Could this be a Deep Blue moment for the cryptic crossword?
Darmok, a new AI system, solved the final puzzle of the Times’ annual cryptic crossword about three minutes faster than Liam Hughes, the contest’s youngest human champion. The Times final was completed in roughly three minutes, beating the human time.
Key points
- Darmok solved the Times cryptic crossword final puzzle faster than human winner Liam Hughes by about three minutes.
- The model uses Gemini 3.1 Pro, Claude Fable 5, GPT‑5 and GPT‑6 Astra, with Gemini and Claude doing most of the solving.
- Dr Sid Chatterjee led Darmok’s development, following earlier successes of WebCrow and Dr Fill in crossword competitions.
The model is built on four frontier language models: Gemini 3.1 Pro, Claude Fable 5, GPT‑5 and GPT‑6 Astra. Gemini and Claude do most of the solving, while the other models provide support when needed. Dr Sid Chatterjee, a computer scientist at the University of Texas, led the project, following earlier successes of WebCrow and Dr Fill in crossword competitions.
The achievement shows AI can handle complex wordplay and visual clues, suggesting broader advances in natural language understanding and potential applications in education, puzzle design and complex problem solving.
Model page: GPT-6 Astra →
Could this be a Deep Blue moment for the cryptic crossword?
The Guardian AI · 20 October 2026
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