American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT)

The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is a crossword-solving tournament held annually in February March or early April.

It was founded in 1978 by Will Shortz, who still directs the tournament, and is the oldest and largest crossword tournament held in the United States. In recent years there have been over 600 competitors.

The 41st annual event is scheduled for March 23-25, 2018 at the Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut.

Solvers tackle eight original crosswords created and edited specially for this event. Scoring is based on accuracy and speed. Prizes are awarded in more than 20 categories, including a $5,000 grand prize. Evening games, guest speakers, and a wine and cheese reception allow solvers to meet each other in a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere.

There is a dedicated American Crossword Puzzle Tournament website, maintained by Doug Heller, which provides reports of previous tournaments, program and registration details for the next tournament, plus plenty of other interesting crossword-related information.

Tournament Winners

There are six contestants who have won the tournament more than once: Jon Delfin (7 tournaments), Douglas Hoylman (6), Tyler Hinman (5), David Rosen (4), Trip Payne (3), and Dan Feyer (6).

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