Liveblogging from the ACPT at the Brooklyn Marriott...
[12:20] C and B clues being handed out by Will's elves...the demigods are up on stage and will be getting their A clues...gonna do the C clues myself...hey, why no D clues :)
[12:25] Will is checking to see that everyone has the A, B, and C clues who wants them...
Kevin Der, constructor...
C division goes first
Aaron [missed his last name] (third place): 7:27
Jeff Davison (second place): 6:50
Benjamin Coe (winner): 6:26
MetaRex time: not sure--14:10 on clock left in the front of the room when I finished--missed start time on clock--my neighbor to the right finished about 10 seconds before me...
[12:39]
B division finalists--
Glenn, Robert, Jeffrey...
Commentary by Greg Pliska (War Horse composer) joined by Ophira Eisenberg (NPR)...discussion of the difference between the C and the B clues...Ophira will name her daughter 32A APOLUNE...Greg wonders if that was Prince's old GF...Ophira raises the specter of undetected Canadian takeover...Greg discusses FARM TO TABLE aka FARM TOTABLE...
[12:47]
Robert has CLEAR LEAD and a CLEAR LEAD...he's done w/ 13:12 left...a cheer from him and then clapping from the audience...rock and roll!
Jeffrey done w/ 11:50...
Glenn last to finish...Greg notes that the key is perfection if you're in third and the hope that the faster folks have blown it...
Greg talks about being on stage twice and spacing...
Glenn Ryan 3rd--8:34
Jeffrey Schwartz 2nd--8:10
Robert Mackie first--6:52
Now the A team and the satanic clues...Will says Kevin D. thought Willl's clues were too easy :)
Time for the A team extended to 20 minutes from the usual A team 15 minutes based on test solvers times...
Dan Feyer (10 seconds over TH)
Tyler Hinman (3 seconds over AE)
Anne Erdman--It's her birthday! yay!--
Third year in a row w/ the same three finalists...wow...
20:13 on the clock...
I just can't tell how hard the A clues are by looking at them given that I've solved the C clues...
example 1--12D CLEAR LEAD...C clue--"Big advantage in a race"; B clue--"What an undisputed frontrunner has"; A clue--"What an overwelming favorite has"...maybe not such a huge ABC diff there...
example 2--35A BALLADES...C clue--"Some French verses"; B clue--"Some Chopin piano pieces"; A clue--"Envoys resolve them"...huge A to C diff(iculty) diff(erence) w/ this one
Dan in the middle is rockin'...
Tyler and Anne groovin' but a bit behind...
Dan has not killed the left...tough clue "Hamartia" there for 27D for FATAL FLAW (clued in C as Achilles' heel and in B as "Key element in Greek tragedies")
Dan has DDE for FDR...uh oh...
Dan fixes DDE...
Dan is done w/ 9:23 left! Greg and Ophira see no HAMARTIA in his grid :) Tyler and Anne still groovin'
Anne done w/ 8:29...
Tyler still workin'...still has open squares in NW...still workin'...man this is a tough biz...Tyler is so freakin' good and he's havin' a blank-out...he's now cleared up some stuff...still workin' on the NW...2:05 left...1:18 left....time's up...still white in NW...TH finishes w/ just a little extra time!!!
Tyler third...
Second, Anne--yay!
Winner, Dan--10:41--champ 4 yrs in a row!!!!
[Ethics footnote...should not be any livebloggin' posted by MR or any other villains until all the solvers are done...screwed up on that this time...will make sure to adhere to that next yr]
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