This presentation will cover choosing puzzles based on difficulty, improving your puzzle vocabulary, adapting your fill sequence, interpreting the language of clues, and appreciating themes. If you get really stuck, online resources can provide a nudge. After you finish a puzzle, online explanations of clues and themes can deepen your understanding.

Steve Weyer has been a “cruciverbalist” (crossword aficionado) since the 1990s. He developed CrozzWord, a Java-based crossword solving application, in 2002. Since 2010, he’s been solving puzzles on his iPad, teaching crossword courses at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and constructing crosswords for fun and local organizations. His first New York Times crossword is scheduled to debut in 2023.