If it's Daylight Savings Time weekend, it's probably time for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. This year is the 37th edition of the annual competition, and, almost incredibly to me, I'll be attending for the 13th time.
Much of the sentiment I expressed in last year's preview still holds true. The disappointment I felt about my failure in the 2013 final hasn't led to more practice or a greater hunger. While I have mixed up my tough-puzzle solving with this book and the occasional attempt to solve a triple-stack crossword with Down clues only, I've done nothing in the way of speed-solving on paper. I'll probably do a bit of it on the plane just to get back into the groove, if indeed that groove is still there.
With my perfect-solve streak now standing a nice round zero, I consider this sort of a proving year for me. Do I have the skills to threaten to get on stage, or can I not just flip that switch anymore? Plus, I want to gauge my mental outlook on the event; it certainly seems like I don't relish the hunt like I once did. I don't enjoy my spiking nerves or the "rivalries" in a group I consider first and foremost to be a friendly one. I don't like being a focus of attention for attendees or media coverage. Yes, this tournament is somewhat of a tradition for me, and I do look forward to seeing friends, and I do find it hard to tear myself away as long as the possibility of the title is there. Plenty of pros and cons, really.
As for the general outlook on how the tournament will proceed, stop me if you've heard this one: Dan Feyer is the favorite, trying to match the record of five straight titles immediately after I did it. What's more, Dan has just moved to San Francisco to challenge my recent West Region supremacy, which means there's a solid chance that, for the first time ever, I will leave the tournament without a first-place trophy of any kind. That prospect is a bummer, sure, but it doesn't really change anything for me; my approach has been "championship or bust" for a good decade now. Snagging a spot in the final is likelier to get harder than easier, with a goodly number of hungry players eager for their chance after three straight years of Dan, Anne Erdmann, and me up there. So expect Puzzle 7 to be a tense one among the tightly bunched top competitors. As I implied in the opening sentence, between the time zone change and the lost DST hour, that 9 AM puzzle will feel like 5 AM to us Pacific folk. I can't say it's had much of an effect in the past, but in a tight situation, any mental slip could be costly. If advance scouting is your thing, here's a list of this year's constructors. Let the speculation as to the ordering begin!
Once more unto the breach, friends. See you in Brooklyn.