Patna: Shashwat Sanjeev, a Class IX student of Don Bosco Academy, Patna, has won the A Clue A Day 2017, an online daily crossword challenge.

The fourth edition of the annual national contest for schoolchildren began 11 months back on crypticsingh.com, and Shashwat leads the champions' gallery at the end of day on November 5, 2017.

Shashwat (24309 points is followed by Omkar Joshi of SES Gurukul Pune (24,141 points).

As part of the cryptic-crossword contest, a clue is put up every day at 3.30pm. Points are given based on the fastest among the correct answers and fastest among them. The final score has been made based on points scored by the candidates from January 4 to November 5. Shashwat, son of a city-based journalist, has been participating in the contest for the past three years.

"I developed interest in crosswords after seeing my father, who is an ardent lover of crosswords. When I was in Class V, my father took me to meet an IAS officer, Vivek Kumar Singh, who too is an ardent lover of crosswords."

Shashwat said crosswords have helped him. "Playing crossword I came to know that there are many things which I have to learn. Crosswords boost self-confidence," he added.

Shashwat and his classmate Rishabh Raj are going to represent Don Bosco Patna at an inter-school crossword contest to be held from November 21 to 23 in New Delhi.

"It is a great achievement for our school students that they are going to participate at the cryptic crossword inter-school tournament," said Mary Alphonsa, principal of Don Bosco Academy Patna. "I also congratulate Shashwat for his achievement."