NYT Crossplay Board Layout

Every bonus square on the 15×15 board, its coordinates, and why the corners are triple-letter (not triple-word).

The board

NYT Crossplay is played on a 15×15 grid with 8 triple-word, 8 double-word, 20 triple-letter and 20 double-letter squares, plus the centre star. The layout is symmetrical, but it is not the Scrabble layout — the bonus squares are in different places, and the differences change how the opening and the edges should be played.

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TW triple word DW double word TL triple letter DL double letter centre star (double word)

Four things that differ from Scrabble

The corners are triple-letter, not triple-word. In Scrabble the corner is the most valuable square on the board for a whole word. In Crossplay a corner is where you park a single J, Q, X or Z for 24 to 30 points. Long words into the corner gain little.
The triple-word squares are on the edges, three in from each corner. Rows 1 and 15 have TWs at columns 4 and 12; columns 1 and 15 have TWs at rows 4 and 12. A word that starts or ends there triples, so the lanes leading to those eight squares are the ones to guard.
The centre star is a double-word square. The opening play doubles, and so does any later word that crosses the centre.
Triple-letter squares sit two off the centre diagonals and along the inner ring. Squares such as (2,7), (2,9), (6,5) and (6,11) are TLs; they are within reach of the opening word and are where the first heavy tile of the game usually goes.

Bonus square coordinates

Coordinates are (row, column), counting from the top-left corner as (1,1).

Triple word (TW): (1,4), (1,12), (4,1), (4,15), (12,1), (12,15), (15,4), (15,12)
Double word (DW): (2,2), (2,14), (4,8), (8,4), (8,12), (12,8), (14,2), (14,14)
Triple letter (TL): (1,1), (1,15), (2,7), (2,9), (5,6), (5,10), (6,5), (6,11), (7,2), (7,14), (9,2), (9,14), (10,5), (10,11), (11,6), (11,10), (14,7), (14,9), (15,1), (15,15)
Double letter (DL): (1,8), (3,5), (3,11), (4,4), (4,12), (5,3), (5,13), (6,8), (8,1), (8,6), (8,10), (8,15), (10,8), (11,3), (11,13), (12,4), (12,12), (13,5), (13,11), (15,8)
Centre star: (8,8), scores as a double word

How bonus squares score

A bonus square counts only when a newly placed tile covers it. Tiles already on the board keep their face value.
Letter bonuses (DL, TL) are applied first, then word bonuses (DW, TW) multiply the whole word.
If a newly placed tile is part of two words (the main word and a cross-word), its bonus square applies to both.
Two word-bonus squares in one word multiply together: DW + DW is ×4, TW + TW is ×9. On this layout a nine-times word is possible along the top and bottom rows (columns 4 to 12), which is why a bingo along an edge can score over 100.
Blanks score zero on every square. Using all seven tiles adds a flat +40 after the multipliers.

Opening strategy on this layout

Because the centre is a double-word square, the first play is worth chasing a heavy tile for: a five-letter word through the centre with a V or K on the (8,6) or (8,10) double-letter square is 30+ points. But every tile you place in the opening also opens a lane toward the TL squares at (6,5), (6,11), (10,5) and (10,11), so avoid leaving a vowel directly beside one — that is a free 30-point Z or J for your opponent. The strategy guide covers the mid-game lanes, and the board solver will show you every play that reaches a bonus square from your actual position.