XWord Info wouldn’t have existed for the past decade if Jeff Chen hadn’t stepped up to help me. That website is more complex than it appears, and I found it impossible to keep it going without help. Jeff to the rescue!
He’s been running the site since 2013, commenting on every puzzle, doling out POWs, delighting most readers and frustrating a few. Along the way, he ran his NYT puzzle total up to 147 (including an acrostic!), with many more published elsewhere. He also wrote a few puzzle books and a couple of Young Adult novels, with more on the way. He’s the editor of the Sunday Crossword at Andrews McMeel Universal, published in newspapers like The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Miami Herald.
And if all that isn’t enough, he has collaborated with many other constructors — 54 in the NYT alone. Several are new. That is, he has helped dozens of constructors (me included) get their first NYT crossword byline. If you’re stuck and you ask him for help, he loves to say, “Sure!”
When Jeff answered my call for website help ten years ago, I had never met him, and didn’t realize he lived just across the I-90 floating bridge from me. We became business partners and, quickly, friends. He’s among the nicest, smartest and the busiest people I know.
He’s also incredibly creative. Finding great ideas for crosswords is tough. Finding a dozen such ideas is nearly impossible. Jeff has hundreds. That’s not unique, but it puts him in the top tier, especially when you consider how tough competition for publication is now.
In his final week of comments, Jeff hinted that there had been some low spots along with the highs. It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that anyone expressing an opinion on the internet must become a target of someone who is deeply offended for one reason or another. A tiny percentage of what comes into our inbox is hate mail, but it does grind on one after a while. I can’t imagine what the big bloggers have to deal with, let alone Will Shortz. Jeff brushes it off, but I imagine it stings.
For many constructors, Jeff’s greatest contribution is his scored word list that he has grown and modified over many years. That’s not going away. He will continue to update it and it will continue to be available at XWord Info.
For others, it’s his daily commentary that has mattered the most. There are so many sites that comment on crosswords that it’s hard to stand out, but Jeff’s take was unusual. As a constructor himself who has worked through many types of grid problems, he aimed to help other constructors by sharing his knowledge of how a good puzzle comes together. There are many solid philosophies about how to do that. Jeff’s approach is his own, but learning from one successful practitioner and then applying your own sensibilities and creativity is a solid strategy many have followed to publication success.
I’m still figuring out what will become of the website. For now, I won’t be adding new puzzles, which means that most of the other pages will quickly get out of date, and I’ll have to decide what to do with them. The Finder Page and the Wordlist Download Page will continue as before, again with frequent updates. I’ll certainly keep the pre-Shortz puzzles since so much volunteer work has gone into them and, frankly, they’re fascinating. Details on all this, including how people who feel ripped off by a website that’s winding down, can get refunds, will be outlined in a future blog post. [In my mind, that phrasing sounded funny. Several people have explained to me that it’s not.]
Anyway, Jeff has gone to other adventures. I’d say I will miss him, but I won’t. He’s just across the bridge and we’ll continue to get together. Lucky me.
— Jim Horne
So no more NYT variety puzzles?
A couple of months ago, the Times stopped making most of the variety puzzles available except in the printed Sunday magazine, but if you dig around on the XWord Info opening page, you can find some that Jeff and Jim made available, in a different place from where that are was before. Correct me if I’m wrong about anything, Jim.
Very sorry to hear Mr. Chen is stepping down. Sorrier to hear the daily updates will not be continuing. Xword Info. was a nice resource to read a bit about the daily puzzle, sometimes explain the conceit of a puzzle that was not clicking for me, and to point out a puzzle’s pros and cons presented in a polite, upbeat way.
The one other daily NYT puzzle site I know of is so negative and full of childishly sensitive criticism, that I can’t even hate-read it.
I hope someone steps in to fill the void, but sincere thanks Mr. Horn and Mr. Chen for all the work you put into the site. It was a frequent stop for me, and one I was thankful for. Sorry for not saying so sooner.
Best of luck in all future endeavors.
There are at least 3 other sites where the NYT Xword puzzle is discussed daily. Your criticism of RP may or may not be accurate- I disagree- but to the best of my knowledge RP has never- unlike Jeff- ignored the day’s puzzle to blather on about his climbing gym experience* due to a fit of pique with the puzzle constructor. (*Xword Info 3/12/22)
What are those sites, Bob?
Wordplay
Crossword Fiend
Rex Parker
Much appreciated.
I would very much appreciate links to the other two daily NYT sites – I’ll try googling for them if you don’t have time to respond.
I imagine it wasn’t too difficult to guess correctly that I was referencing RP’s blog? I suppose reasonable people can disagree, but his inability to read certain names, terms or three letter organizations in the puzzle without seeming to get the vapors is off-putting to me, and to many, many others, including many of his commenters.
I suppose we should be thankful he doesn’t eat Gluten-Free or else he’d complain three times a week about the puzzle’s inclusion of ‘OREO.’
This is not to say that I found all of Jeff’s commentary to align with my worldview (nor that I need any commentary to do so.) He was just rarely dramatic about it.
I probably read and was confused by the commentary on the puzzle you referenced. I would agree, not very useful analysis, but I’m also completely ignorant of whatever kerfuffle was going on at the time, so It’s hard to have strong feelings about it one way or another.
This is also Jeff’s site, or former site. I didn’t feel the need to be critical. (I haven’t been critical, nor have I ever made a comment of any sort, on RP’s site.)
I didn’t find all the commentary here to be helpful or even level-headed at all times – taking issue with in-the-language-terms that happen to have a single word in common with a racial epithet, but not because of any commonality with any racial epithet, also seems pretty sensitive to me. The difference being Jeff didn’t comment every time, and when he did it was along the lines of, “maybe not the best thing to have in the puzzle” rather than the more animated and totally hyperbolic commentary RP so frequently makes.
But hey, not my site, I’m free to visit or not visit. So I rarely visit RP’s site, and will miss frequently visiting this one. It seems enough people enjoy RP’s site to keep it a going concern, and I’m happy it’s there for those folks.
I’m just not one who finds the negative worth wading through to enjoy the positive.
I feel the way you do about Rex Parker. I enjoy Diary of a Crossword Fiend already, and will use Wordplay a bit more than I’ve been doing. I always found Jeff to be kind and fair. One quite positive thing about Parker’s column is that if you have one thing about a crossword that is bothering you particularly, you will most likely find a reference to it in the extensive comments on his column.
There’s a fourth (well, a podcast, anyway: Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword). We tend to be tad cheerier than Rex most days (ok, *every* day 😀), but that may be a side effect of living in Wisconsin 😀
Thanks – I may check it out. What I liked most about Xword Info was that it was brief, but usually thorough, so easy to spend a couple of minutes after a solve. I hope more people who might like the podcast find it.
I am going to miss Xword Info and Jeff Chen’s (and sometimes Jim Horne’s contrasting views on the same puzzle) crossword website. After finishing the puzzle, I read it every day before going to the “official” NYT comments. Sniff! Nothing can replace this website for insightful comments on the puzzles. I hope someone can step up to fill the void.
Five things I have loved about Jeff’s daily commentary:
1) He has always managed to find something positive to say about every puzzle.
2) He has always stayed focused on the puzzle, never making it about himself or his own cleverness (though he could have).
3) His style is inclusive and welcoming, and I think he has managed to speak to both newbies and pros alike.
4) His commitment to mentoring and collaboration has nurtured many new constructors and sharpened the skills of more seasoned ones.
5) His creative use of tools and technology has really pushed the envelope for both constructors and solvers, helping raise the bar for the entire field.
Jeff, please accept a big THANKS for all of your hard work and commitment to learning, growing, sharing and managing to have fun within this funky playground. (shout-out to Jim Horne as well!).
Your site has been an inspiration. The resources are exceptional and the commentary always spot on. Even if we can’t still get your daily funny and insightful analysis, whether doing a puzzle and not quite getting the theme, or trying to create one and in search of the right word, you always had the answers. I hope you’ll find a way to at least leave this accessible in its current state. It’s a wonderful resource. I wish you wonderful new adventures.
Thank you, Jeff. Jim may not miss you, but many people will!
Well said and true for many reasons. RP is a daily delight in large part for the commentariat who agree or dis, but the site has never refused to include quoted assessments when Jeff’s take on a grid differed from the RP Crossworld view.
I would appreciate it if you could keep the Acrostic archive, as I still have so many left to enjoy. If not, perhaps you could provide information on somewhere else to access Acrostics past and present.
The “old” acrostics (8/27/23 and before) are still on the site.
TBPH, I’m getting a baaaaaad feeling about the future of the NYT Sunday Variety Puzzle on xwordinfo.
Currently, if you like solving acrosrics **online** as I do…
1. Wall Streeet Journal, roughly once a month (wsj.com/puzzles)
2. Crossowrd Nexus (via patreon.com)- New one out today!
3. Dave Murchie’s site (mondayfills.com)
Any others? Would be happy to find out about them!
Does anyone know of a place where acrostics will be updated? That’s the main reason I am on this website and it’s a real bummer to have to dig around every few months because the digital versions keep going away.
Oh, this is a sad day indeed. For our podcast, we are always turning to xwordinfo, it is (was?) a fantastic resource. Thanks, Jeff (if you’re reading this) for all the hard work you put into it.
Jim,
Did you offer him a massive raise?
Barry
The headline has a typo. I will absodefinitely miss Jeff Chen.
Just wanted to broadcast my sincere thanks to Jeff for all his work on XwordInfo through the years – the guy’s a rockstar in my book! Will miss his commentary for sure….
This is a drag on so many levels I can barely breathe. Invaluable resource. Phenomenal, underpaid, brilliant creators. Loss is incalculable. Thank you is not enough… Jeff and Jim, you are beyond necessary for this community (even tho you never made me into a baseball card!). I give you an eternal POW!
Add me to the list of people that will miss Jeff’s daily commentary. I’ve been solving nyt daily since 2020 and Sundays since the 90s but didn’t find this site until a few months ago. What will I do every day after solving when I want to see if Jeff had a similar take to mine on the puzzle?
Jeff, thanks for your insights. I’ve never constructed so it was especially interesting to hear your take on the puzzles, I learned to appreciate things I never would’ve known about otherwise.
Class act, a great stumble that I purposefully view every day
Hope the database aspects can stick around & continue updating–and happy to help in some capacity. That’s always been the most valuable part of xword.info to me!
*xwordinfo — ugh, always mis-type the URL haha
I was definitely saddened to hear this news! Jeff’s level-headed, helpful, and insightful commentary has been a go-to for me for years! Jeff also responded to me via email several times when I reached out to him about crossword themes and ideas. Such a gracious guy!
You’ll be missed by me, among others, Jeff. Thank you for all the hard and good work you’ve done. You’ve had a wonderful impact in the crossword community, and I will miss reading your thoughts every morning!
Best to you.
I won’t miss him either. He was a bit too into talking about himself and the meta comments about his commentary were tedious. Didn’t even say goodbye. He’s a wonderful constructor though.
Is this the end of acrostics? I live in a remote area and cannot get NYT in print. Woe is I.
Everything messy is happening at once, and I don’t know whether those things are related. The variety puzzles stopped being made available online, and I also thing the regular acrostic creators retired around the same time. XWord Info made a few other acrostics available once in a while post-apocalypse, and I don’t know whether there was a system to it. Then Jeff left, but Jim is still here. I have a problem with the print edition also. I live in Brooklyn, New York, but I’m a hoarder and my husband says he’s too old to cart out the papers, so I can’t have a paper subscription. But I think it’s really unfair of the Times to punish people like Mimi who cannot get the print edition.
I think Jeff Chen’s departure is a devastation, and it’s so awful I can hardly think about it. I tried to “like” Jim’s nice words, but I was not allowed to, although I’m a Games and XWord Info subscriber. I was told to log into Word Press, but had difficulty and stopped. Perhaps that’s why there are not 1,000 likes there. I think most people had a deep love for this site and Jeff and Jim’s work.
Can’t stand the way one or two people misused Jim’s nice joke about how he won’t miss Jeff because he’ll still see him and meet him frequently.