Chocolatespoon: Emily’s Musings

No excuse for not posting here since Thanksgiving, but here’s my excuse for not posting anything for the next few weeks — we’re deep in the throes of Puzzle Day planning for this year’s event.  Here’s a quick write-up in case you haven’t heard me talking about it over and over again.

————–

Details and pre-registration information are available at http://www.svpuzzle.org.

Saturday (1/30) will be a packed day of puzzle-themed workshops (10:30am-5:45pm). Workshops include 5-time ACPT champion Tyler Hinman and repeating US and World sudoku champion Thomas Snyder sharing stories together about what it is like competing at the championship level.  Tyler and Thomas are also each giving workshops about other kinds of puzzles that keep them busy.  There will also be a panel of cruciverbalists, moderated by Andrea Carla Michaels, talking about the whole crossword puzzle construction process from ideas to publication.  Hear how one Puzzle Day attendee was inspired by the workshops last year to try his hand at constructing and had his puzzle accepted to the NY Times!  There will also be a workshop discussing common crossword words and what goes into creating a crossword puzzle dictionary.  Check out the whole workshop schedule online on the Puzzle Day web site.

Sunday’s tournament will feature the sudoku competition in the morning and the crossword competition in the afternoon. Thomas Snyder is providing our sudoku puzzles and Will Shortz is providing the following week’s yet-to-be-published crossword puzzles for the crossword tournament.  There will also be bonus cryptic crossword and killer sudoku rounds to try your hand at.  Doors open at 9:30 and box
lunches and snacks (as well as puzzle books and other items) will be available for purchase during the event.

There is also a youth division (ages 8-15) with separate tournament puzzles and workshops aimed at them, so it’s great for multi-generational puzzle fun.

Puzzle Day benefits the Morgan Hill Library Foundation. Workshops are free, and donations of $20 for adult tournament competitors and $10 for youth tournament competitors are suggested.

We hope to see you at this fantastic event!  It’s a great way to warm up for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and/or meet new puzzle loving friends, all for a good cause!