Nick Baxter’s friends have done some serious thinking lately. Hunched over tables in a Holiday Inn ballroom in Brno, Czech Republic, four very smart guys selected and directed by Baxter, ’79, MS ’80, won the World Puzzle Championships—again.
For more than 15 hours over three days, competitors from 12 countries attempted to figure out mazes, patterns, logical sequences and tricky grid configurations using nothing but brains and a pencil. Points were ascribed according to the difficulty of each puzzle and the total number of correct answers, and team points were based on individual members’ standings. Team USA edged the host Czechs 6,266 to 5,880 to win their fourth consecutive title.
Baxter, who competed on several world champion teams in the ’90s, says he “decided to go into management” to ensure a long-term association with the American puzzling squad. As captain, he administered the qualifying test last June—he designed several of its puzzles—and handled logistical details for the U.S. contingent. And when the team appeared to be wearing down emotionally after a difficult first day of competition, Baxter gave them the equivalent of a locker room pep talk. “I may be giving myself too much credit,” he says, “but they did much better the second day.”
