4th Annual Boston Crossword Tournament: Open to All!  

Tournament Date: Sunday, July 26, 2020 

The Roxbury Latin School 

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Registration Opens June 15, 2020

2017, 2018, and 2019 Tournament Puzzles Available for Purchase Below!

SCROLL FOR MORE INFO

And Thank You to Our Awesome Sponsors.

Click their logos below to check them out!

REGISTRATION

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You may register as an adult, student, or pair below. 

There are two divisions an adult or student may compete in: RED SOX or PAW SOX

All competitors will complete the same puzzles. 

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RED SOX

You're in the big leagues! You whip through weekday puzzles and

weekend themelesses. You may even read puzzle blogs. 

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PAW SOX

You're still working your way up to the bigs. You take your time on weekday  

puzzles, but still sometimes whiff against harder puzzles and tricky themes. 

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PAIRS

Groups of two solvers, regardless of ability level.

MEET THE CONSTRUCTORS

SCHEDULE

11

WELCOME. SIGN-IN. SCHMOOZE. 

12

PUZZLE 1

130

BREAK. DECOMPRESS. SNACKS. 

PUZZLE 4

2

1230

PUZZLE 2

245

PUZZLE 5

1

PUZZLE 3

445

CHAMPIONSHIP PUZZLE

345

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AWARDS PRESENTED. CLOSING REMARKS. FAREWELLS.

SCORING AND PRIZES

Scoring

Each puzzle is scored on speed and accuracy, similar to the scoring system at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT), and is based on the following metrics:

1. 10 points for each correct across and down entry (e.g. 780 points for a correct solution to a 78-word puzzle)

2. 25 points for each full minute under the puzzle’s time limit (e.g. for a 20 minute puzzle, a solution handed in with 12:05 left on the clock would be twelve full minutes under the limit and get 300 extra points)

3. 150 bonus points for a completely correct solution

The top three finishers in the Paw Sox division as well as the top three finishers in the Red Sox division on the five tournament puzzles will solve a championship themeless puzzle in front of the audience. The Paw Sox championship round will take place before the Red Sox championship round. See championship rules below.

Championship Round Info

For the championship puzzle, the top three Paw Sox and Red Sox solvers will solve the puzzle on a computer. The screens of each of the three competitors will be projected onto one screen for all to see. The solving environment will be as follows:

1. You will solve on a MacBook Pro (which has a touchpad). You may use an external mouse (provided) if you prefer or bring your own mouse.

2. You will solve the puzzle in Across Lite (which may be obtained at http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/download/). You will have the opportunity to customize Across Lite to your specifications before the finals.

3. When you complete the puzzle, you will raise your hand to signal that you are done (no Mr. Happy Pencil will pop up on the screen once you complete the puzzle). 

Please contact us if you have any questions about this process:

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Prizes

RED SOX

1st Place -- Entry fee to the 2020 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament

2nd Place -- XWord Info Angel access for a year (new account or renewal)

3rd Place -- Crossword Book of your choosing

PAW SOX

1st Place -- Entry fee to the 2020 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament

2nd Place -- XWord Info Angel access for a year (new account or renewal)

3rd Place -- Crossword Book of your choosing

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PAIRS

1st Place -- Two-year subscription to the American Values Club Crossword + The Inkubator

2nd Place -- One-year subscription to the American Values Club Crossword + The Inkubator

3rd Place -- Crossword Book of your choosing

2019 Scoreboard