I do share some of the champions' savvy, though. When I fill out the answers to clues, for instance, I enter many of the letters in lower case. It saves time. For serious cruciverbalists, there is no issue too obvious or arcane to be discussed. Most here use a pencil.
Distraction is the puzzler's enemy.
So in the ballroom, our arena for three puzzles each Saturday morning and afternoon and the final puzzle Sunday, tournament officials try to keep it to a minimum. Green cardboard dividers separate each place at the long tables. Puzzles are distributed face down, and no dictionaries or hand-held puzzle computers are allowed. A dozen or so officials flutter around us, poised to dash over and collect completed puzzles. A completed puzzle earns bonus points.