Times Cryptic Masterclass: 21st August 2026 - What a Beauty! @CrackingTheCryptic

Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

Mark takes on today's Times (Cryptic) Crossword, which is by John Guiver, who is sometimes known as Shackleton in The Listener. As so often on Fridays, this puzzle is an absolute beauty - a setting as well as solving masterclass!

Do please remember to Subscribe if you enjoy these masterclasses and check out our new @MinuteCryptic in a Minute daily videos too! The puzzle is available to play on @TheTimes crossword club website (which is behind their paywall): thetimes.co.uk/puzzleclub/crosswordclub/puzzles/crossword/51435

*** NEW CROSSWORD CONTENT ON PATREON ***
Mark's solve of The Times Club Monthly Special for this month is JUST out today! And there's a solve of recent Listener crosswords too:

patreon.com/crackingthecryptic

You can also find Simon's puzzle (Hope by Pieman) and its solution at the link below:

patreon.com/crackingthecryptic/posts/hope-by-pieman-166650507

▶SUDOKU WORMS NOW LIVE! ◀ You can try worms (strings of sudoku which feed each other) by Marty Sears or James Sinclair (or both – approx. $1 apiece) either on Steam at these addresses or on AppStore: AppStore apps.apple.com/us/app/cracking-the-cryptic/id1629992934 Steam store.steampowered.com/app/3794680/Cracking_the_Cryptic__The_Sudoku_Worm_of_Marty_Sears store.steampowered.com/app/3794690/Cracking_the_Cryptic__The_Sudoku_Worm_of_James_Sinclair *** ORDER OUR BOOK HERE *** kickstarter.com/projects/peterchayward/cracking-the-cryptics-greatest-hits-volume-2

▶ Contact Us ◀ Twitter: @Cracking The Cryptic email: crackingthecryptic@gmail.com

▶ABOUT US◀ Hi! We're Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe, two of the UK's most enthusiastic puzzle solvers. We have both represented the UK at the World Sudoku Championships and the World Puzzle Championships. We're also "cryptic crossword" aficionados. Mark is the 14-time winner of The Times crossword championship and twice Senior World Champion in Sudoku, and Simon is the former record holder for most consecutive correct solutions to The Listener crossword. We hope we can help your puzzle solving while also introducing you to some of the world's best puzzles. Thank you for watching! Simon and Mark #crossword #puzzle #cryptic

Times Cryptic Masterclass: 21st August 2026 - What a Beauty!

Are we looking for Room 45 or 46? (Check the video length!)

$An Absolutely Incredible Sudoku Feat Heres where you can try Querulous by Nicolas Duhail: https://sudokupad.app/2jar2lhcc5 Normal sudoku rules apply. Cells separated by a knights move cannot contain the same digit. All lines sum to the same total. Any three adjacent digits along the teal modular line have different residues modulo 3 (i.e. one digit from {1,4,7}, one from {2,5,8}, and one from {3,6,9}). Box borders divide the blue region sum line into segments with the same sum. Along the pink renban line, digits form a consecutive sequence in any order. Along the orange dutch whisper line, adjacent digits differ by at least 4. Along the gold nabner line, digits do not repeat and no two digits appearing anywhere on the line can be consecutive. Any three adjacent digits along the peach entropic line contains one low digit (123), one middle digit (456), and one high digit (789). Along the green german whisper line, adjacent digits differ by at least 5. Digits along the red parity line must alternate between odd and even. ▶ OUR PATREON PAGE – JOIN THE COMMUNITY, SUPPORT US AND TRY OUR PUZZLE HUNTS◀ https://www.patreon.com/crackingthecryptic On the first of every month we reward our Patreon members with a sudoku hunt! The deadline for each contest is the 20th of that month, and there is always a prize for the lucky drawing winner. The hunt itself remains available (along with past monthly hunts). There is always a lot of other fascinating content on Patreon, including crosswords, Gridograms, Connections, and a sometimes collaborative solves by Simon and Mark. Please join us on Patreon! Just $2/month for the monthly reward, $3/month (or higher) for solution videos. Don’t miss the Patreon-only channel on our discord for help with the sudoku hunts. Your support makes a big difference to us – thank you! ▶ CHECK OUT OUR MERCH: You can get tees, hoodies, water bottles, and much more, themed on our CtC logo and catch-phrases as well as the amazing Rat Run merch designed by Marty Sears. Show the world that you’re part of this wonderful Cracking the Cryptic community! Check it all out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-UOdK8-mIjxBQm_ot1T-Q/store ◀ ▶ OUR APPS: We have many apps! Download our main app, which includes many packs for purchase. including Sudoku Worms (from Blobz, Phistomefel, Marty Sears, James Sinclair, and Michael Lefkowitz, and Zetamath), Fog of War, and many other variant types. Some variant types are available as stand-alone apps, and some collections are part of the main app. Check it all out on our webpage, where you’ll find links to all our apps (including Classic, Lines, Domino, Killer, Thermo, Arrow, Chess, Sandwich, Miracle, and a few Approachable collections. We are always developing more apps! Every app is full of hand-crafted puzzles with hints provided by Simon and Mark. Check out https://www.crackingthecryptic.com/apps with links to all outlets. ◀ ▶ FIND OUR BOOKS HERE ◀ https://coffeebean.games/product-category/cracking-the-cryptic/ Cracking the Cryptic’s Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and Vol 2, as well as the e-book editions of Fog of War (regular and deluxe editions), are all available! Our new website, with many thanks to GeorgeTheToad: https://www.crackingthecryptic.com ▶ CTC FAN DISCORD SERVER◀ https://discord.gg/BbN89j5 ▶ OUR VIDEO CATALOGUE – CATEGORISED WITH LINKS◀ https://tinyurl.com/CTCCatalogue ▶SEND US PUZZLES TO SOLVE/CONTACT US◀ crackingthecryptic@gmail.com Snailmail: Mark Goodliffe, Box 102, 56 Gloucester Road, London SW7 4UB ▶FOLLOW US◀ Twitter: #crypticcracking @crypticcracking Instagram @crackingthecryptic ▶Credits◀ Music: Lucy Audrin (Piano): Mozarts Sonata no 16; and Mark’s outro music by Riffclown. SOFTWARE: Thanks to Sam Cappleman-Lynes and Sven Neumann Logo: Melvyn Mainini Opening Credits: Burak Mescioğlu ▶ABOUT US◀ Hi! Were Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe, two of the UKs most enthusiastic puzzle solvers. We have both represented the UK at the World Sudoku Championships and the World Puzzle Championships. Were also cryptic crossword aficionados. Mark is the 14-time winner of The Times crossword championship and twice Senior World Champion in Sudoku, and Simon is the former record holder for most consecutive correct solutions to The Listener crossword. We hope we can help your puzzle solving while also introducing you to some of the worlds best puzzles. Thank you for watching! Simon and Mark #crypticcracking #puzzle #sudoku ▶ Contents ◀ 0:00 Theme Music & News around the channel 2:43 Rules of today’s puzzle 4:36 Start Of Solve - Lets Get Cracking!$

The Times Crossword Masterclass: 31 January 2025

One Of The Most Beautiful Sudoku Grids Ever