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Delving into the 2026 Midwest Crossword Tournament Puzzles!

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The 2026 edition of the Midwest Crossword Tournament was this past weekend, wrapping up the summer-to-fall monthly tournament pipeline (unless you live near the Finger Lakes of course).

I had a chance to sit down and try my hands at this year’s tournament puzzles. As always, I have some thoughts.

So, without further ado, let’s see what the Midwest Gridfest constructors had in store for solvers this year!

Puzzle #1: “Well, It’s About Time” by Kate Jenson

This 16×15 grid was an excellent starter for the tournament, offering solid accessible cluing (with some regional color and trivia) and an impressive swathe of long, varied entries all ending with “MN.” This puzzle was tied together nicely by the grid-spanning revealer MINNESOTA GOODBYE.

I wasn’t wild about LEAVES OF AUTUMN as an entry, which kinda felt like a lyric or line of verse that was reworded in Yodaspeak in order to fit a rhyme. (Though a quick internet search does seem to support the constructor, so this is quite possibly a me problem.)

But for the most part, this was a strong kickoff to a day of puzzle-solving.

Interesting grid entries included MASON WASP, BIANNUAL, and OFF-PUT, and my favorite clues were “Beauty brand with a six-shade ‘Ford Mustang’ collection” for OPI and “What a castle by the sea might be made of” for SAND.

Puzzle #2: Local Flavor by Mike Graczyk

The growing number of crossword tournaments each year across the US means we get more interesting location-specific clues, in addition to regional touches of personality. (As a trivia nerd, that’s a huge bonus for me.)

That’s absolutely the case with this 15x themeless crossword.

Now, unlike our constructor, I don’t begrudge people a little ketchup on their hot dogs (and that’s coming from someone who worked at a hot dog stand on and off for the better part of a decade). But I still quite enjoyed (almost wrote “relished” there) all the local references and “flavor” promised by the title.

There are some good crossings in this well-constructed grid, but the cluing is where Graczyk shines.

Interesting grid entries included MARSALIS, ONE AND DONE, SEARS TOWER, and JULES, and my favorite clues were “Feature of Grand Rapids and Green Bay” for HARD G, “Be a little shy” for OWE, and “Its name technically changed in 2009 (What’chu talkin’ ’bout… Willis??)” for SEARS TOWER.

Puzzle #3: Team Spirit by Rena Cohen

This 21x crossword, like Snickers, was guaranteed to satisfy any solvers in desperate need of some sports-based punnery.

Common phrases like BANG FOR YOUR BUCK and GUARDIAN ANGELS were clued to reference Midwest sports teams, and Cohen packed seven of them into the grid, including a grid-spanning centerpiece that taught me that there’s a hockey team called the Minnesota Wild.

Mix that with some excellent grid fill and a tightly constructed grid (UNIDEAL notwithstanding), and you’ve got an eye-catching behemoth to mark the Midwest midpoint of the tournament.

Interesting grid entries included BOCA RATON, LEFT A TIP, BELOW PAR, FIDELIO, PHOENICIA, and BAD PUNS (untrue when it comes to the puns in this puzzle), and my favorite clues were “Garment whose name evolved from French baby talk” for TUTU and “You might have one to get out of an escape room” for HOUR.

Puzzle #4: Take a Michigan Left by Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick

I’ve solved several excellent collaborations by Biegas and Wanetick this year, so when I saw this byline come up in Puzzle #4, I knew I was in for something good.

What I didn’t know was how devious it would be.

This 15x puzzle featured four theme entries with U-turn signs accompanying them, as well as four black lines at various spots in the grid. It was clear that some sort of wordplay / answer manipulation would be at play here. I figured I would have to go beyond the actual answer to each clue to understand the gimmick involved.

For instance, 17-Across was clued “____ space (stairways, corridors, etc.)”, and the grid crossings resulted in LIMODRIVER. I knew LIMINAL was the answer, and I kept looking around, trying to find a way to replace letters or spell it out with neighboring letters in some way.

But I couldn’t suss it out.

This was, in fact, the second tournament puzzle this year where I completed the grid well within the allotted time, but I definitely didn’t UNDERSTAND the puzzle within the allotted time. (Puzzle #4 at Lollapuzzoola 19, I remember you.)

But after completing the rest of the tournament puzzles and then coming back to stare baffled at my completed grid for far too long, I reached out to a fellow puzzler who I knew was in attendance at the tournament, and she thankfully reassured me that I wasn’t alone in my befuddlement. In fact, many solvers needed the puzzle’s gimmick explained to them with visual aids.

As it turns out, I was on the right path, looking for the answer in a path beyond the actual entry. But U-turn arrows are curved, and so was the path to the answer, including diagonals. (Each one would stop at one of those black lines in the grid.)

WOOF. This one was a doozy. Impressively constructed and smartly clued, to be sure. But a doozy nonetheless.

Interesting grid entries included OK FINE, TEST RUN, SEMPER FI, and DEEP RED (sadly not clued to reference the Argento film), and my favorite clues were “Totally fasten-ated?” for RIVETED and “They turn thoughts into actions” for SYNAPSES.

Wait, wrong one…

Puzzle #5: Chicago Style by Zachary Edward-Brown

After my struggle with Puzzle #4, I regained a little confidence as I tackled this 15x grid that matched Puzzle #1’s welcoming energy, enjoying a breezy, smooth solve.

The theme entries were established phrases that became something new when CHI was added — my favorite was NO NOTES becoming CHINO NOTES — and the grid fill was great fun. Has SKINEMAX ever appeared in the NYT Crossword? (I just checked XWordInfo, and it has not. You scooped them, Zachary!)

Interesting grid entries included SMIRCH, EASY TIGER, PAC-MAN, NO OFFENSE, and the aforementioned SKINEMAX, and my favorite clues were “One assisting with coursework?” for SOUS CHEF and “Archenemy of Odlaw” for WALDO. (Deep Where’s Waldo? lore there!)

Puzzle #6: End of the Road by Jess Rucks

This 15x themeless was the perfect capper to the day’s solving, as Rucks presented a tight grid with loads of long entries crossing and buckets of personality in the grid fill.

There were two sets of clues available for the championship themeless, MINNESOTA NICE and CHICAGO FIRE, depending on your preference.

And Rucks excelled with both sets of clues, hitting the difficulty of each version perfectly and offering tons of style and wordplay to solvers of all ability levels. One of my favorite themeless puzzles this year.

Interesting grid entries included THE GOAT, PSYOPS, ACTION STAR, GICHIGAMI, and the fun pair of OKAY I GIVE and OH GOD NO.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

  • MN NICE: “Guy who totally sleighs at gift-giving” for SANTA
  • MN NICE: “Life phases, like ‘villain’ or ‘healing'” for ERAS
  • MN NICE: “What one must do to be the last one standing, so to speak, in musical chairs” for SIT
  • CHI FIRE: “They’re all talk, to some degree” for ORALS
  • CHI FIRE: “It leads to suffering, per Yoda” for HATE
  • CHI FIRE: “Present day figure” for SANTA
  • CHI FIRE: “Many Gen Alpha members (already!?)” for TEENS
  • CHI FIRE: “Doodle bug?” for FLEA
  • BOTH: “Original name for Lake Superior (“great water,” in Anishinaabemowin)” for GICHIGAMI

Plus some shameless puns and a Golden Girls reference. Outstanding clues.

Tiebreaker: Calculus Class by Will Eisenberg

Waiting in the wings for any ties was this 12×9 Midwest midi packed with snark (quite apropos for MEAN GIRLS DAY, one of the grid-spanning answers).

It was a fun, quick solve and a terrific light dessert after a crossword feast.

And, for those who STILL weren’t solving-sated, there was a bonus themeless crossword by Kaye Brown, a Ben Bass cryptogram, and a Mini Meta Suite curated by Sally Hoelscher. Attendees were absolutely spoiled!

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Last year’s Midwest Crossword Tournament puzzles made a big impression on me when I solved them earlier this year, so my expectations were high going into this year’s tournament. And for the most part, this year’s puzzles easily met those lofty expectations.

There were a few odd grid entries, but otherwise the construction this year was terrific. The themes were accessible and full of Midwestern color.

I obviously struggled with Puzzle #4, but that’s not a flaw in the programming, that’s a feature. There should always be one or two puzzles that ratchet up the challenge level and test your puzzly mettle, and Puzzle #4 succeeded at that.

The puzzling here was topnotch start to finish, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s festivities. (Which have already been announced for October 2nd, 2027!)

Did you tackle this year’s Midwest Gridfest, fellow puzzlers, either from home or live in person? Let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you!

The Week in Puzzles!

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For today’s post, I’ve gathered a few tidbits from around the world of puzzles to keep you informed. We’ve got puzzles to solve, a discount code, a new crossword tournament in 2027, and more!

This past weekend, I shared a puzzle in honor of several celebrities who passed away last week. But I wasn’t the only constructor who made a puzzle to celebrate the life of a beloved icon.

George Barany constructed a super-sized puzzle (23×22) in honor of music icon and humanitarian Dolly Parton.

You can click here to solve the puzzle, entitled “Bidding Bye Bye Backwoods Barbie.”

It’s a multi-page printout because the puzzle is loaded with trivia and references to her life, career, and accomplishments. It was clearly a labor of love, one that George kindly allowed me to share with all of you.

A new crossword tournament has been announced for 2027, as crosswords are coming to Canada!

The Canadian Crossword Open will be held on June 5th in Toronto! And they’ve already got constructors announced for the event.

Emma Lawson, Will Nediger, Ada Nicolle, Jess Shulman, and Nam Jin Yoon are all constructing for the tournament.

Not only that, but they’re hosting an open submission contest for Canadian constructors to contribute a puzzle to the inaugural tournament. Click here for more details!

Did you know that September is Sudoku Month? (At least, according to one calendar I saw.)

Well, apparently it is, and our friends at Penny/Dell Puzzles are running a promotion all month!

They’re offering a 15% off discount code on all Sudoku magazines, subscriptions, and value packs.

Just use the code “ilovesudoku” on their website to receive your discount and indulge in some Sudoku solving!

It’s always important when a constructor identifies a gap in the market or a group that is being underrepresented in puzzles.

Construct Robin Stears (a previous contributor to The Inkubator, Women of Letters, and several These Puzzles Fund Abortions collections) recently lamented the lack of an outlet featuring women-focused crosswords.

So she decided to create one herself.

Go to her Patreon to sample her Midi puzzles highlighting the accomplishments of women. You can download PDFs or solve digitally with puz versions of these 9×9 crosswords.

It’s a worthwhile endeavor to be sure, so please check it out.

Were there any stories or puzzly promotions this week that I missed? Let me know in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you.

Delving into the Lollapuzzoola 19 Puzzles!

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The nineteenth edition of Lollapuzzoola, as is tradition, arrived on a Saturday in August. Last Saturday, in fact. (I was not in attendance, but I did purchase the Solve at Home puzzle pack.)

I had a chance to sit down and try my hands at this year’s tournament puzzles, and I was certainly not disappointed.

This year’s theme was “Around the World.” Every puzzle had something to do with travel or geography, and the constructors were clearly inspired in all sorts of ways. Let’s take a look at what they came up with.

Warmup Puzzle A: Twinlets by Brian Cimmet

A traditional Cimmet Twinlets (Cimlets? CimTwins?) puzzle begins the day’s proceedings and boy, did he hit the ground running! He presented the solver with two identical grids and two sets of clues, and you have to figure out which grid each answer applies to.

This was complicated by the fact that EIGHT of the answers across both grids had the same clue: “European country.” But I started filling in answers to establish the first grid, then worked back and forth as the answers continued to populate and reveal which clues fit which grid.

I really dig Twin Crosswords or Twinlets puzzles, and Brian has a knack for putting just enough common letters in the same spaces in both grids to keep you guessing. (And for writing several long clues that never disappoint.) I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle.

Interesting grid entries included LOST ART, SILENT O, and O, CANADA, and my favorite clues were “Three-syllable berry that’s great for both health and crossword construction” for ACAI and the 39-Across pairing of “____ on the Roof” for FIDDLER and “The other 39-Across, for one” for MUSICAL.

Warmup Puzzle B: Up in the Air by Brooke Husic

With a grid layout that feels like a moth or butterfly in flight, Husic clearly had flying on the brain, and her travel-centric apt pair — JETLAGGED and FLIGHT DELAYED — stacked together nicely. (Heck, having a grid that was short in one direction and long in the other FELT like travel, the trip there and the trip home.)

Brooke is a master at maximizing smaller grids, and she paired fun grid fill with longer, trivia- and opinion-focused clues, many of which continued the travel theme. (Also, she shouted out the board game Sky Team, which is a blast.)

Interesting grid entries included ALT LIT and JINX, and my favorite clues were “…—…” for SOS and “Plucked bass?” for ANGLED. (Though I didn’t know that pets can ride on Amtrak if they’re under 20 pounds. I love learning things from puzzles!)

There was also a contest puzzle featuring locations from famous musicals, which definitely tested my theatrical knowledge.

I’m sure there was frantic Googling during the breaks between puzzles for solvers to complete this one before the Puzzle 5 deadline!

Puzzle #1: Screen Sharing by Ada Nicolle

Kicking off a day of tournament solving is a daunting challenge — balancing accessibility, difficulty, style, flavor, skill, and playfulness, all while ably representing that event’s energy or that year’s theme — and I’m always impressed by the constructors who tackle that challenge.

Fortunately, solvers and tournament organizers were in the capable hands of Ada Nicolle, who created a great opening puzzle. It was a smooth solving experience with engaging cluing and tons of personality (as one should expect from Nicolle).

The theme was impressive, featuring compound words or phrases where both parts of the answer could be placed in front of the word CHECK to form a common phrase (RAIN check and COAT check for RAINCOAT, for instance), ably showing off the PRE-CHECK promised by the revealer.

Interesting grid entries included NU METAL, HO-HOS, TONSIL, and BAGUETTE, and my favorite clues were “What it might take to ask out a crush” for COURAGE and “Wide-brimmed accessory for Carmen Sandiego” for HAT.

Puzzle #2: Wherever the Wind Takes You… by Carina da Rosa

This year, the ORCAS crowned Carina as an Emerging Constructor to watch, and I think she’s proven everyone who voted for her correct.

The eye-catching shape of a hot-air balloon grid was just the tip of the iceberg with this puzzle, as solvers would discover that one letter from each theme answer had floated up, up, and away from the main entry, appearing in a circle above as part of the balloon’s design. The capper was each letter spelling out HOT AIR.

This is beautiful design and execution, especially with a packed grid like this. The page itself was equally packed with longer clues which made it a little difficult to read and solve (a pattern that would continue with the next puzzle… or maybe I need to revisit my prescription with my eye doctor). Nonetheless, this was a highlight of the day.

Interesting grid entries included RAW OYSTER, UNSUNG, COLBERT, and ADROIT, and my favorite clues were “Place to park your butt?” for ASHTRAY, “Hoffman whose FBI file was 13,262 pages long” for ABBIE, and “Portuguese greeting formed by dropping one letter from a Spanish greeting” for OLA.

Puzzle #3: What to Know Before You Travel by Amie Walker

Intend your puns indeed, as Amie Walker has some doozies for you in this one! The clues take traditional travel terms (“Baggage claim,” “Carry-on item,” “Domestic carrier,” etc.) and deliver tongue-in-cheek responses as answers (I’VE GOT TRUST ISSUES, TEMPER TANTRUM, BABY STROLLER).

Packing seven answers into this grid was no small feat, but Walker managed to stack the grid with charming fill as well, offering the densest and most ambitious puzzle design of the day. My puzzly mind definitely appreciated this one, even if my eyes didn’t.

Interesting grid entries included BLITHERING, ICE CAVES, EGG CUP, and COBBLE, and my favorite clues were “Word ____ (you, maybe)” for NERD and “Enjoy a Manhattan tour, say?” for BARHOP.

Puzzle #4: Crossing the Line by Adam Wagner

Much like the dreaded Puzzle #5 at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Puzzle #4 at Lollapuzzoola is usually a super-heavyweight challenge, and this might be the toughest I can remember from any previous event.

It took me a LONG time to realize the trick of this one. The revealer DAY OFF pointed me towards some sort of time shift, but I kept staring at the entries that crossed the dotted line down the middle of the grid and coming up empty. Seven of the clues simply refused to match their entries, until I finally noticed that each of those seven clues started with same letter as a day of the week (“Mob target” for Monday, “Tutor coaches” for Tuesday, etc.)

And when you shift the first two letters of each clue back a day, the clues suddenly make sense. “Mob target” becomes “Sub target,” which makes total sense for DESTROYER.

Tough clues, TOUGH gimmick, but a well-constructed puzzle. Although I easily completed it within the 40 minutes allowed, I don’t know that I understood it during that 40 minutes.

Interesting grid entries included RUH-ROH, U-HAULS, SAMURAI, and FROYO, and my favorite clues were “Beat generation?” for PULSE, “Breakfast accompaniment?” for BED, and “Construction term that becomes a meteorological term if SO is added after the first letter” for IBAR.

Puzzle #5: Every Second Counts by Will Nediger

Nediger closed out the pre-championship puzzles with this grid that feels like one long, snaky journey from the upper left to the lower right, meandering like a river.

Solvers found a very cool theme waiting for them where the theme answer was one location, but another location was circled in alternating spaces within the theme answer, like ALGERIA (AGRA within ALGERIA). Will packed six of these pairings into the grid, plus the revealer ALTERNATE PLANS. (And I quite liked SIDE TRIP as sort of a bonus revealer.)

All in all, a very impressive bit of construction, research, and theme execution. A terrific closer before the big finale.

Interesting grid entries included IDEOGRAMS, PIPING HOT, TRIMARAN, CLARISSA, and Wario, and my favorite clues were “Like plants that produce little to no chlorophyll” for ALBINO and “Punishment from a Discord moderator” for BAN.

Puzzle #6: Championship Final by Trenton Charlson

As always, there were two sets of clues for the Finals puzzle, the Local and the more difficult Express clues. No matter which clues you were working with, you were in for an excellent tournament finale.

This grid had clean stacks of 8-letter entries and 9-letter entries in the corners, and some unforgiving crossings that really reminded me of how much skill and creativity it takes to construct a great themeless puzzle.

The cluing was surprisingly accessible for a championship final (across both the Local and Express clues), and I can imagine many of the solvers in attendance performing well on this solve.

I don’t know Charlson’s work, but I’ll definitely be looking for their byline in the future.

Interesting grid entries included JUMBO JET, SEE STARS, YTTRIUM, and DON QUIXOTE. Both the Local and Express sets of clues had some gems, so I’ll list them separately below:

Local clues:

  • “Farm animal follower” for EIEIO
  • “Festival celebrating the arrival of spring” for TET
  • “Starter starter?” for NON

Express clues:

  • “Agrarian refrain” for EIEIO
  • “Something a guitarist often has on hand?” for CALLUS
  • “One who dreams knightly?” for DON QUIXOTE
  • “Palms or pockets” for STEALS
  • “Start to sense” for NON
  • “9 to 5, e.g.” for ODDS

There was also a tiebreaker themeless midi by Laura Braunstein, which was an excellent, quick solve. The playful cluing and great flow made it an enjoyable interlude before the championship, and the apt pair of FIRST SIGHT and LAST RESORT really encapsulated the travel theme of the event nicely.

Interesting grid entries included WIGGLE ROOM and DARK HORSES, and my favorite clues were “Place for a pawdicure” for PET SPA and “General of the Resistance” for LEIA (put some respect on her name!).

There were ALSO two bonus puzzle suites — a variety one by Scott Weiss and a meta crossword one by Crossword Gentleman Doug Peterson — which I did not have an opportunity to solve before posting.

Another year, another parade of bangers from the Lollapuzzoola team. There were visually impressive grids, devious acts of cluing chicanery and cruciverbalism, and many many MANY trivia-loaded clues (a personal favorite of mine).

Every puzzle was well-constructed, smartly filled, and clued with love, personality, snark, and enthusiasm. It’s hard to precisely put a finger on what makes a crossword feel like a Lollapuzzoola puzzle — a unique blend of rock n’ roll and Tom Lehrer, maybe — but the LPZ spirit is alive (and often kicking) in each of these entries.

I can only imagine what they’ve got in store for us next year to mark the 20th edition of the tournament. Sadly, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

On the plus side, I’ve got puzzle suites to solve while I wait! Happy puzzling, everyone!

Did you tackle this year’s Lollapuzzoola crossword tournament, fellow puzzlers, either from home or live in person? Let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you!

Lollapuzzoola 19 This Weekend (and More Tournaments Coming Soon!)

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Just a quick post today to talk about a puzzly event this weekend, two more coming up, and a brand-new one announced for next year!

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Lollapuzzoola always happens on a Saturday in August, and this Saturday, August 15th IS that Saturday in August.

Trenton Charlson, Carina da Rosa, Will Nediger, Ada Nicolle, Adam Wagner, and Amie Walker have constructed puzzles for this year’s event, “Around the World.”

(And those aren’t the only names contributing this year! Laura Braunstein constructed the tiebreaker puzzle, Crossword Gentleman Doug Peterson constructed the crossword meta suite, and Scott Weiss constructed the variety puzzle meta suite.)

There’s still time to sign up to compete from home! Click here for more details.

If you’re missing out on Lollapuzzoola, don’t fret. There’s another NYC puzzly event next month!

The 2026 Bryant Park Crossword Tournament returns on Saturday, September 19, with singles and pairs division solving available!

Mike Shenk has constructed all three puzzles for the event and will be co-hosting with Amy Goldstein, who is genuinely one of the nicest people in puzzles.

Click here for all the details!

Registration is open (and is nearly full, so sign up ASAP) for this year’s edition of the Midwest Crossword Tournament! Mark down October 3rd, 2026 on the calendar.

Shannon Rapp and Sally Hoelscher are organizing the tournament, and Christina Iverson and Tracy Bennett are signed up as editors, so you know the tournament is in good hands!

Click here for more details. Oh, and MWXWT merch as well!

2026 has been jam-packed with puzzly fun, and 2027 is looking just as bright. A new tournament will be debuting in March!

The Rain City Crossword Tournament brings puzzly challenges to the Pacific Northwest, as Seattle can now claim its own destination tournament!

Registration opens in early Autumn (I’ll keep you posted!) but you can click here for more details as the inaugural event approaches.

Will you be participating in any of these events, either in person or from home, fellow puzzler? Are you excited for a new tournament to be hitting the West Coast? Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.

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!