"Our whole life is solving puzzles," said Ernő Rubik, eponymous cube inventor. "If you are curious, you'll find the puzzles around you. If you are determined, you will solve them." Puzzlemaster Will Shortz is certainly curious and determined. His curiosity led him to pioneer a self-designed college degree in "enigmatology," the art and science of puzzle creation. His determination has led him many places, from editing "Games" magazine to his current tenure as the New York Times crossword puzzle editor. (Full disclosure: Shortz is also the owner of the TableTennisInfo.com website.) When his work is done and it is time for some fun and games, Shortz remains curious and determined. A lifelong table tennis devotee, he has played in all 50 states and numerous countries. In 2011, he opened the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, New York, which has grown into the largest dedicated table tennis club in the nation. With his own club, Shortz found it easy to play every day. When traveling to puzzle competitions or other engagements around the world, he always found a local club or other playing venue. Without even trying, he found himself playing hundreds of days in a row. This is when curiosity again reared its oft-scratched head. Could he play every day for a year, Shortz wondered? Like any puzzle, it would take planning and creativity to engineer and determination to execute. On October 3, 2012, after playing all 282 previous days of the year, Shortz' streak was broken by a premature club closure in Croatia. His curiosity piqued, his determination then took over. Starting the following day, Shortz played every day for one year, then for 500 consecutive days, then 1,000, then 2,000, until today, which marks his 3,000th consecutive day of playing table tennis. Needless to say, there have been many logistical hurdles for a globetrotting puzzlemaster to maintain such an iron man streak. (Heck, even Cal Ripken Jr. got winters off.) In order to count toward his personal record, Shortz requires playing at least 10 minutes on a regulation table with a real live human opponent. At times, these non-negotiable criteria have necessitated some desperate scrambling, but the table tennis gods have thus far smiled upon his efforts. "Somebody told me once, 'You know, if you get in trouble on a plane and it doesn't arrive, well, you should carry a little net with you.' To me, that would be cheating," says Shortz. "If you're going to set a goal for yourself, then follow the goal." While the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily slowed the activity at his club, Shortz is showing no signs of taking a break from the table any time soon. "Solving or creating a puzzle is not completely unlike setting a goal for yourself like this," reflected Shortz. "The further you take it, the better you feel." One of the greatest challenges in life is finding a way to pursue the passions which make life meaningful. Through his curiosity and determination, Will Shortz has solved the puzzle.

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