| Answer | Crossword Clue |
|---|---|
| PRELIM | Early game in a tournament |
| finals | The last game in a sports tournament or other competition, which decides the winner of the tournament |
| seeding | schedule (tournament players or teams) so that superior ones will not meet in early rounds |
| ONEALL | Tie score early in a game, maybe |
| early | with but little time elapsed; early in the course of a process, project, etc.; early in the game |
| BRIDGEPORT | Connecticut site for a card game tournament? |
| DRAWABLE | Still worth playing, as a game of tournament chess |
| PLAYIN | Opening-round game of the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament |
