Date and Time

The tournament, both in-person and online, will run from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, June 14. In-person solvers will be able to arrive at 10 to sign in and socialize. The day will include a 75-minute lunch break.

Visit the Schedule and Format page for more detail.

Location

Westwords will be held at Congregation Netivot Shalom, at 1316 University Avenue in Berkeley, CA. There are two large solving rooms as well as an outdoor patio for mingling. Some tables will be reserved for masked solvers only.

For virtual competitors, a Twitch stream will run throughout the day and broadcast the in-person festivities and announcements as well as features specifically tailored to those solving remotely, such as stream-only interviews with puzzle constructors.

Registration and Cost

Select the appropriate registration option below. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email from John Lieb (boswordstournament@gmail.com). The options are:

• In-person solving : $75 per person or $125 per pair

• Online solving: $35 per individual competitor or $50 per pair

  • A discounted $10 rate for online solving is available for anyone who can't afford the full price

You are also welcome to pre-order the 2026 puzzles, or purchase our past puzzles, to be sent to you in a pack that includes both .puz and .pdf formats. If you purchase the 2026 puzzle pack, it will be emailed to you on Monday, June 15 (the day after the tournament). If you purchase a puzzle pack from 2024 or 2025 (or both), it will be sent to you within 24 hours. If you have registered as a competitor for 2026, there is no need for you to purchase the 2026 puzzle pack — it will be sent to you automatically the day after the event.