Description
The Cryptic Crossword event involves several puzzles to be solved in the space of 100 hours.
This event does not count towards any of the Grand Prix meta events, nor does it have a Grand Prix ‘category’. However Grand Prix medals are available for this event.
Start time: Saturday 14th May 2022 18:00 BST (UTC+1)
Finish time: Wednesday 18th May 2022 22:00 BST (UTC+1)
Enter by registering here, and you will be emailed the Cryptic Crosswords to be solve at the start time, and answers must be submitted by the finish time.
Structure:
Four crosswords of incremental difficulty: easy, tricky, hard, complex.
The competition will be open for 100 hours from launch. All registered entrants will be emailed pdfs of the four puzzles at 18:00 BST on 14/05/22.
These can be completed in your own time until 22:00 BST on 18/05/22.
It is recommended that entrants print out the puzzles, to work on with pencil and eraser.
It is not expected that anyone will score 100%. The setter has included difficult elements in puzzles 3 and 4. A score in the high 80s will be considered excellent.
Entries will be accepted in the form of clear scans, pdfs or sharp photographs as attachments to the email address supplied. Please include MSO 2022 in the subject field.
Scoring out of 100:
40 available for puzzle 1 (Easy, contains no thematic).
30 for puzzle 2 (Tricky).
20 for puzzle 3 (Hard).
10 for puzzle 4 (Complex).
Each Wrong/ missing letter -10% from total (i.e. 36/40, 27/30, 18/20, 9/10)
Each Wrong/ missing word -20% from total (i.e. 32/40, 24/30, 16/20, 8/10)
Incorrect/ absent thematic -30% from total (i.e. n/a, 21/30, 14/20, 7/10)
All scores are incremental.
Judges’ decision will be final.
In the event of a tie, tiebreaker will be a) earliest time of submission
b) neatest handwriting
All answers may be found in the OED and/or Chambers.