XWord Muggles Forum

Anyone going in March? My husband inexplicably asked me if I wanted to go. (He has zero interest in crossword puzzles aside from occasionally trying to help me with a meta.) I do the NYT puzzles online when I remember, but I'm certainly not competition-worthy. I've gotten a few Mondays done in 5 minutes or under, but I am not really a speedy solver. I'm much more interested in metas these days. Still, I think it might be fun to watch others compete, and to just hang out with other puzzlers, especially if anyone on this forum is going. Has anyone been? I'm not sure if everything would be open to me to watch as a non-competitor. Any information appreciated!

has he been watching too many Hallmark movies again?

:O

FrankieHeck wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2020 2:32 pm Anyone going in March? Still, I think it might be fun to watch others compete, and to just hang out with other puzzlers, especially if anyone on this forum is going. Has anyone been? I'm not sure if everything would be open to me to watch as a non-competitor. Any information appreciated!

I don't really have the resources to go right now, and definitely want to wait until I know I can put up a respectable effort. I did the play-from-home last year and learned a lot. But I wouldn't want to go unless I can partake of all of it as a competitor instead of just using it as an opportunity to hang around.

That said, have a look at https://www.crosswordtournament.com/info/brochure.htm - you can sign up to go as a non-competitor.

Thanks for the heads-up, FrankieHeck, I should consider it. The timing is perfect: it's during a scheduled break from work, and I need to pay an overdue visit to an elderly parent not far from there in CT. I've done the puzzles online in past years and, while I'm not a very speedy gridster (nor do I really care about speed & actually prefer getting slowed down by the puzzle --- I never solve Monday and Tuesday NYT puzzles), I managed to solve them in times that would have placed me solidly mid-pack---and there were many, many solvers ahead of me and behind. In that sense it seems like marathons or the like; people are psyched to do their thing, however it rates in the standings. It seems like it would be a lot of fun to attend, and more fun also to "compete," even if one (like me) is definitely not podium material.

I have been to the ACPT for the last 2 years (after doing crosswords for over 20), in addition to attending tournaments in Boston (3x) and NY (1x). I will be back at ACPT in March. I HIGHLY recommend going if you have the crossword bug - it is an incredibly friendly crowd full of people who are joined by their love of crosswords and other puzzles. And while there are of course some who solve with blistering speed, you shouldn't let them intimidate you from attending and from competing (because, honestly, doing the puzzles is a lot more fun than not doing them). While you can attend as a non-competitor, there is not really much to observe when most of the puzzles are happening - the non-competition events are Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday (for the talent show and finals) The puzzles are fun and creative. A few are quite hard but most of them skew towards NYT Wed/Thurs difficulty. But if you're thinking of going, do so! And enjoy the community.

I would love to go to this. I've been wanting to try a crossword tournament for a while now and would love to meet some of you in person! One question I have for those who've attended before: Is there any good way to get to Stamford for someone coming from far away? Which is the best airport to fly into? I'd rather not deal with renting a car if possible, but the public transportation options look complicated and very time-consuming. Any recommendations?

Laguardia or JFK. Options by cost from there: you can head to Grand Central Station on a shuttle bus for about $20 and get a Metro North train for $15; the Stamford station is an easy walk to the Marriott; you can book a (shared) shuttle van to the hotel for $60 (https://2theairport.hudsonltd.net/res); or you can get a Lyft or Uber, for $100+.

My wife and I were planning to take our kids to Spain for a week in mid-march. I was disappointed that I would miss the tournament for the first time in 5 years, but the timing was dictated by the kids’ spring break (and a vacation in Spain is a pretty good consolation prize). However, the coronavirus scare has led us to change our plans and now it looks like I will be able to attend after all.

Has anyone solidified their plans to attend? I would love to meet any of you in person. Perhaps we could even arrange a Muggle lunch or dinner. I live in Stamford, so I would be happy to help anyone with travel, hotel or restaurant recommendations, or any other questions you may have about the area.

As others have said, it’s a really fun event, regardless of your solving speed - the competition is really secondary to the camaraderie.

Unfortunately I don't think I'm going to be able to attend this year, after all. I do really want to go one of these years and meet some muggles, but it's just not in the cards now for 2020. Meanwhile I'll spend my free time in the NYT archives trying to get better at solving in general.

I hope that any who attend will share some pictures and stories! Especially if any of you meet up.

Nice idea, but I'm sad that all of the crossword tournaments are on the opposite coast from me! It's just not in our budget right now, but maybe in a few years. In the meantime, I see there's an online option for $20, and I'm tempted to go for that. If anybody else does too, maybe we could compare notes in this forum?

...and all the major St. Patrick's Day parades in New York State (New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica) have now been cancelled. So too has the ACC basketball tournament, and with it, any chance that Syracuse makes it to the dance, since they (probably) had to win the ACC tournament to get a bid. Then again, maybe the Dance will get cancelled too?

Bummer. I was planning to go and on Sunday visit with friends in Connecticut I haven't seen in many years.

Such is life.

I'll just socially isolate myself in the Great North Woods. Fortunately, I am well stocked with TP.

we'll be here until September ...

Crossword Tournament from Your Couch...this Saturday

http://www.crosswordtournamentfromyourcouch.org/