Crossword Tournament Program

Space is limited, so act now! You are responsible for making your own room reservations!

The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge provides special low guest room rates ($215, single or double occupancy), available for contestants Friday and Saturday nights. The rates are $215/night PER ROOM (plus tax) regardless of your choice. This rate is guaranteed through February 26, 2013 (rates afterward subject to room availability).

1. Online: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/36thAmericanCrosswordPuzzle
2. By phone: Phone call in your reservation to the Marriott at 1-800-266-9432 and be sure to ask for the Crossword Tournament group rate

Be prepared with the following information:

1. Group name: American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
2. Dates: March 8-10, 2013
3. Number of people and choice single, double w/1 bed, or double w/2 beds
4. Your name, (firm), address, and who you are sharing with. Note: to avoid duplication, submit one reservation for room shared by two or more people
5. Arrival date (Friday, March 8, or Saturday, March 9)
6. Departure date (Sunday, March 10)
7. Credit card info (number and expiration date)

Note that reservations will be held until 6pm unless guaranteed for late arrival by a check for the first night's room deposit, company guarantee of payment, Club Marquis membership, or by one of the following credit cards: MasterCard • Visa • American Express • Diner's Club • Carte Blanche • Club Marquis

Check-in time is 3pm. Check-out time is noon.

Scoring is based on accuracy and speed. Score as follows:

1. 10 points for every correct word you entered across and down
2. A bonus of 25 points for each full minute you finished ahead of the suggested solution time — BUT reduced by 25 points for each missing or incorrect letter (but not beyond the point the bonus returns to zero)
3. A bonus of 150 points for each completely correct solution

For the purpose of scoring, a "word" consists of any series of letters written between black squares in the grid, or between a black square and the border of the grid, whether it is a single word, a phrase, or otherwise.

Complete rules will be explained prior to competition.

All crosswords have been specially created and edited for the tournament.

Sample Puzzles:

• Puzzle from 1993
• What's in a Name? (pdf)

After 30 years, the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament left Stamford, Connecticut in 2008 for a larger venue: the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge.

• New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
• Brooklyn Area Guide Directory [pdf] from the Brooklyn Marriott
• Brooklyn Area Guide [pdf] Prepared by Stella Daily, Ken Stern, and Francis Heaney, including recommendations for restaurants, book stores, etc., as well as the following travel notes.

Flying Into...

LaGuardia: The most convenient airport to fly into is LaGuardia. A cab ride, not rush hour, should take about 20 minutes and cost around $25. Public transportation: from LaGuardia, take the Q33 bus to 74th and Broadway, and transfer to the 7 line to 42nd Street/Grand Central. Transfer to the 4 or 5 line and ride to Court Street/Borough Hall. This shouldn't take more than an hour depending on transfer timing, and if you have a MetroCard other than a single-ride, the cost is only $2.25 each way from the door of the airport to the door of the Marriott.

JFK has more traffic and will cost you up to $40 in cab fare. Public transportation: take the AirTrain from JFK and connect to the A train at Howard Beach to Jay Street-Metro Tech stop. It takes less than an hour. Airtrain JFK.

Newark Airport: Public transportation: Buy a New Jersey Transit ticket (adult $15 one way) to Penn Station from the machine at the Airtrain station in each terminal. Ride the free Airtrain to Newark Airport station, then get on a Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line and ride to the end of the line. At Penn Station, transfer to a 2 or 3 train ($2.25) to Court/Borough Hall.

Getting around: The Brooklyn Marriott is extremely well-connected with public transportation. You can catch the A, C, and F trains at the Jay Street-Metro Tech stop, one block east of the hotel. (A/C will get you to the west side of Manhattan; F train runs along 6th Avenue in Manhattan.) You can also get the 2,3,4,5, and R trains (there's also an M train but it only runs during weekday rush hours) at the Borough Hall/Court Street stop, one block west of the hotel. 2/3 trains run along 7th Avenue, 4/5 will get you to the east side (Lexington Avenue), and R runs along Broadway. Check www.mta.info for any service changes — weekend service tends to be messy, so it's a good idea to look at the service advisories beforehand and decide whether another train might get you where you need to go faster.

Parking: The best thing to do is to leave the car at home and take the subway. But if you must drive, park using the hotel rate. Street parking is unnecessarily complicated in this area.

Now you can take part in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament — and find out how you'd score — from your own home!

1. On Your Computer: Solve the puzzles online on the weekend of the tournament, or at anytime throughout the year. Standings of online competitors are constantly updated. Click here for details.
   
   
2. By Mail: Receive this year's puzzles (upon completion of the tournament) by mail, solve them and return your solutions to us with your times. We'll judge your puzzles, send you your scores, and tell you your ranking in every event in which you were eligible. To Register, click here.