Some people may be interested in the Times Crossword Championship, which was held yesterday at HQ in London. No doubt a link to the results will be provided here in due course, but suffice to say Magoo (Mark Goodliffe) won again, with Roger Crabtree second and Verlaine (Matthew Marcus, once of this parish) third.
It was generally agreed by those who had done the thing before that the set of three qualifying puzzles was tougher than normal. Interestingly, in a system where 50% (and ties) of the 110 participants qualified for the semis, the lowest ranked qualifiers went through with ten errors.
On a personal note, I had a ball at the event, going through the full range of emotions (panic, with nothing entered after three minutes, to a completely misplaced sense of elation at managing not to finish last!)
The f&b provided by the organisers was very good, but the highlight, as at all such events, was meeting old friends, or finally putting a face to an online handle one had known for years. I was only sad I didn’t get to say hi to one or two of the regulars here. But maybe next year…
Love your description of panic to elation. I am sure it strikes a chord with many who were there, and even more who weren’t. 🙂
It was great to meet you at last U.
Regarding the difficulty of the puzzles, last year I completed all 6 with no errors and time to spare, this year I only finished one, but still came in 39th= overall.
(Just posted this to my FB) . Well a day of interesting and wtf moments. A combination of all the anniversaries , sporting events and festivals without the sound in a given year. A cross between the Henley Regatta and the Boat Race in that, though not on the Thames it was beside it 17th floor Times Building London Bridge and takes a continuous effort. Think, in a trireme from Chatham to the Pool of London on a rising tide against the clock . No better than last year much the same as the AI they were testing which is gratifying on one hand but hey am I just bio-chemo-mechanical system. Excuses: In both rounds I experienced a moment of panic, can feel the heartbeat going up, psychosis where I suddenly I can’t even think in english let alone read a crossword clue but then focus push through get an answer back on the road. Another moment in the first round a disembodied noise comes from my stomach, no associated pain but not one that a belch or fart will clear . For a short time the room is probably the quietest in London that has humans in it ; thankfully after 6 or 7 palpitations it passes but not before having to shut the inner giggles up. Adjourn in the George Croydon on way back to debrief this time ; London gives me the creeps these days I say to anybody that will listen but actually being in solipsist mode it hardly impinges . I’ve had a wry smile all day . I’m indebted to Steve Mair the double-bass playing cabby for this vimeo short https://deref-mail.com/…/client/_iz45mSV6tY/dereferrer/… Next year I’m not training just take it ad hockery Thank you one and all
Great fun once again and very enjoyable. Good to see many folk from here – including meeting ulaca for the first time! I had 18 unsolved clues across the three qualifying puzzles which meant I was 68th= and missed the cut for the semifinal by 8 clues.
“I’ll be back!”
Thank you, interesting and useful.
I have a long term goal to get my average below 20 mins so that I can head down to dat dere London for the champs and at least hope not to embarass myself in the qualies. At least until I’ve had a pint.
But stats do not tell the whole story, we need other solvers to calibrate by and some are like quasars in the crossword universe. Magoo and verlaine are 2 of the brightest but are also very far away so I use more realistic ones. When one of those beacons is grateful not to finish last it tells me there is still a long way to go. One day.
Thanks to all at TftT.
An enjoyable day – nice to meet (and re-meet) a few of you.
Great day, great fun – but my goodness, the three qualifying puzzles were tough.
I don’t mind admitting there were four answers in the first grid alone that I had never heard of – and I biffed only one of them correctly.
Someone told me that last year there was a sense that the qualifying puzzles were too easy; there were people scoring the full 90 who didn’t make it to the next stage.
It would appear they compensated for that this year!
It was a grind for the whole hour and I never felt on the right wavelength with any of the puzzles.
But I’m pleased I went, it was great to mingle with the tribe and I look forward to next year.
Sorry I missed that you were there and failed to bump into you. Will you be back next year?
Yes, ditto. Someone at the George said John Moody’s just left and it was too late. Probably not. I’d be more likely to return if I return to live in England.
I might try to dovetail a holiday in with a summer George reunion, though.