Sebi chief launches Indian Crossword League

A group of enthusiasts Sunday launched the second edition of the Indian Crossword League or IXL 2014, which will involve a combination of online and offline puzzle-solving contests.

The contest, which is open for Indians across the globe, will culminate on December 21, the 101st anniversary of the crossword, and will see 10 finalists vying to become the crossword-solving champion. U K Sinha, the chairman of capital markets regulator Sebi, launched the tournament Sunday and also unveiled the trophy which will be given to the winner.

The contest is an individual crossword-solving competition based on the round-robin format and will include 10 weekly, online rounds culminating in an offline final. The tournament, conceptualised by Bihar-cadre IAS officer Vivek Kumar Singh, saw 650 people enrolling for its maiden run last year.

The organisers are confident of an increase in the numbers this year.