Today marks the centennial anniversary of Hungary’s first crossword puzzle, which debuted on 22 January 1925 in the weekly magazine Ma Este. To celebrate this historic milestone, the National Association of Puzzle Solvers (ROE) is hosting a nationwide puzzle-solving competition, as announced by ROE President Éva Kasparek.
The inaugural Hungarian crossword puzzle, crafted by journalist Károly Kristóf, was a ‘crossword puzzle’ consisting of a 10×10 grid with 17 black squares and clues for 25 horizontal and 18 vertical solutions. Unlike modern crosswords, only the numbered rows formed meaningful words, while non-numbered rows did not. The prize for solving this innovative puzzle was equally novel—a trendy mahjong game. The puzzle’s popularity soared, leading to Hungary’s first puzzle-solving competition in 1925, which was won by teacher Irén Kerényi.
In the following century, Hungary established itself as a global puzzle powerhouse. While many countries focus primarily on Sudoku or traditional crosswords, Hungary boasts hundreds of puzzle magazines offering a wide variety of unique formats. Since 1992, the Hungarian team has won bronze five times in the World Puzzle Championships, and in 2007, Hungarian solver Pál Madarassy became an individual world champion.
To commemorate this centennial, the ROE is organizing a grand individual competition in Budapest’s ELTE Gömbaula. Participants will face 100 puzzles of varying difficulty, from simpler challenges to complex masterpieces designed for experts. Solvers will have three hours to tackle as many puzzles as possible without assistance. Points awarded will reflect puzzle difficulty, with the top scorers claiming victory. Over 300 contestants have already registered for what is the ROE’s largest annual event.
In addition to the competition, attendees can explore an exhibition showcasing milestones from Hungary’s crossword history. Highlights include the longest Hungarian crossword—over 44 metres long—created in 24 hours during an international event, as well as the prestigious ‘Golden Pencil Award’, once bestowed upon the country’s top puzzle creators.
The ROE plans to host ten additional puzzle-solving competitions throughout this jubilee year. In September, Hungary will host the World Sudoku and Puzzle Championships for the fourth time, following a decision by the World Puzzle Federation. The competitions will take place in Eger, with national selection rounds scheduled for spring.
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