General view of spectator doing a crossword during of day one of the Specsavers County Cricket Championships, Division One match at The Oval, London. (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
Crossword puzzle enthusiasts will be coming to Connecticut this weekend for the 46th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
It is happening from Friday evening through Sunday at the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa in Stamford and Will Shortz, The New York Times’ crossword puzzle editor, is hosting.
Shortz, a former Stamford resident and tournament director, founded the event when he was 25 years old.
“Over 750 registered participants, ages 16 to 96, are registered in the Solo competition and this year’s tournament enjoys the most foreign participation we've ever had, with solvers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and England,” Shortz said in a statement. “This annual event is a wonderful way for crossword lovers to test themselves and celebrate their passion, while making and reuniting with friends with similar interests.”
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Registration for the Solo tournament is full for the second year in a row.
More than $15,000 in prizes will be awarded in more than 23 categories of skill, age, geographical region, rookie status and pairs, including a $7,500 grand prize.
And a total of $10,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top solvers in the five age Divisions.
Local
New this year is the first pairs tournament and there will be a virtual tournament concurrent with the live tournament.
It will be live-streamed at www.acptonline.com.
You can get more information about the Virtual Tournament and register here. .
About the event
Eight crosswords that were created for the 2024 event will be presented over the weekend. Each has a time limit of 15 to 45 minutes.
Contestants earn points for accuracy and speed. On Sunday at noon, the top three contestants playoff on a final puzzle while standing at giant boards.
Find the full schedule of in-person and virtual activities here.
