Stamford Man Wins Crossword Tourney

Source: Stamford Advocate
Date: April 1, 1996
Byline: Patricia E. Odell

Stamford Man Wins Crossword Tourney

Stamford resident Ron Osher won the title of Connecticut state champion during yesterday's championship playoff at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament at the Stamford Marriott Hotel.

The 19th annual tournament played host to 240 crossword enthusiasts from across the country.

"I was very excited and I'm proud to represent my state," Osher said, "and at the same time I'd like to do better and finish in one of the top spots in the country. But I guess there's always next year for that."

Osher, 36, finished in fourth place at last year~s tournament and won the 1994 World Puzzle Championship in Cologne, Germany. This year he finished outside the top 10. Complete results of th~is year's crossword tournament are not available yet.

Osher began solving crossword puzzles as a young boy and by age 12 was solving the Sunday Times crossword in pen. He has edited a book of puzzles and brain teasers and competed on the national team. He owns Kaleidoscope, a multimedia store for children on High Ridge Road. -- Will Shortz, the crossword editor for The New York Times, started the tournament in 1978 in Stamford where he was a resident. Shortz now lives in Pleasantville, N.Y.

The event began on Friday night with warmup games and a reception and moved on to six timed puzzles on Saturday. The tournament culminated with yesterday's championship playoff.

Grand Prize winner Douglas Hoylman, 52, of Maryland received a $1,000 award. Second prize was awarded to Trip Payne, 27, of Georgia, and third place winner was Jon Delfin, 42, of New York City.