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The Crossword Capital Times
Annual open knockout

The Crossword Capital Cup

Coming December 2026Registration is not open yet

No seeding, no rating floor - you press Play and you're drawn against a fellow survivor. Lose once and you're out, until one name is left on New Year's Day.

The magic of the Cup

The Cup will be the one competition where the whole of Crossword Capital plays in the same field. There is no seeding and no qualification - a League Two newcomer can be drawn against a Grandmaster in Round One, and knock them out. That possibility is the whole point.

For most of December there will be no fixtures. Your opponent isn't named in advance - the draw happens the moment you press Play, against whoever else is standing in your round right then. Then, when only 128 remain, the Cup changes character: you're in the Draw, your opponent has a name, and the endgame plays out in the quiet days after Christmas - down to one champion, one year-stamped name, forever.

How it works

EntryWill be open to every signed-in player. Opt in during the registration window (1 October – 30 November) and you're in the draw. That's it.
The hallThe Cup hall keeps published hours - generous at the start, tighter as the field thins, so there's always a crowd when the doors are open. You can see how many are in the hall before you step in.
The drawNo draw ceremony, no fixture list. Press Play and you're drawn live against another survivor in the same round as you - whoever's there. Anyone left in the Cup can meet anyone else.
KnockoutWin and you're a Round Two player, then Round Three, and on. Lose anywhere and your Cup is over until next year.
The tiesEvery tie is a standard 1v1 crossword match - the same head-to-head game as ranked multiplayer, same time controls.
Keep goingWin and you can queue straight into your next round - up to 3 wins a day. Even the fastest solver can't lift the trophy before Finals Day.
The paceEach round has a deadline. Play whichever hall hours suit you, from any time zone - but fall behind the pace of the Cup and you're out.
The last 128Survive to the last 128 and you're in the Draw: your opponent is named, and your tie gets three one-hour meeting windows across different days - delivered to your Cup mailbox in advance. Make any one of them. Miss all three and you forfeit.
For gloryCup ties are unranked - your Glicko rating never moves, win or lose. Enter for the trophy, not the ladder, and nothing to fear if the draw hands you a giant.
Finals DayNew Year's Eve is the Cup's night off. Then the last four meet on New Year's Day - two semi-finals, then the Final, at published times, played live with the whole of Crossword Capital watching. Start the year as champion.

The shape of December

The Cup will own the month. The crowds play through the dark evenings of early December; the survivors' endgame belongs to the quiet days after Christmas. And on the 24th and 25th, nothing - no rounds, no deadlines. Even the Cup stops for Christmas.

RegistrationFrom 1 October
The gauntletFrom 1 December
The DrawThe last 128
The Christmas truce24 – 25 December
The showpieceFrom Boxing Day
New Year’s EveThe night off
Finals DayNew Year’s Day

Field size decides how many rounds stand between Round One and the Draw. Through the gauntlet there are no appointments - play whichever hall hours suit you and keep pace with the deadlines. From the last 16, ties become scheduled fixtures.

The 2026 Cup

Registration
Opens 1 October 2026
1 October – 30 November

Two months to put your name in. Opt in any time from 1 October, get your confirmation, and be ready when the hall doors open on 1 December.

The rounds
The hall opens 1 December
From 1 December

Press Play and you're drawn against a fellow survivor. The state of the Cup will live here - your round, the deadlines, who's still standing, and the day's giant-killings.

The first Crossword Capital Cup will be contested this December. Registration and the live state of the Cup will appear on this page.

Honours

One winner a year, listed here forever. The champion takes a year-stamped badge and profile flair - the runner-up and every Finals Day survivor are recorded too.

No names on the trophy yet - the first Cup is contested in December 2026. The first name could be yours.

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