Inquisitor Review of the Year 2022-23: The Results

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Posted on Behalf of John Henderson

Looking Back (a Year)

Congratulations, Ploy! Retrospective takes the award for Inquisitor of the Year. It’s not an inappropriate title: this puzzle was one of the two “left over” puzzles from 2022, published to celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. As you’ll see from the standings, it’s a clear winner – and would have been even further ahead if I’d counted the spoiled vote that only named Ploy’s puzzle. This is his first win – as a solo setter, anyway – his name will go on the Shield along with that of his Plench team.

The chasing pack includes other podium debutants: Gila and Eclogue, whose puzzles seem (as last year) to reflect your liking for the unorthodox. Congratulations to them, and to regulars (eXternal + Serpent =) eXtent, who tied for third.

In summary:

  • Four of the six toughest puzzles made the cut
  • None of the six easiest made the cut
  • Just under three quarters of the puzzles received at least one vote
  • Five abstentions, who (thank you!) wrote to say that choosing winners was too difficult
  • Three “spoiled” votes (two awarding more than 6 total points, one nominating only one puzzle)
  • There was only six “3” scores

And the table. As last year, only puzzles with a total of 2 points or more are shown.

 

 

Position No. Title with starred difficulty
(***tougher-*easier) 		Setter Pts

1

 1783 Retrospective** Ploy 16½

2

 1798 A Change of Pace*** Gila 9½

=3

 1806 Clash!** eXtent 8½

1811 Headingley 2019** Eclogue

=5

 1792 Trios** eXternal 8
1827 Sixty Happy Years** Nimrod

=7

 1822 Filling Cells*** Phi 7
1830 Arable Land** eXtent
1831 Shipshape** Methuselah

10

 1819 Mirror Image V** Serpent 6½

=11

 1785 A Face To Be Reckoned With** Serpent 6
1814 Tailors** Kirsanov

=13

 1790 Great Parliamentarians** Cranberry 4½
1807 See For Yourself** Nathan Panning
1820 Wallace Collection** Ifor

=16

 1786 Seen From a Window** Hedge-sparrow 4
1788 Power Discharge** IN

18

 1824 Flight Plan** eXternal 3½

19

 1816 Gridlocked** Soup 3

=20

 1795 Come Into Force** Apt 2½
1803 Intersection*** Vismut

=22

 1796 Rock Group** Ifor 2
1813 Cross World Squares*** Arcadia
1823 Open Minds** Cranberry

Thanks to all, as ever. On with 2024.

John

3 comments on “Inquisitor Review of the Year 2022-23: The Results”

  1. I’m delighted to learn that my puzzle “Retrospective” has made it to the top of the voting table. Sincere thanks to all who contributed to that result, it means a lot to me.

    Following its launch on Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope went into service in July 2022, coming very much into public attention at that time. I was immediately struck by its array of distinctive mirrors as being a good basis for a hexagonal-cell crossword – it more or less demanded it! I got straight to work, not knowing if others might have the very same idea. I’m most grateful to John for progressing the resulting puzzle so quickly, and arranging for it to appear at Christmas 2022, marking a JSWT first anniversary.

    The puzzle was test-solved by two of my crossword collaborators, Chris and Tim, and vetted by the IQ panel, of course. Their perceptive feedback resulted in a better puzzle, and I’m very grateful to them for that.

    Thanks to John and the team for providing solvers with such a varied offering of consistently interesting crosswords, week in, week out. I’m sure 2024 will be no exception.

  2. Congratulations, Ploy!

    Having never set an IQ before I’m extremely gratified to have received any points at all – thanks to those who were kind enough to vote for mine. Here’s to more in future. And, of course, thanks to the inestimable JH for everything.

  3. Congratulations, Phil, on a well-deserved win. As one of the test solvers this was an absolute joy to solve and the final stages were little short of miraculous.

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