Date: March 18, 2012
Byline: NY1 News
Annual Crossword Puzzle Tournament Underway In Brooklyn
College basketball isn't the only tournament underway that keeps most people guessing for the right answers.
The 35th annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is being held this weekend at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott in Downtown Brooklyn.
It was started by Will Shortz, the crossword editor for the New York Times, and is the world's oldest and largest event of its kind.
"What's amazing is there are a lot of people who are incredibly good at doing crossword puzzles. I mean, a puzzle that I can't finish, people are done in five minutes, and there are a lot of them," said crossword competitor David Buchholz.
"A lot of people want to come to see how well they do against the top solvers. They are also doing puzzles by the top constructors. So it's proving to yourself how good you are in a sport. And it is a sport, it's a sport of the mind," said tournament coordinator Helene Hovanec.
The crossword puzzle playoffs begin Sunday.