Crossword Tournament Program
33rd Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
February 19-21, 2010
Note to Returning Contestants: Unlike in previous tournaments, an awards lunch will not be held this year. Instead, on Sunday morning we will have a new event running from 11 a.m. to noon — a Puzzlers' Variety Program, featuring music, comedy, and word games from tournament officials and contestants. At noon the winners for the weekend will be announced, the prizes will be awarded (all except for the playoff contestants), and, as a final event, the playoffs will be held. The tournament will be finished by approximately 1:30.
| Jump ahead on this page to: |
Registration Info |
Schedule |
Scoring |
Who Competes |
Accommodations Directions | Prizes | About the Puzzles | The Judges | Solving at home |
Registration/Reservation Information
| Competitor (all events beginning Saturday morning) | $205* |
| Noncompetitor (all events beginning Saturday morning, but not entered in tournament) | $160* |
| Friday evening (games and reception) | $75 |
| Sunday morning program and playoffs only (starting 11AM) | $30 |
*You may deduct $10 from this amount if payment is made and received by February 13, 2010.
Rooms are available at a special rate of $185 (single or double occupancy). More information below.
Space is limited, so act now!
If you need to, you can call Helene Hovanec at 718-797-0264 (HeleneHov@aol.com) for additional details. (For questions regarding hotel accommodations, call the Marriott at 718-246-7000.)
Schedule
| Friday, February 19 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00PM | Limber up your brain — and meet the contestants and judges — in an evening of games and entertainments. Featuring "Double Trouble" by Eric Berlin, a "Siamese Twins" crossword with visual clues. Also: "Swedish Call My Bluff" by Magnus Palm, editor-in-chief of Sweden's Bonnier Korsord (crossword) magazines. |
| 10:00PM | Wine and cheese reception. |
| 11:00PM | Awards for all the evening games. |
| Saturday, February 20 | |
| All day | Puzzle market
|
| 9:30AM | Tournament sign-in |
| 11:00AM | Puzzles 1, 2, and 3 |
| 2:30PM | Puzzles 4, 5, and 6 |
| 8:00PM | Games and Quizzes. Featuring "Listmania!" a team game by Greg Pliska, Joshua Kosman, and Ken Stern. Also: "Who Are You? (I really want to know)," a musical quiz, with guitar accompaniment, by Michael Littman. |
| Sunday, February 21 | |
| 9:00AM | Puzzle 7 |
| 11AM | "Crossworders Got Talent" — a variety show featuring ACPT contestants and officials, with music, dance, comedy, and games. |
| Noon | Awards presentation and announcement of the playoff contestants |
| 12:15PM | Championship playoff, in which the top three contestants in Divisions A, B, and C compete in successive sudden-death rounds conducted on giant grids. Neal Conan, host of NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and crossword constructor Merl Reagle will give live, play-by-play commentary on the A and B finals. |
Scoring
Scoring is based on accuracy and speed. Score as follows:
- 10 points for every correct word you entered across and down
- 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)
- 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.
Who Competes?
| Division A | Everyone |
| Division B | Contestants who have not won a Division A or Division B prize during their last seven tournaments |
| Division C | Contestants who have not finished in the top 20% during their last three tournaments |
| Division D | Contestants who have not finished in the top 40% during their last three tournaments |
| Division E | Contestants who have not finished in the top 65% during their last three tournaments |
| Age Divisions | Solvers 25 years and under (Juniors), 50-59 years (Fifties), 60-69 years (Sixties), 70-79 (Seventies) and 80+ (Seniors) |
| Regional Divisions | Solvers in each of 11 geographical regions: Connecticut, Other New England, New York City, Long Island, Westchester/Upstate New York, New Jersey, Other Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest, West, Foreign [map] |
| Rookies | Contestants competing for their first time. Rookies are not eligible for "D" or "E" prizes. |
Accommodations
The Brooklyn Marriott (see next) provides special low guest room rates, available for contestants Friday and Saturday nights.
You are responsible for making your own room reservations.
- By phone: Phone call in your reservation to the Marriott in Brooklyn at 718-246-7000
- Online: Click here and in the right column fill in the dates you want (February 19-21, 2010), then click on "Special Rates & Awards" and use the "Group Code": pzzpzza
Be prepared with the following information:
- Group name: American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
- Dates: February 19-21, 2010
- Number of people and choice of 1) single; 2) double w/1 bed; 3) double w/2 beds
- 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
- Arrival date (Friday, February 19, or Saturday, February 20)
- Departure date (Sunday, February 21)
- Credit card info (number and expiration date)
The rates are $185/night PER ROOM regardless of your choice. This rate is guaranteed through February 11, 2010 (rates afterward subject to room availability)
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.
Brooklyn: Directions and Information
After 30 years, the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament left Stamford in 2008 for a larger venue: the Brooklyn Marriott.
- 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.
- Getting to Brooklyn: The most convenient airport to fly into is LaGuardia. A cab ride, not rush hour, should take about 20 minutes and cost around $25. JFK has more traffic and will cost you up to $40 in cab fare. However, for those on a budget and who have extra time, you can take the A train from JFK all the way to the Jay Street/Borough Hall stop, which costs $7 and will probably take at least an hour and a half. Note that on the return trip, you must take an A train bound for Far Rockaway or Rockaway Parkway to get to the Howard Beach/JFK station. You cannot get to JFK with a Lefferts Boulevard-bound train.
-
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/Borough Hall 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.
View Larger Map
Prizes
| Division A | 1st Prize | $5,000 |
| 2nd Prize | $600 | |
| 3rd Prize | $300 | |
| 4th-10th Prizes (each) | Trophy | |
| Division B | 1st Prize | $200 |
| 2nd | $150 | |
| 3rd | $100 | |
| Division C | 1st Prize | $75 |
| 2nd | $50 | |
| 3rd | $25 | |
| Each of Divisions D and E; Juniors, Fifties, Sixties, Seventies, Seniors | 1st-3rd Prizes | Trophy |
| 11 Regional Winners (each) | 1st-2nd Prizes | Trophy |
| Rookies | 1st-5th Prizes | Trophy |
Plus Every divisional winner receives a quality reference book from Merriam-Webster. And every prizewinner receives a New York Times crossword collection from St. Martin's Press.
No more than one cash prize per person.
About the Puzzles
All crosswords have been specially created and edited for the tournament.
Sample Puzzles:
The Judges
Solving At Home
Now you can take part in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament — and find out how you'd score — from your own home!
- 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.
- 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.

