Stats – We had a good response to this grid with 33 submissions to this somewhat tougher grid (as against 49 for our last grid)!. Of those who submitted only 14 managed to complete the grid with zero errors, and of that, only 9 went on to get the maximum possible score of 165. Here’s the completed grid.
Solutions to clues had to be entered cyclically in their respective rows and columns. For example, if 8 across started in the 8th column, it would proceed across to the right hand side for the first eight letters till the last column and then continue from the first column on the left hand side of the same row for the last seven letters. Solvers had to insert the solutions where they will fit together using this method throughout. It helped to know that no entry starts at its numbered square.
The following question had to be answered by the solvers..
What is the NINA? – A: 1 ACROSS (highlighted above)
You can access the Grid with solutions Here – Clicking Reveal ALL will show you the solutions, annotations and the answers to the bonus questions.
Here is the scorecard (sorted by total and then alphabetically). Congrats to the 9 solvers who maxed the
score and to every one who participated. Very well tried.
Grid Rating: The puzzle got a superb score of 9.03. It got 15 perfect 10s. The minimum score was 5.
Top 3 Clues: The most favorite clues were “AIR CONDITIONERS” with 16 votes, “RECONCILIATIONS” with 12 votes and “COUNTERVAILABLE” with 11 votes each.
Comments from solvers:
1. Pretty good stuff, mostly requiring cold solving, but the bunch of anagrams helped. Appreciated the grid construction and variation technique used. Nice clues, good wordplay, but a couple of surfaces looked strange. Good workout all told, interesting. The grid was so crowded that my eyes were getting strained trying to figure out the NINA, in the end, just popped in something which seemed to pop out, but can’t figure any connection, so probably not quite what is required
2. It was a delightful puzzle. An absolute treat to solve. Kudos to the setter & 1Across.
3. Loved the challenge of knowing some of the answers but then figuring out how they fit
4. Good
5. Excellent and unique !
6. “ACROCAT was the only thing that looks like a word for the NINA, but I’m not sure about it.. It must have taken some effort in construction – well done.
7. Very clever idea. Loved it.
8. Makes you tear your hair out but rewarding in the end
9. Loved the puzzle! I couldn’t find the nina, though.
10. The grid construction is mind-boggling, hence a full score!
11. Good fun. There are a couple other places where one can see 1ACROSS partially 1ACROSS. Curious to know if they were inadvertent or aborted nina attempts!
12. “Great idea for a puzzle. Amazing to have found fourteen 15-letter words that fit together like this, not to mention the Nina! I assume it was an automated search.
13. The Exolve rotation feature was a huge help for solving.”
14. Loved it
15. Too complicated !
16. SIMPLY GREAT. A COMBINATION OF PROGRAMMING AND CROSSWORD SKILLS AT WORK.
17. Loved it! Seemed daunting at first but it was fun to figure out the logic behind fitting the clues together.
18. Lovely. How does one compose such a grid?
19. who has time to think up such stuff. good job
20. Brilliant
21. 1. FAIR CHALLENGE 2. FUN AND EXCITING 3. CREATIVE
22. Very innovative and entertaining
23. very nice
24. Got 13 of the 14 solutions to properly fit. Was looking if there is another combination to fit all 14, but couldn’t find. Submitting knowingly that solution no.11 is wrong
25. Wonderful grid. Enjoyed solving it
26. Nice!
27. Amazing stuff!
28. Excellent and Challenging
29. Lovely Puzzle!
30. Excellent puzzle. Tough one to solve. But really well constructed.
31. Excellent
Hope you all enjoyed this entertaining puzzle from Eclogue. Did you like the puzzle? Do you have any feedback for us or for the setter? Please leave your comments in the blog.