The Hindu Cryptic (THC) crosswords by Gussalufz
Interactive versions of my THC puzzles that were published 4+ months back. Each puzzle includes revealable/checkable solutions and annotations as well as some notes by me, so be sure to click on "Reveal all!" after solving.Recent THC crosswords by Gussalufz
The links below go to THC web site.|
THC #13954: August 26, 2023
25 25
|
|
THC #13930: July 29, 2023
Woke abruptly
|
|
THC #13929: July 28, 2023
Covertly convert (13)
|
|
THC #13902: June 27, 2023
Some jazz players?
|
|
THC #13878: May 30, 2023
Sketchy people?
|
|
THC #13866: May 16, 2023
A tall tale?
|
Other cryptic crosswords by Gussalufz (and doppelgängers, and friends!)
Several puzzles have special effects and/or trickery. Nearly all puzzles are intereactively solvable (please click on "Reveal all!" after solving, to see my notes).|
29
July 2023 |
Determination
The preamble reads:
Solutions to four Down clues have a common element that's called out by the
title. These solutions are also the definitions for four other special Down
clues that do not include definitions. Solutions to these special Down clues
have to be entered in the grid in a cryptic manner. Enumerations shown in these
special clues are for the grid entries, not for the solutions. When finished,
the phrase formed by the circled letters will also confirm what you did.
My third crossword in 1 Across, UK. |
|
Browser 131
July 2023 |
The Browser Cryptic #131
Pioneer
This is my second crossword appearing in The Browser. It has a theme and an unusually hidden nina that solvers were asked to find (with a prize going to one lucky solver). |
|
Object 001
July 2023 |
Object Cryptic Crossword 001
Kutch ni Koyal!
This is my first crossword in Object magazine, a sleek coffee-table-worthy magazine from Bombay that goes deep into Indian socio-political-cultural issues *and* fashion. I have tried to make my crossword reflect the authentic desi vibe of the mag. |
|
By Hitchhiker & Gussalufz
April 2023 |
Random Number Doubled
My first collaboration with the hoopiest of all froods, Martin DeMello!
We ran this one as an online contest in April 2023. |
|
Browser 112
February 2023 |
The Browser Cryptic #112
Browser aficionados may spot a theme!
This is my first (non-mini) crossword in The Browser, a subscription-based newsletter. This puzzle has some pukka American features, such as American spellings, no Commonwealthy abbreviations, no setter-pseudonym, and a couple of crass surfaces :-). |
|
ixl-2022-1
December 2022 |
IXL 2022 Finals: On-stage Grid-2
Also themeless and ninaless.
I was the anonymous setter for this very last Indian Crossword League (IXL) 2022 crossword that was solved on-stage by the finalists. This is a recording of the live stream from the event. |
|
ixl-2022-2
November 2022 |
IXL 2022 Round 8
Themeless and ninaless.
I was the anonymous setter for this Indian Crossword League (IXL) 2022 online round crossword. |
|
ixl-2022-0
October 2022 |
IXL 2022 Practice Round
Swades.
I was the anonymous setter for this Indian Crossword League (IXL) 2022 practice round crossword. |
|
Browser-Mini-22-01
November 2022 |
Browser Sevens #10
This is a mini cryptic (5x7) that's meant to be an easy puzzle (but hopefully
is fun, nonetheless!).
This crossword was published on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (the day of mid-term elections in the US). |
|
27
July 2022 |
Missing Links
|
|
ixl-2021-2
December 2021 |
IXL 2021 Finals: Preliminary Round 2
Minus or plus?
I was the anonymous setter for this Indian Crossword League (IXL) 2021 crossword, used in the finals. |
|
ixl-2021-1
November 2021 |
IXL 2021 Online Round 9
One does a lot of talking...
I was the anonymous setter for this Indian Crossword League (IXL) 2021 crossword, used in an online round. |
|
26
December 2021 |
Blame Ancients?
This crossword is a part of IIT-Madras Alumni Association's 2021
annual gathering event, Sangam. The crossword's theme is
borrowed from the event's theme, which is,
"Restoring Balance in STEM." It was run as an open contest in early 2022.
|
|
23
August 2021 |
Trump is Trump
|
|
ixl-09-2020
November 2020 |
IXL 2020 City Round
Encouraging words...
I was the anonymous setter for this IXL 2020 crossword. |
|
20
October 2020 |
Unlock and find a bug
Elementary, etc.
I ran this as another fun competition across a few online groups. Solvers' comments can be seen after clicking on "Reveal All" in the solved version. |
|
By Ribelle & Gussalufz
September 2020 |
Chain Letters
A puzzle jointly created with Faten Ismail,
a brilliant and natural setter.
We ran this as a fun competition across a few online groups. Solvers' comments can be seen after clicking on "Reveal All" in the solved version. |
|
21
July 2020 |
Last Solo
|
|
19
May 2020 |
Wormholes
|
|
18
February 2020 |
Bar Bar Dekko
|
|
15
December 2019 |
Al's Trick
|
|
17
July 2019 |
Puzzling Times
|
|
16
July 2019 |
Untitled Crossword
|
|
14
June 2019 |
Putting Two And Two Together
|
|
13
May 2019 |
Cursory Appearances
|
|
12
January 2019 |
Fifteen Puzzles
|
|
11
December 2018 |
Missing Instructions
|
|
10
August 2018 |
King's Rule
|
|
8
April 2018 |
Do Squares Reveal?
|
|
5
April 2018 |
French Toast
|
|
4
January 2018 |
Hidden Figure
|
|
3
December 2017 |
Smashing Plates
|
|
-
September 2017 |
22⅘ Across
|
|
2
July 2017 |
Many Rustams
|
|
1
June 2016 |
Gussalufz
My first grid after at least 10 years.
In the 1ACross Facebook group |
Scrypbles: short essays on cryptics
| April 2023 | Cryptic Grammar |
| April 2022 | Composite Anagrams |
Links to crossword resources
| Exolve | Free open source software (MIT License) for setting up interactively solvable crosswords. All my puzzles above are powered by it. I have developed this software and I actively maintain it. The link takes you to the Exolve GitHub project that includes a detailed README file with instructions. |
| Exolve Player: https://exolve.app |
This is a powerful web app that uses Exolve to provide you with interactively solvable
crosswords from .puz and ipuz files. Of course, you can also open Exolve-formatted files
with it. Any crossword opened with Exolve Player will also have the Webifi interface
available (see below).
Moreover, it also lets you create an interactive version for any standard blocked crossword, starting from just the text of the clues (copied from a PDF or any web site), by automatically inferring the grid using clue numbers and enumerations. |
| Exet: https://exet.app | Free open source software (MIT License) for constructing crosswords. You can save the crosswords as Exolve files as well as .puz files. I have developed this software and I actively maintain it. You can directly start using the web app link given to the left, or you can access the Exet GitHub project for the source code and documentation. |
|
Exet-Hindi
Exet-Brazilian |
Versions of Exet for creating Hindi iand Portuguese (Brazilian) crosswords! Early days for these, lots of rough edges, but they will only get better. |
| Webifi | Free open source software (MIT License) that complements Exolve by adding an "interactive-fictionesque" solving interface to crosswords. You can navigate through clues, enter solutions, get assistance, etc., all in a manner similar to playing a text adventure game. You can use audio output and (if available on your platform) voice input, to create a screen-free crossword-solving experience. Webifi is enabled on most of my crosswords here, and in any crossword opened with Exolve Player. See documentation and details at the Webifi GitHub project. |
| Intro to Cryptic Crosswords | When someone asks me to recommend a good introduction for cryptic crosswords, Sarah Lolley's excellent site is what I usually start with. |
| Crossword Unclued | @ShuchiU's blog with excellent articles on various aspects of cryptic crosswords, including nice compilations of lists of indicator words. |
| Big Dave's Crossword Blog | Blog articles on Daily and Sunday Telegraph cryptic crosswords. Many other interesting sections (such as an annotated list of mythological characters). |
| Fifteensquared | Daily analysis of most British newspaper cryptic crosswords. If I come up with an indicator that I'm not sure of, I search in this site to see if someone else has pulled off the same trick previously, without inviting ridicule. |
About
Me
|
I'm Viresh Ratnakar, a cryptic crossword enthusiast and
a setter for the Hindu Cryptic (and elsewhere).
Other interests: Books. Running. Cooking. Eating.
Writing. Coding. Movies. TV. Cricket on TV. Red wine.
Beer. Scotch. Dogs. I get along best with dogs.
Here's a feature on me that appeared in Los Altos Town Crier, accompanying an entry-level, locally-themed crossword that I constructed for them. |
| Contact | @vireshratnakar on Twitter, @viresh@mastodon.social on Mastodon, viresh at gmail d0t com. |