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Delving into the 2026 Boswords Summer Tournament Puzzles!

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Yesterday I had a chance to sit down and test my cruciverbalist mettle with this year’s puzzles from the Boswords Summer Crossword Tournament.

I look forward to Boswords every year, so I had high expectations going in. To no one’s surprise, they managed to meet and occasionally exceed those lofty expectations!

Let’s put those puzzles under the PuzzCulture microscope and see what Boswords had in store for solvers this year!

Warmup Puzzles: Minis by Andrew Kingsley and John Lieb

Instead of practice puzzles or a midi, solvers warmed up for this year’s tournament with three mini crosswords from The Boston Globe.

They were a quick little series of icebreakers to knock the ring rust off of solvers, replete with homophones and Boston references, and the third of the trio was a delight. A C-shaped grid with a Coco Chanel quote in the cluing and SCENTS, SMELLY, and PERFUME as entries, this was a great little puzzle that really made the most of a tight grid.

Puzzle #1: Standing Trial by Emily Biegas & Sala Wanetick

The tournament proper kicked off with this 15×17 puzzle loaded with fun and accessible themed entries and a nice catch-all revealer with STATUS SYMBOLS (whether that status meant verified, engaged/married, action in progress, or importance on a team depended on the answer word).

A very breezy solve, this was the perfect intro puzzle for a day of competitive solving. I was immediately considering alternate ways to read clues and interpret wordplay after seeing the flexibility of STATUS SYMBOLS, which is a terrific mindset for tournament play.

(It was also interesting to note that this was my first of two Biegas/Wanetick puzzles of the day, as I later solved their Wednesday NYT puzzle the same night. This is a duo to keep your eyes on, solvers!)

Interesting grid entries included TOUGH LOVE, RAYA, REAL ID, and RIB MEAT, and my favorite clues were “Number of cards dealt in Go Fish” for SEVEN and “Hotel chain whose name anagrams to a naval force” for RAMADA.

Puzzle #2: Getting Off-Track by Chandi Deitmer

It’s rare that my favorite puzzle of the tournament appears so early in the proceedings, but this 15×14 puzzle was gamesome, tightly constructed, and a terrific solve, an absolute highlight for the day. The gimmick wasn’t flatly apparent at the start, but made total sense upon unraveling the first two themed entries. Balancing sharp and simple is a tricky task, and Deitmer absolutely nailed it here.

This puzzle had names of train systems — “L” for Chicago, “Metro” for Paris, etc. — added to the clue answers to fill in each themed space. (For example, SIDESHOW + Chicago’s L made SLIDESHOW.) The revealer TAKE THE TRAIN explained the themed clues neatly and was the cherry on top of the solve.

Interesting grid entries included LATE GREAT, WITCHCRAFT, and BRITA, and my favorite clues were “Where old minor-league teams called the ‘Spuds’ and ‘Russets’ played” for IDAHO and “Response to Brute force?” for ET TU.

Puzzle #3: Going Greener by Damon Gulczynski

This 19×16 grid has a lot going on — a chain of connected overlapping clues, symmetrical color-shaded entries, and a dollar sign dominating the grid’s black-square design — and all of it comes together neatly as Puzzle #3 begins ratcheting up the difficulty for competitors.

The solver goes on a journey from POVERTY to FORTUNE — a RAGS TO RICHES journey, as the revealer explains — with entry spaces growing greener as the solver follows the chain of connected clues. “Need” clues POVERTY, but then both “Need” and “It might be served by a sheriff” clue WARRANT. Each clue applies to the next entry in turn as we word-associate our way to greener pastures.

It’s a cool concept for a puzzle, one that I don’t think I’ve seen before, and coupled with a tight grid and interesting fill, it’s another strong showing for Boswords.

Interesting grid entries included CORONADO, FINAGLED, EASY WAY OUT, and IN-CROWD, and my favorite clues were “Measure of weight (not purity; that’s with a ‘K’!) for CARAT and “Father Keith Mars and daughter Veronica Mars, e.g., on TV” for PIS (nice fakeout with DUO there).

Puzzle #4: Pay Up by Joon Pahk

This 17×17 puzzle was the most devious of the day, presenting theme entries that seem unconnected, except for the country in parentheses listed after each clue. Realizing that the answers were too long for their given spaces, I started looking for the trick of each entry, and it was a good one.

That “Pay Up” in the title indicated that a unit of currency was not only lurking in each theme entry, but literally “up” from the horizontal answer, reading out in the crossing entry downward as a unit of currency, but upward as the missing letters from the answer. For instance, in PARTS UNKNOWN, WON read out in the crossing entry WONKA, but also served as the “NOW” missing from UNK-NOW-N. (The revealer, RAISING MONEY, also fit the pattern, with YEN reading down as part of MO-NEY.)

It’s a terrific bit of constructing. (And as a professional wrestling fan, seeing PARTS UNKNOWN in a grid was a treat.)

Interesting grid entries included NOPES OUT, OLE ELO, PYRITE, BOP-IT, and ORKNEY, and my favorite clues were “Something that’s beside the point?” in ONES COLUMN and “The planets, e.g.” for OCTAD.

Puzzle #5: Back Packs by Kathleen Duncan

The tournament concluded for most solvers with this 17×15 puzzle, a pleasant solve after the back-to-back challenge of Puzzles 3 and 4. It can be tough to stick the landing in a tournament setting like this, but Duncan deftly mixed strong construction and fill with playful cluing to wrap up the day in style.

Five groups (the BACK PACKS of the title) were concealed backwards in larger theme entries, like WERC (CREW) lurking in POWER COUPLE. But like I said earlier, the real highlight here was the engaging fill throughout the grid.

Interesting grid entries included KING TUT, MEDALISTS, GIGOLO, AD CREEP, CHOREO, CILLIAN, and MEMORANDA, and my favorite clues were “Disney dwarf number” for HEIGH-HO (my favorite clue of the day!) and “Overseers of camera dollies on film sets” for GRIPS.

Puzzle #6: Championship Themeless by Peter Wentz

As always, Boswords closed out with a themeless puzzle for the top solvers to live-solve, and this 15x grid was a suitable challenge. The stack of five 9-letter entries across the middle, plus the longer entries tying the grid together, offered loads of opportunities for good, uncommon vocabulary and solid fill.

There was also great cluing across both puzzles, with an emphasis on kid-lit references, a fun little micro-theme in the clues, particularly in the Sizzling set. (There were two sets of clues available for the championship themeless, the MILD and SIZZLING sets, depending on your preference.)

Interesting grid entries included EMERALD CITY, LATINO USA, EX PARTE, DRY AS DUST, FRENEMY, and MOP UP DUTY.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

MILD: “Lassie’s swimming hole” for LOCH
MILD: “Like a melon that ‘pings’ when thumped” for UNRIPE
SIZZLING: “Abbr. preceding Friday” for SGT
SIZZLING: “Obeys flickering lights at intermission, say” for HAS A SEAT
SIZZLING: “Worker focused on the present?” for ELF
SIZZLING: “Creator of the North-Going Zax” for SEUSS

(Plus another wrestling reference with the Iron Sheik getting a shout-out.)

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Consistency is king, and Boswords never falters.

Whether it’s their summer tournament, the Winter Wondersolve, or their seasonal themeless leagues, Boswords delivers. I’m a sucker for trivia-filled clues and Boswords constructors never skimp on the details. The grid fill is eye-catching, and the themes, whether deviously tricky or more immediately accessible, are memorable, never feeling overworked or too esoteric.

Maintaining this level of quality, solver-friendliness, and creativity is a tightrope walk… one the Boswords team navigates every single time. Their track record is impeccable.

And with so many exciting puzzly events on the calendar every year, I still think Boswords is the perfect tournament to introduce solvers to tournament-style puzzling.

I cannot wait to see what they cook up for us next year.

Did you attempt this year’s Boswords summer tournament puzzles, fellow solver? If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Upcoming Crossword Tournaments (Plus a Puzzle to Solve!)

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Just a quick post today to remind you of TWO big crossword events coming soon!

Firstly, Boswords is just a few short weeks away, and they recently announced the constructors for this year’s tournament puzzles.

Chandi Deitmer, Kathleen Duncan, Peter Wentz, Joon Pahk, Damon Gulczynski, and the team of Emily Biegas & Sala Wanetick will be constructing this year. With a rogue’s gallery of top-flight constructors like this, the tournament is sure to be a great time!

Also Lollapuzzoola is coming!

Lollapuzzoola will be happening on a Saturday in August — Saturday, August 15th, in fact — and registration is now open!

This year’s event, Lollapuzzoola 19, has been titled “Around the World,” and promises all sorts of puzzly challenges:

Travel the globe with us through crosswords and games — the day includes tournament puzzles, warmup puzzles, a variety puzzle meta suite, a multi-crossword meta suite, and more!

Plus pizza!

There are two solo divisions for competitors: the Local Division (for newer solvers, more casual solvers, or those with less tournament experience) and the Express Division for “hardcore speed solvers with tournament experience.”

For those who solve with a buddy, the Pairs Division is always an option, and of course, the At-Home Division is available for players who can’t make it to NYC. (I’ll be solving from home for sure!)

A great summer of puzzles continues with two back-to-back highlights of the cruciverbalist calendar year.

And since we’re talking crosswords, I’ve got a 13x puzzle for you to solve today.

I tried something a little different this time around, but hopefully you enjoy! (Once you figure out the gimmick, it’ll probably be a pretty quick solve.)

[Click here to download a PDF of the puzzle!]

Will you be participating in either Boswords or Lollapuzzoola this year, fellow puzzler? Let me know in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!

June Puzzles and Games News Roundup: Upcoming Tournaments, Events, and Free RPG Day!

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There’s so much going on in the intertwined worlds of puzzles and games to get into, so let’s skip the intro and get to the good stuff!

Westwords Crossword Tournament Is Almost Here!

On Sunday June 14th, Berkeley, California will host the third annual Westwords event. It’s only a few weeks away!

This event is being held both in-person and online, with four themed puzzles and two themeless/freestyle puzzles to challenge solvers. The list of constructors for this year’s event is quite impressive: Andrea Carla Michaels, Byron Walden, Mark Axel, Rebecca Goldstein, Sarah Sinclair, Sophia Maymudes, Mallory Montgomery, and Zhou Zhang.

Go to westwordsbestwords.com for full details and get in on the fun!

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Lollapuzzoola, Midwest Crossword Tournament, and Boswords Fast Approaching!

And there are plenty of other crossword events coming up in the next few months to keep ambitious puzzlers busy!

Registration is already open for Lollapuzzoola 19 on August 15th in New York City, as well as for the Midwest Crossword Tournament on October 3rd in Chicago.

Not only that, but registration for this year’s Boswords Summer Tournament opens Wednesday June 17th!

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The event itself is happening on July 26th in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and is sure to be a great time.

Man, we’ve got Westwords in June, Boswords in July, Lollapuzzoola in August, and Midwest in October! Tournaments galore!

International Day of Play!

June 11th marks the third annual International Day of Play!

The United Nations, through UNICEF, created International Day of Play in 2024 to raise awareness of how important the act of playing is to the development and well-being of children.

This year’s theme for International Day of Play is “Protect play, protect childhood.”

Play is so important for all of us. It fosters relationship building and cooperation, reinforces friendly competition and concepts of right and wrong, and maintains that childlike love and whimsy that comes with play that so many of us, young and old, must hold onto at all costs in a world that is so often unkind, unfriendly, and unfair.

You can find out more about International Day of Play on UNICEF’s website.

Free RPG Day is coming soon!

Last, but certainly not least, Free RPG Day is Saturday, June 27th.

The concept behind Free RPG Day is simple. All over the world (but mostly in the United States), local game shops, hobby shops, and other outlets team up with RPG publishers to distribute new, fresh, and most importantly, free material for all sorts of different roleplaying games, systems, and settings.

Sometimes they’re quickstart versions of the games to introduce new players. Sometimes they’re exclusive adventures or modules to play either in-store or at home. Othertimes, they’re entirely new games, free of charge.

Not only can you receive a wealth of new ideas and playing options in one fell swoop, but it serves as a terrific way to meet fellow roleplayers and build a community of game enthusiasts.

You can click this helpful link to find local spots near you that are participating in Free RPG Day, and I would highly recommend searching online for local game shops, game cafes, and even community centers like your local public library to see who is participating.

These shops will often be running demonstrations of games, tutorials on how to play, hosting raffles and contests, and offering terrific sale prices to encourage you to find the game that fits you best.

Every year, dozens of companies get involved, not only to encourage the growth of the game world, but to promote their own products. And what better way is there to get people hooked than with free exclusive materials begging to be tried out?

Keep your eyes peeled for this year’s edition of the Level 1 Anthology, offered by 9th Level Games. It’s a collection of new games by up-and-coming and established RPG creators, all centered around a particular theme. Last year’s edition was all about the end of the Wild West. This year’s is about Stand Up.

This project is close to my heart because I had games featured in the previous two years’ Level 1 collections, and I also have a game featured in this year’s collection!

You can check out last year’s Level 1 Anthology free of charge on the 9th Level Games website (or purchase all five years of Level 1 for only $10)!

What upcoming events are you most excited for, fellow puzzlers and gamers? Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.

Crossword News Roundup!

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Crossword tournament season is fully in swing and there’s plenty to keep up on AND look forward to.

The Boswords Spring Themeless League is in week 3 already, and I’ve heard rave reviews of the puzzles so far.

We’re only a few weeks out from the 48th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, which will be the last year the event is held in Stamford, CT, before the move next year to Philadelphia.

Westwords isn’t until June, but registration is open! (And they’ve added in-person pairs solving this year.)

Also, can we talk about crossword website names for a minute? Because https://www.westwordsbestwords.com/ is a great one.

Not only that, but there’s also https://www.midwestgridfest.com/ for the Midwest Crossword Tournament, which is just delightful.

Yes, you can simply type https://www.mwxwt.com/ and get to the same information, but where is the whimsy in that?!

(P.S. The Midwest Crossword Tournament isn’t until October, but registration opens April 6th!)

Crossword Con Returns!

Puzzmo’s Third Annual Crossword Con is being held on Friday, April 10th, in Manhattan, New York (and online as well).

If you’re looking for some fascinating insight into the world of puzzles both present and future, be sure to check it out!

They just announced the panel of presenters and it is stacked: Brooke Husic, Orta Therox, Saman Bemel-Benrud, Ben Zimmer, and Adam Aaronson.

Adam very deservingly won the ORCA for Best Crossword-Related Media for his piece “Square Theory,” so I’m excited to see him revisiting the topic for Crossword Con. It will be a must-watch presentation.

Be sure to get your tickets for either in-person or online attendance. They’re including a one-year subscription to Puzzmo Plus with your purchase!

These Puzzles Fund Abortion 6

Before I wrap up today’s post, I want to remind my fellow puzzlers about the important work behind These Puzzles Fund Abortion.

They’re hoping to raise $50,000 to support safe, affordable, and accessible abortion care with the sixth edition of TPFA. You can make a donation and preorder your puzzle packet right now!

These Puzzles Fund Abortion 6 contains 21 puzzles centered around social and reproductive justice themes, all for a minimum donation of $25.

If you donate $50 or more, you will also receive the puzzle packs for the previous five years of TPFA.

With data showing that Republican presidents send maternal deaths soaring when they take office, this is a very worthy cause. I hope your finances allow you to contribute to the health and safety of others.

Happy solving, puzzlers!

These Puzzles Fund Abortion 6!

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Crossword season is here and all sorts of events for solvers are approaching fast. The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is a little more than a month out, registration is open for Westwords, the preseason puzzle for the Boswords Spring Themeless League was launched last night, and the Spring Themeless League starts in earnest next Monday!

But it’s not just tournaments that are gearing up. Crossword-fueled charitable organizations are hard at work making puzzles and encouraging fundraising efforts for wonderful causes.

There’s a long history of activism and advocacy through puzzles. Women of Letters, Queer Qrosswords, Grids for Good… these are just a few prominent examples of constructors and creators donating their time and puzzly efforts to benefit the world at large.

And These Puzzles Fund Abortion is one of the most important.

They’re hoping to raise $50,000 to support safe, affordable, and accessible abortion care with the sixth edition of TPFA. You can make a donation and preorder your puzzle packet right now!

These Puzzles Fund Abortion 6 contains 21 puzzles centered around social and reproductive justice themes, all for a minimum donation of $25.

If you donate $50 or more, you will also receive the puzzle packs for the previous five years of TPFA.

It’s a very worthy cause and I hope you find it in your heart to contribute to the health and safety of others.

Happy solving, puzzlers!

Delving into the 2026 Boswords Winter Wondersolve Puzzles!

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Tuesday night was my first chance to sit down and try my hand at the puzzles from this year’s Winter Wondersolve event. Given the talent involved amongst the organizers and constructors — as well as the always-reliable puzzles featured in previous Boswords-hosted events — I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed.

So let’s put those puzzles under the microscope and see what’s what!

Warm-Up: Opening Kickoff by John Lieb

Perennial Boswords warm-up puzzle master Mr. Lieb delivers a terrific puzzle to knock any ring rust off of solvers with this 16×11 football-shaped grid.

With both teams competing in this year’s Super Bowl (as well as one team’s coach) in the grid, the theme is on point and the smart construction makes this puzzle so accessible. It’s a first-class starter for a day of solving.

My favorite clue was the double use of “Like a haunted house” for both SCARY and EERIE, especially since they were in mirrored spots in the grid.

Puzzle #1: French Twist by Pao Roy

The tournament proper launched with this 15x grid that relied on pronunciation as much as wordplay, adding an “eh” sound to established phrases, like PURE NONSENSE becoming PUREE NONSENSE or SNAIL MAIL becoming SNAIL MELEE.

I appreciate a puzzle that takes you out of the traditional solving experience, so the fact that I had to say each theme entry aloud to get the most out of the solve was great fun. Add in the tight construction and you’ve got a strong opener on your hands.

Interesting grid entries included THE FONZ, HARISSA, TUMBLR, and DEEP CUTS, and my favorite clue was “Only Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee to win a National Book Award (for her memoir “Just Kids”)” for PATTI SMITH. I learned something in this puzzle!

Puzzle #2: Pandora’s Box by Wendy L. Brandes

Puzzle #2 was only a half-step or so tougher than Puzzle #1, remaining very solver friendly while still peppered with some great vocabulary.

This 16×17 grid had a marvelous visual element, with some of the bad things contained in Pandora’s Box literally escaping from their rows and longer entries, so CIVIC ENGAGEMENT only read CIVNGAGEMENT, as the rest of VICE was spelled out in the circled letters above.

With HOPE remaining in the box in the final themed entry, this puzzle’s beautifully visual style nicely encapsulated the classic myth. My favorite puzzle of the day!

Interesting grid entries included STRIATED, ENRON, USER FEES, and AMATEURISH, and my favorite clue was “Name contained in a wedding registry?” for GREG.

Puzzle #3: Skipping a Grade by Adam Aaronson (or dm ronson, perhaps?)

The most devious puzzle of the day belongs to Adam Aaronson, as this 16×17 grid featured theme entries where all of the As have been removed from phrases, turning BLACKSABBATH into BLCKSBBTH. With six theme entries plus the revealer STRAIGHT A’S, this grid was packed!

And it’s hard to deny the absolute insanity of writing FLLLLLLLL for “Refrain in a Christmas carol.” An unforgettable puzzly moment, to be sure.

Interesting grid entries included BEAN BAG CHAIR, RIZZLER, I’LL SUE, and CULT HIT, and my favorite clue was “India is in its alphabet, but not in it” for NATO.

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Puzzle #4: Themeless by Amanda Rafkin and Amie Walker

The tournament concludes with the toughest puzzle of the day, a 15x themeless grid with an S-shaped grid pattern that created a genuine flow while solving.

Two sets of clues were offered for the final puzzle — FLURRY clues on the easier side (approximately a NYT Wednesday level) and BLIZZARD clues on the tougher side of the spectrum (approximately a NYT weekend level) — but both offered their fair share of challenges for solvers of all skill levels.

I have gained a new appreciation for themeless puzzles over the last few years (in no small part thanks to Boswords’s seasonal themeless leagues), and this one was a highlight, for sure. Great long entries, fun fill, and really smart construction made the final challenge of the day a very satisfying solve.

Interesting grid entries included WHITE LIE, STRAY CAT, SCRAP PAPER, TARGETED AD, and THERE THERE. Both the easier and tougher sets of clues had some gems, so I’ll list them separately below:

FLURRY clues:

  • “Brass fastener, as in a kid’s model skeleton” for BRAD (love the specificity!)
  • “Ball culture affirmative” for YAS
  • ‘”You can totally pull off a Mariah Carey song at karaoke tonight,’ probably” for WHITE LIE
  • “Wool whose name becomes a country if you change one letter” for ANGORA

BLIZZARD clues:

  • “Draft pick?” for SCRAP PAPER
  • “Twosome in ‘Waiting for Godot'” for ACTS
  • “Whopper Jr.?” for WHITE LIE
  • “It might be right up your alley” for STRAY CAT

This year’s tournament felt like the perfect introduction to tournament-style solving and puzzles for a newbie competitor, and the wide array of themes, cluing, and grid entry vocabulary kept me engaged throughout the entire solve.

The cluing this year was topnotch, and I laughed out loud several times at the clever linguistic trickery on display.

Boswords events aren’t about difficulty, they’re about the joy of crossword solving and wordplay and all the delights that come with filling in these black-and-white grids, and this year’s Winter Wondersolve was no exception.

It’s the right mix of challenge and creativity for solvers accustomed to NYT-style solving, and I think the constructors and organizers did one heck of a job putting together the event. A hearty tip-of-the-hat to the hardworking puzzlers for pulling this all off!

I can’t wait to see what they cook up for us next.

And speaking of, the Boswords 2026 Spring Themeless League is coming soon! A weekly tournament that happens every Monday night from 9-10 pm Eastern in March and April (with a bonus livestream hangout!), the Spring Themeless League is the kind of community puzzly joy that is always welcome.

Registration for the event opens Saturday, February 15th, and they’ve already announced a killer’s row of constructors (in addition to the spot for the winner of their open submission contest).

This year’s line-up includes Kareem Ayas, Michael Berg, Malaika Handa, Katie Hoody, Rafael Musa, Jess Shulman, Byron Walden, and Stella Zawistowski.

Check out the Boswords website for full details!

Thanks for solving with me today. Did you tackle the challenge of the Winter Wondersolve, or will you be participating in this year’s Spring Themeless League? Let me know in the comments section below, I’d love to hear from you!