Crossword editor’s desk: why the Independent’s puzzle should live on

An easy win for the newspaper, plus a puzzle with a hidden mathematical theme The Independent has an excellent puzzle made by excellent setters. Since 2016, it has, of course, been online-only. We used to link to gems from its cryptics on a weekly basis.

Then something changed: the interface. The puzzle player had no links and trying to complete its puzzles was like trying to write on mashed potatoes with a hammer. It felt like it had been removed from the crossword ecosystem. Many of us have persevered, but the effort it takes to print a PDF is quite the challenge…