Patna: Will Nediger of London, Ontario, and Erik Agard of Kansas City, Missouri, emerged as the winners of the opening scoring rounds of the Canada Triple-C 2026 and US Triple-C 2026 cryptic crossword contests, respectively.
The online competitions, known as Canada Triple-C and US Triple-C, are inaugural international events organised by Extra-C, a Patna-based civil society initiative, in collaboration with the World Crossword Federation (WCF). The contests are supported by Bihar Tourism, Bihar Foundation and the Bihar-Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA).
Opening Round Results
In the Canada Triple-C competition, Rupert Marten Morrish of Markham, Ontario, finished second, while Daniel Currie Hall of Halifax, Nova Scotia, secured third place.
In the US Triple-C contest, Paolo Pasco of Brooklyn, New York, claimed second place, followed by Dan Schwartz of New York in third.
Practice Round Drew Strong Participation
The contests began with a practice round on July 5, which organisers said attracted a strong response from participants.
The practice round produced the same top three finishers in the Canada event as the opening scoring round. In the US competition, Paolo Pasco finished first in the practice round, followed closely by Erik Agard, while Mathew Theodore Marcus of Oregon placed third.
Organisers clarified that the practice round scores will not be included in the final championship standings.
Two More Rounds Scheduled
The competitions will continue with two additional scoring rounds on July 19 and July 26. Both rounds will begin at 10 am Pacific Time and 1 pm Eastern Time.
The cumulative scores from the three competitive rounds will determine the overall champions in both contests.
Global Crossword Initiative
According to the organisers, the contests aim to promote awareness and participation in cryptic crosswords among international audiences through an online format.
The competitions are being hosted on the Cryptic Singh platform, with participation from crossword enthusiasts across Canada and the United States.
