New York -- A retired school teacher says he has never missed a single gathering of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York.

Jay Kasofsky of Woodridge, N.Y., said since New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz began the national crossword puzzle tournament in 1978, he has always been in attendance, the Middletown (N.Y.) Times Herald-Record reported Saturday.

The 68-year-old former history teacher admits his crossword skills are not on par with some of his fellow puzzle solvers, particularly when it comes to those puzzles published on Saturdays.

"Saturday can take me over an hour, depending on what they are doing," said Kasofsky, whose best tournament finish has been sixth place. "Sometimes they are on a level I am not understanding."

The 32nd Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament began Thursday and was scheduled to end Sunday.

Last year's tournament drew 699 competitors from across the country.

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