A puzzle for all time

 

 

The first crossword puzzle that appeared in December 1913 in the newspaper ‘New York World’ in the United States was created by British journalist Arthur Wynne, the one usually credited as the inventor. The idea of arranging letters in patterns is a lot older thought. Amulets with the magic word ABRACADABRA written in triangular form were prescribed as a cure for fever in ancient Rome. In the 18th century, Swiss mathematician Euler investigated Latin number squares, which conceptually forms the basis of one of the most popular puzzles today – Sudoku.

I grew up in a village in Flanders. At that time, TV and toys were not as widespread as they are today. So I spent time reading books or just exploring nature and all sorts of things. When you have to make do with what you have, you soon learn to be creative and thus I got interested in puzzles. In India, I often come across parallels with great examples of inventive problem-solving. I founded India’s first dedicated puzzle company. The skills and interests I evolved during childhood are useful both in my work as a professional puzzle-maker and within the World Puzzle Federation, which I represent in India. Puzzles are similar to the kind of challenges we all face in daily life. If you look at it that way, life is full of puzzles, all waiting to be solved.

As far as crosswords go, there are several styles of them being published, some of which may be more or less popular in particular countries. The most common type has word clues based purely on descriptions or definitions, which at times can be reduced to mere synonyms. Another popular type is the cryptic crossword, which has been around from the 1920s. Cryptic clues rely on several types of wordplay, which the solver needs to be familiar with. The clue “Perfume cloth seen in European nation (9)” would be a good example of a so-called container as it gives FRAGRANCE, placing RAG (“cloth”) inside FRANCE (“European nation”). Today, thousands of newspapers all over the world carry these daily, featuring millions of clues. I quite like crosswords which use a mixture of both definitional and cryptic clues. This way not only do I get to test vocabulary and general knowledge, but also an opportunity to think about words from a different angle. In fact, crossword addicts who cannot do without it at their breakfast table are hooked for the same reason.

There is no world championship yet dedicated to crosswords. Perhaps because it would be quite a complicated affair, given that you would first have to agree on a common language and perhaps even spelling. But there are national championships in the US, UK and several other countries. There’s even a tri-annual Francophone Crossword Championship which gathers competitors from French-speaking countries such as Belgium, Canada, France or Switzerland.

Almost a century since the first one appeared, crosswords are here to stay. New age puzzles like the Sudoku (often called the numerical equivalent of a crossword) may have captured public imagination, but for die hard enthusiasts, the fascination for the word game remains even in this internet age. In my view, the internet has only had a positive effect, by providing access to more and a wider variety of puzzles. There are also discussion forums dedicated to crosswords, where information and tips are being exchanged. This is a healthy development, especially for fans of cryptic crosswords, who form something like a niche group. Crossword puzzles do require a certain vocabulary and language skill set to solve but once you have picked it up it’s hard to put your pen down.