Three trophies are awarded annually: the Solver Silver Salver, the Ascot Gold Cup, both generously donated by Ascot, and the Radix Auditorum Jug.
The Solver Silver Salver is awarded to the Listener solver who has sent the most correct puzzle entries during the year.
The skill and persistence of Listener solvers is such that several often complete every puzzle successfully and it is necessary to go back a year or more to find the solver with the longest all-correct run. As of the end of 2021, the front-runner is Peter Blayney with a run of 261 consecutive correct entries (from No 4431 to No 4691). The longest all-correct run ever is 412 by Simon Long.
If the leading solver in a year has already won the Solver Silver Salver in a previous year, it is now traditional for the award to be ceded to the next highest-placed solver.
This, in reality a Silver Rose Bowl, is awarded to the most admired Listener puzzle during the year. This is decided on by the winner of the Solver Silver Salver, often in partnership with other top solvers for the year. The 2005 winner was Kea.
This is awarded to the new solver who submitted the most correct entries in the year (not having submitted an entry in previous years). It was donated by the family of Radix after his death early in 2014.
The table below lists all winners to date. Other all-correct solvers in each year (and sometimes puzzles placed 2nd and 3rd) can be found in the Annual Statistics, particularly the Dinner reports. Click on the puzzle number to find out more about it.
Year | Solver Silver Salver | Radix Auditorum Jug | Ascot Gold Cup | Setter |
---|---|---|---|---|
1987–88 | R T Baxter | 2924 No Clues | Mime | |
1988–89 | P Bailey | 3009 A Three Pipe Problem | Law | |
1989–90 | J R Beresford | 3024 Cretan Bull | Phi | |
1991 | A F Bishop | 3096 Merry Mazes | Sabre | |
1992 | H Blanco White | 3150 Players | Law | |
1993 | Dr D J Flower | 3202 Whodunnit 3: Locked Room Mystery | Mime | |
1994 | J W Leonard | 3234 New Year’s Resolution | Dimitry | |
1995 | G B Hinde | 3300 Hangover | Plausus | |
1996 | G Mullineux | 3350 Up and Down | Doubleshooter | |
1997 | D W Arthur | 3398 All Square | Dimitry | |
1998 | D McNeill | 3486 A Marvellous Game | Columba | |
1999 | C J & M P Butler | 3505 Scans | Peeper | |
2000 | S R Rice | 3559 Playfair | Dolos | |
2001 | J P S & E A Ruff | 3641 Trick or Treat | Dimitry | |
2002 | S Tarrant | 3679 Author | Sabre | |
2003 | R P C Forman | 3734 No Turning Back | Ark | |
2004 | S Anthony | 3795 Koeql Haeospo | Elgin | |
2005 | M Goodliffe | 3843 Safe-cracking | Kea | |
2006 | D & N Aspland | 3883 Olde Treasure Hunt | Merlin | |
2007 | S Long | 3947 King | Rebel | |
2008 | J R Daddow | 4011 Conflict Resolution | Kea | |
2009 | N Talbott | 4045 Admission | Kea | |
2010 | J Reardon | 4079 Sine Qua Non | Shackleton | |
2011 | P Sant[1] | 4162 Carte Blanche with a Twist | Mash | |
2012 | A Mylward[2] | 4197 Duet for One | Bandmaster | |
2013 | S Melen | 4230 Elm | Quinapalus | |
2014 | D Webb | S Bartlett | 4312 Elementary Deduction | Rood |
2015 | R A England | C Thomas | 4339 Mixed Doubles | Shackleton |
2016 | T & L Melen[3] | R McCrossan | 4395 6 Across | Shackleton |
2017 | S Curran | P Blayney | 4453 Army & Navy | Shackleton |
2018 | R Foden | M Topliss & D Wilks | 4487 Doing a Sort | Elgin |
2019 | J West | J Lewis | 4565 Folio | Nebuchadnezzar |
2020 | P Blayney | J Leaver | 4630 Tip-top Condition | Twin |
2021 | D Giles | A Royal & N Butler | 4680 Manhunt | Shark |
2022 | P Taylor & K Steckles | I Hickman | 4715 Singles Only | Twin |
[1] In 2011, all-correct solver P Sant delivered his votes for the 2010 Ascot Gold Cup as a “re-imagining” of the White Knight’s song (actually line for line) from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, a quotation from which formed the basis of Listener Crossword 4104, Merchandise by Adam. The poem is available as a PDF document here.