning Into A Gaming Platform?

The New York Times puzzle section has evolved significantly over the last 80 years. It began in 1942, when they published their first crossword, and has grown into something more varied and modern for contemporary users. Today, people can come to NYT Games to enjoy it as a gaming platform and not bother with the news sections. This has led to jokes about the future direction of the New York Times and its diversification. Whatever direction it takes, the expansion was clearly the right call.

The Expansion of NYT Games

The Games section really has developed a life on its own in recent years. At one time, the crossword was king, and there wasn’t much else to do. That all changed when global visitors flocked to get their daily fix of Wordle. The company obtained the rights to the game – a massive hit during the pandemic – in 2022. Doing so added some validity to what was a low-key independent game and brought more eyes to it. It is still highly popular and brings countless players onto the site.

This section is also more diverse than newcomers might realize. The crossword is, of course, a key part of the platform, and you can get your daily fix of Sudoku, but there are other games too. Some are word-based, such as Spelling Bee, while others are more visual. Players can pick and choose their favorites or challenge themselves to solve them all during their work breaks. One of the more recent additions was Connections in 2023, which has become the second most popular game – after Wordle.

The decision to embrace gaming more generally hasn’t gone unnoticed. The team renamed the gaming account on Twitter to NYT Games rather than NYT Crosswords because the latter was simply outdated. It isn’t the crossword section anymore. It is so much more and NYT Games has essentially become a recognized brand of its own.

NYT Games is More Popular Than Ever

The decision to diversify and boost the profile of the Game sections is clearly working. A report from 2023 shows that the NYT Games app saw the largest share of time spent on the site by global visitors. NYT Games is more popular than some other sections, including the food and sports.

This has to be partly due to the accessibility of the games. Sports editorials and opinion pieces are still quite niche in comparison. People are still reading the news online, and there is a lot of time spent listening to different podcasts.Industry experts point out that this is just representative of app engagement and not overall engagement with New York Times content. Still, that hasn’t stopped some questioning the next direction for the NYT and its apps. One expert, Matthew Ball, tweeted that the site was turning into a gaming company. This is an exaggeration poking fun at what is a respected newspaper. However, there is a grain of truth to all jokes, and the traffic data can’t be ignored.

There is, in fact, a drive to move away from the more opinionated and dry news and op-ed pieces and offer a wider range of services. This is understandable in a climate where news publications have to be careful not to show their political leanings. There have been subscribers canceling their subscriptions recently because of a biased approach to LGBTQIA+ news stories. Of course, if the New York Times were to write more pieces advocating inclusivity and allyship, they’d lose people and get accused of being “woke”. That is why it is better to cast a wider net and attract a broader range of fish with a more varied selection of content.

Turning Traffic Into Subscriptions

Unsurprisingly, the New York Times has found a way to cash in on this popularity and make this expansion work in its favor. Games is now largely available to subscribers only. You can get a couple of free games on there, but the paywall stops regular visitors getting too much for nothing. This is in line with other titles in the NYT library, such as NYT Cooking and The Athletic. There is also the chance to bundle some features together into bigger packages for perceived value. Subscribers feel like they are getting a good chunk of content for their money and are more willing to pay the monthly rate.

The strategy is working, and many fans are happy to add NYT Games to their list of monthly subscriptions. In fact, the quality and value provided have even brought back some lapsed fans, such as those who boycotted the publication for those aforementioned political issues.

One subscriber surveyed about the platform said they were happy to sign up for the Games package and bypass the news content. They admit that some of the $50 per year fee could end up funding the work they were against, but it’s a compromise they can live with. It’s safe to say that others who felt uncertain about paying for the NYT for similar reasons may now be inclined to take the same Games-only route.

Higher-ups at the New York Times are aware of the growth potential here. They see the subscription to Games as a possible gateway portal into other content and subscription packages. People who had no interest in the publication before may now turn to it for their news and lifestyle features purely out of familiarity.

The Future of NYT Games

There is no intention for the Games section to become a priority or a massively separate division because the New York Times has more important things to deal with. Right now, there seems to be the right balance between creating an engaging gaming platform and using that to bring people into the wider world of NYT content.

The company saw the way the tide was turning when it came to online media and news outlets and adapted accordingly. The expansion of Games was the obvious way to deflect attention away from the op-eds and attract a new group of casual visitors. It paid off.

The next step is to maintain the Games platform in a way that stays true to the company’s goals and continues to keep players interested. If they can get access to the successor to Wordle and Connections, that will go a long way to maintaining people’s interest. That, and the right subscription packages, will make NYT Games a very successful enteprise for years to come.

The NYT Mini Crossword

A Modest Start

The initial Mini crossword didn’t exactly start with a bang. It sparked a flurry of social media chatter within hours of publication due to the inclusion of an abbreviated internet profanity, causing the crossword’s creator, a new editorial assistant at The Times, to contemplate whether their first day on the job would also be their last. Swiftly, the clue was revised to reference a musical group, steering clear of slang.
The date was August 21, 2014, and The New York Times had recently introduced a crossword app that featured the Mini as part of its offerings. The objective was straightforward: entice more people to try the main New York Times crossword puzzle, renowned for its formidable challenge, which could be intimidating to novice solvers.

The Birth of the Mini

Collaboration between The Times’s crosswords editor, Will Shortz, and product director Matt Hural led to the creation of a 5×5 crossword, a bite-sized version of the traditional puzzle. This Mini crossword would be available daily, at no cost, alongside the main puzzle, with the hope of cultivating a daily habit among beginner solvers until they felt ready to tackle the larger puzzle.
The puzzle’s creator, a recent college graduate and full-time editorial assistant for Will Shortz, eagerly embraced the opportunity to develop the Mini crossword project. Having previously crafted 25 full-size puzzles for The Times, this new puzzle size and format presented an exciting challenge. Unlike other Times products subjected to rigorous user testing and market research, the puzzle’s content was entirely at the discretion of its creator.
The early days of the Mini were characterized by experimentation. Some early Minis featured squares only intersected by a single answer, a departure from the norm in Times crosswords. Although the crossword creator abstained from text slang following the initial hiccup, the puzzle’s difficulty, tone, and references underwent near-daily adjustments in pursuit of setting it apart.

The Mini’s Unique Appeal

Over time, the Mini crossword revealed several advantages over its larger counterpart. Its compact size became an asset in an era characterized by fragmented attention spans and fleeting free moments. Solvers found it the perfect diversion, taking only a minute or two to complete.
Furthermore, its relative ease of completion served as a stepping stone for solvers who had long felt daunted by the main puzzle’s challenge. The Mini introduced a large and untapped audience of beginners to the joy of filling in that last square.

In late 2015, the Mini was integrated into The Times’s main news app, significantly expanding its audience. Today, it is solved by hundreds of thousands of people across various platforms, including: Nytimes.com, and The Times’s app
At one point, it even appeared in The Times’s daily Snapchat story.

A Puzzle Maker’s Journey

As per the individual responsible for crafting each Mini puzzle, their experience has been both exhilarating and anxiety-inducing. Crafting these puzzles comes with the challenge of finding fresh, five-letter words that are often vowel-heavy, a conundrum humorously acknowledged by the crossword creator (thanks, OBAMA!). Concerns about running out of ideas have been addressed by drawing inspiration from all aspects of life, from conversations with friends to current events and reading materials.

In this way, the puzzle creator ensures that the Mini remains as interesting for them as it is for the solvers who eagerly await each day’s wordplay challenge.

The Mini crossword’s remarkable journey from its experimental beginnings to its cherished status in the world of puzzles is a testament to its enduring appeal. It has not only provided daily entertainment, but also welcomed a new generation of solvers into the crossword-solving community. As it continues to captivate and challenge, the Mini crossword remains a daily delight for puzzle enthusiasts of all levels.

Will Shortz’s Stroke Recovery

For close to three decades, Will Shortz has been a crossword Editor. Some folks refer to him as the “Puzzlemaster”. On 3rd March 2024, Mr. Shortz recorded a message about his health on the NPR Sunday edition. Shortz suffered a stroke and has been in rehabilitation since 2nd Feb. The message also read, “I’m making progress and looking forward to coming back with new puzzles”.

After Will Shortz’s message, Ayesha Rascoe shared a clip about his condition on the puzzle segment. Crossword lovers started to send their messages expressing love. Many wished him a quick recovery. Over the years, Shortz had been presenting on-air puzzles where the contestants play at home.

Pliska also wished Mr. Shortz a quick recovery and stated the team was looking forward to having him in the show. One of the fans wrote “Will Shorts and Ayesha have been good friends while playing puzzle on air. I look forward to playing with Mr. Shorts again.” The spokesman of the NYTimes, Mr. Cohen said “We keep in touch with Shortz”. He further said that Mr. Shortz was welcome to the show when ready.

His position was temporarily filled by the chief puzzle officer.
Will Shortz was first featured on Weekend Edition Sunday in the early 1970s. In 1993, Mr. Shortz served at the New York Times as a crossword editor. He’s the fourth person in history to hold such a position. Shortz’s love for puzzle games dates back to 1978. He worked at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament as the director. In 2006, Shortz served at the Games Magazine as an editor.

At 14 years old, Shortz sold the first puzzle. Following an interview with the Times, Shortz recalled writing a paper in 8th grade as a professional puzzle maker. Despite the critics, he didn’t give up. In 1974, he went to Indiana University to study a degree in puzzles. Shortz is the only person to earn a self-design degree in enigmatology (study of puzzles).

The 46th Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford Brings Players Together

Close to 1000 crossword puzzle enthusiasts participated in the 46th American Puzzle Tournament held at Stamford. The annual event attracted players from Canada, Germany, France, Australia, and England. It was
the nation’s largest crossword competition. Players had different skill levels, so the scoring was based on accuracy. This tournament was an opportunity for crossword lovers to reunite with friends in a fun way. Everyone was racing to solve and earn points.

The contestants had different opinions about the game. According to Jim Jenista, the crossword game offers the solvers an opportunity to meet in a relaxed atmosphere, and the answers make players go AHA! Jim added that while some people can complete puzzle games, it’s more exciting to compete against one another.
The crosswords are specifically created for the event.

Another player, Arnold Reich stated that the game was not cutthroat competitive but showed a strong sense of community. While the award is based on speed, people socialize. Surprisingly, the registration for the “solo” tournament was full.

In a statement by Mr. Reich, the attendance at Stamford exceeded the attendance at Brooklyn. The participants had to accommodate two ballrooms. For the Stamford tournament, prizes were awarded in 23 categories including the grand prize of $7,500. The five top solvers earned a total of $10,000.

Just like any other word game, the contestants had different skill levels. The star solvers were incredibly fast – some finished in minutes. According to Ron Osher, some players could write the answer even before you read your question. Those who had practiced before the tournament had an easy time. Erin Fitzgerald, a resident from Baltimore, emphasized that the activity was independent, though it brought players together. Cathy Parrish from Ellicott City also echoed the similar words. She believes the tournament made it possible to meet with friends who share the same passion. Parrish also argued that preparing a week before the event increases your odds of winning.

Most competitors came to support Will Shortz. The crossword editor was recovering from a stroke. Mr. Shortz is arguably the most celebrated crossword player of all time. According to Parrish, the legend deserves a presidential medal. In a press briefing, Shortz said that crossword players are smart and he was happy how everyone stepped up in the 46th American Puzzle Tournament. It’s an opportunity for players to celebrate their passion and test themselves while uniting with friends.