The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) is the oldest and largest crossword competition in the United States. This year, the 2023 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament will be held from March 31st to April 2nd, and it is directed by Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle, and attracts participants from all over the world. The tournament features eight original crosswords created and edited especially for the event, and winners are awarded in more than 20 categories, with the grand prize being $7,000.
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament 2023 Winners
The 2023 tournament concludes Sunday evening (April 2nd) as those who made it to the finals will work to complete the eighth and final crossword puzzle. Winners will be listed on the ACPT website, and you can even try your hand at solving the tournament’s crossword puzzles once the tournament has completed! If you want to check out all the action, you can watch the livestream on YouTube:
As of Sunday morning, Dan Feyer, Paolo Pasco, Tyler Hinman, David Plotkin, and Stella Zawistowski were ranked one through five, respectively.
This year’s crossword constructors include: Kevin Christian, Kameron Austin Collins, Sam Ezersky, Joel Fagliano, Christina Iverson, Lynn Lempel, Andrea Carla Michaels, Mike Shenk, and Robyn Weintraub. Will Shortz is the tournament director.
History of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
The ACPT was first held in Stamford in 1978, and it attracted 149 participants in its first year. Since then, the tournament has grown in popularity, and in 2019, it had a record attendance of 741 contestants. One of the reasons for the tournament’s popularity is its sense of community. Many participants have been attending the ACPT for years, and they enjoy catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. The tournament features a wine and cheese reception on Friday night and a musical performance on Sunday, and there are plenty of opportunities for people to socialize in between competitions.
The ACPT has undergone some changes over the years. It was moved to Brooklyn from 2008 to 2014, but it returned to Connecticut in 2015 because it was less expensive and easier to reserve the entire hotel there. The Stamford Marriott, where the tournament is held, has become a home away from home for many participants.
The ACPT has also been featured in a documentary called “Wordplay,” which helped to increase its popularity. The documentary focused on crossword puzzles and solvers, and it gave people a glimpse into the world of competitive crossword solving.
Although the ACPT is a competition, it is also a celebration of the crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzles have been played competitively all over the world, and the ACPT is an opportunity for people to show off their skills and compete for the title of national champion. As Shortz says, “A crossword tournament is a way to bring people together through puzzles.”
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