Times Crossword Championship 2023

We have a new champion!

And one of TimesforTheTimes own. Matthew Marcus, aka Verlaine, is the new champion, triumphing in the 3 man final over Peter Steggle, who made a mistake despite finishing first and David Webb. Well done Matthew! What is more, he flew in from Portland, Oregon just to take part. Read The Times report on the event here.

I was there too, along with a number of other stalwarts of TimesforTheTimes, both bloggers and commenters. So here is my story of the day. (Compare, if you like, to my description of the 2019, contest, the last time it happened, here).

My start to the day was inauspicious. I had signed up to the 9:30 am heat so had a ticket for the 6:25 train from Bury St. Edmunds, but when I got to the station there was a sign saying there were no services because the rail network in Suffolk was flooded. Time for a plan B. Fortunately the 9:30 am heat had been merged with the 11:30 am session to make 1 heat of 120 contestants so I had some time to spare and was able to book a train from Royston instead, with a 45 minute drive each way. I had time to walk from Kings Cross to The Times offices in London Bridge Street and be at the front of the queue to get in when the doors opened.

We had time for a cup of coffee and a bit of breakfast before the start and mingle with the other contestants. It was great to meet up with several I had met before and meet a few more. Here are a few of my photos.

Before the start. I met and caught MikeOsborne, Pootle, Mike Harper, Mcrapper, Keriothe, Verlaine, JerryW, and Busman on camera.

We were all ushered into the competition space - a bit like going into exams at school.

The view out the windows was great, but best not to be distracted by that when solving.

Nearly ready to start, but some were caught out by travel problems from Storm Babet and didn't make it, so there were a few empty desks.

Mick Hodgkin, Time Puzzles Editor was our MC.

Phones off before we start... if your phone rings during the contest you are automatically disqualified. We were off and the clock on the screens at the front started counting remorselessly towards the 60 minute we had to complete the 3 puzzles.

I started with the first one and took a while to get going. After 13 1/2 minutes with less than 3/4 of the first puzzle done I decided to move onto the next one, which was slightly easier, and when I got stuck on that one went on to the 3rd. To my relief, the answers were starting to come steadily now and after nearly finishing the third I flipped back to the first two and filled in the rest of the answers. Slightly nervously, I held up my number sign to say I was finished after about 41 1/2 minutes, Would that be quick enough to make the semi-final? Had I made any mistakes? Too late to do anything about it now if I had. I waited out the remaining 18 minutes reading the paper I had got in my contestant's tote bag.

We then had a break for lunch while the results from the heat were worked out. In the break we also got a presentation from Mick Hodgkin and a Q&A session with him and Richard Rogan, the crosswords editor.. 

Mick told us about the forthcoming changes to the puzzles page and apps and that there will be an (online only) Saturday Quick Cryptic from January next year. Hooray! Our lobbying for it over the past couple of years has paid off!

Then the results of the heat came out. Qualifier Results. . Verlaine, our favourite for the title,  had come 3rd, Keriothe a brilliant 4th, Penfold 13th, Topical Tim 16th,  Me 25th, Mike Osborne 35th, Busman 36th, Linxit (previous organiser of TfTT) 40th and  Astonvilla1 50th, all qualifying for the semi-final. Sadly Pootle, JerryW and Mike Harper didn't make it, but they all stayed for the semi-final and final.

I enjoyed the changing view over London as showers spread across the city was we waited to start the semi-final.

So to the semi-final. Same again. Another hour to complete 3 puzzles. Alas, they beat me, but I was by no means the only one as the difficulty stepped up from the 3 of the heats. My 6 hour drive through storm Babet on Friday and my 5:15 am start maybe took its toll as I finished 47th out of 60, but only 23 of the semi-finalists finished all correct, so I was in good company. Behind our finalist Topical Tim came an excellent 10th and Busman came an super 17th. Despite finishing 10 minute ahead of the next finisher, the reigning champion Mark Goodliffe made a mistake leaving Peter Steggle, Matthew Marcus and David Webb to shoot for the title with a final puzzle. Here are the full Semi-final Results.

The rest of watched on after Mick in his introduction to the shoot-out marvelled at the concept of crossword solving as a spectator sport. Several in the audience had a go at the same puzzle at the same time. I saved my copy for another time as I was pretty much crossworded out by now.

Peter finished first in just under 14 1/2 minutes.

And then Matthew after over 19 minutes

Mick called a halt at 30 minutes with David still not finished. The papers were compared and Peter had made a mistake, but Matthew had got it all correct... and was thus the champion! Congratulations! Here are the official results Final Results.

After a celebratory glass of wine it was down to The George. Sadly Big Dave passed away earlier this year so he was not there with other non-Times solvers. But a fair few participants assembled outside for a drink or two, despite the rain coming again. Here are a few photos from there including some from David1 who came to join us despite not competing.

Astonvilla1 got some beers in.

Penfold had come down from Yorkshire and had a difficult journey getting to his seat 30 seconds before the heat started.

Just to prove I was there - That's Busman with me.

Mike Harper and I were first to The George.

But were soon joined by several others.

The rain became quite persistent....

...and by 6pm we started to disperse and I headed for home, getting there just after 9pm.

A grand day out. Thanks to The Times event folk for hosting it, the setters for the excellent puzzles and Mick Hodgkin for acting as MC. I'm looking forward to next year's already!