Search found 77 matches

by motris
Sun 09 Mar, 2014 4:29 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: 2014 WPF Sudoku Grand Prix
Replies: 19
Views: 39215

Re: 2014 WPF Sudoku Grand Prix

Tom: I have allowed some but definitely not all of the answers in an "n-1 correct" situation to get partial bonus. I review each of those wrong submissions individually when a solver claims bonus.
by motris
Tue 01 Jan, 2013 4:58 am
Forum: Puzzle Links
Topic: Grandmaster Puzzles
Replies: 2
Views: 20408

Grandmaster Puzzles

With the New Year, I'm officially launching Grandmaster Puzzles which will be my online puzzle/publishing presence. If you like solving puzzles, please check out the new blog with (almost) daily puzzles. There will be sudoku/variants, and classic puzzles alternating for the next several weeks before...
by motris
Wed 28 Dec, 2011 3:58 pm
Forum: Daily Puzzles
Topic: Any interest in a UK croco-puzzle ladder?
Replies: 592
Views: 1207549

Re: Any interest in a UK croco-puzzle ladder?

I remember a past 9-tall Pyramid (probably the hardest level Advent puzzle in one of those old calendars) that had a few more clues, but still was an almost impossible "find the 9 at the bottom that work" challenge with all gray rows. I learned to use parity a bit on that puzzle after awhi...
by motris
Tue 22 Nov, 2011 1:17 am
Forum: Puzzle Links
Topic: croco-puzzle
Replies: 696
Views: 1350248

Re: croco-puzzle

So Thomas hasn't played yet, but I am quite pleased with today's killer :D A lot of big sudoku hitters are below me on that list! I don't think I'd enjoy taking a 1st place from you enough to merit coming back, even once. I think I've been pretty clear I'm done with croco-puzzle until there is a re...
by motris
Mon 17 Oct, 2011 1:05 am
Forum: General Puzzle Discussions
Topic: WPC/WSC preparation
Replies: 16
Views: 34654

Re: WPC/WSC preparation

My recollections is: "If it is clear the competitor solved the puzzle correctly, they will be awarded full marks, regardless of notation used". This is generally the case provided the notation is consistent and the grader can make sense of what is what. For example, a nurikabe can have a ...
by motris
Sat 15 Oct, 2011 4:49 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: 2011 Double Decathlon - LMI October Puzzle Test - 15/16 Oct
Replies: 6
Views: 15339

Re: 2011 Double Decathlon - LMI October Puzzle Test - 15/16

Don't stay up too late solving them ;)! I'll say this again elsewhere but Deb deserves a lot of thanks for implementing my basic grading idea here in a simple and clean way. It seems to be doing its targeted job of eradicating typos without us needing to guess what a solver meant. And it has been ro...
by motris
Sat 15 Oct, 2011 3:31 am
Forum: Puzzle (incl. Sudoku) Rules & Tips
Topic: Slalom (aka Gokigen)
Replies: 23
Views: 319661

Re: Slalom (aka Gokigen)

sknight has offered up all the common patterns I reboot in my mind before starting a croco-slalom. The second level thinking that is good to keep fluid in mind is looking at growing board situations for shut-downs. Yesterday's had a really large region bounded by just a 3. If two opposite diagonal s...
by motris
Sun 25 Sep, 2011 6:17 pm
Forum: Puzzle Links
Topic: croco-puzzle
Replies: 696
Views: 1350248

Re: croco-puzzle

Maybe, on german keyboards the # is easier accessed (it's a key on it's own), than on other keyboards... Yes, that is exactly the difference in experience then! There is no # only key on the US keyboard, and even the press that exists (shift + 3) is not near the numpad I solve with. This is why you...
by motris
Sun 25 Sep, 2011 3:28 pm
Forum: Daily Puzzles
Topic: Any interest in a UK croco-puzzle ladder?
Replies: 592
Views: 1207549

Re: Any interest in a UK croco-puzzle ladder?

I"m almost 100% sure (since I can track days I am replacing a good versus bad score) that the Tagesrating is for the last 30 puzzles/15 days. So it functions as a performance level for the last two weeks. I would love to see a Tagesrating leaderboard, since it takes way too long to actually acc...
by motris
Fri 23 Sep, 2011 3:14 pm
Forum: Puzzle Links
Topic: croco-puzzle
Replies: 696
Views: 1350248

Re: croco-puzzle

If your are curious about a logical solving path for yesterdays Gebietssummen, have a look at the You-Tube video that uvo prepared. That's about what I did, only a bit slower after getting the 1-3 block in column 2. One thing I notice that is interesting to me is that uvo is getting into candidate ...
by motris
Wed 07 Sep, 2011 3:25 am
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: Sprint Test — LMI September Puzzle Test — 3rd and 4th Sept
Replies: 21
Views: 36775

Re: Sprint Test — LMI September Puzzle Test — 3rd and 4th Se

The Fortress had a nice (medium-level) logical route, but I learned how to solve the puzzle type during the test so it is probably where I lost some time. Rows 5 and 7 have only two possible circle choices and they are in the same columns so those must use the columns and you can eliminate those abo...
by motris
Tue 06 Sep, 2011 1:50 am
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: Sprint Test — LMI September Puzzle Test — 3rd and 4th Sept
Replies: 21
Views: 36775

Re: Sprint Test — LMI September Puzzle Test — 3rd and 4th Se

Having a mistake (or stopping with 14/15) was effectively a 10-15 minute penalty depending on the missing puzzle. I think that is a very large price to pay. Sure, you didn't get to beat two wpc champions in uvo or tarotaro, but they also finished 20 minutes in front of you. But you did beat 6 others...
by motris
Mon 29 Aug, 2011 4:21 pm
Forum: Puzzle (incl. Sudoku) Rules & Tips
Topic: 2011 USPC Walkthrough guide.
Replies: 24
Views: 82274

Re: 2011 USPC Walkthrough guide.

Re: #11 - Flash Cards 2 There are 4! x4! possibilities to consider initially so reducing these 576 alternatives down first makes sense. The cards don't move position when you view them upside down so there are just 24 things to check. #11 Flash Cards 1: Similar to what Janix did on Flash Cards 2, yo...
by motris
Mon 29 Aug, 2011 3:09 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: US Puzzle Championship (27 Aug 2011 1pm ET)
Replies: 48
Views: 89377

Re: US Puzzle Championship (27 Aug 2011 1pm ET)

(I wonder if the top puzzlers use answer keys to know when to stop early?) I've never once stopped a puzzle early to just submit the answer key. However just like using uniqueness on any puzzle, I've been torn by the thought many times particularly on tests where I feel the clock is working against...
by motris
Fri 26 Aug, 2011 12:42 am
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: US Puzzle Championship (27 Aug 2011 1pm ET)
Replies: 48
Views: 89377

Re: US Puzzle Championship (27 Aug 2011 1pm ET)

...back on topic (sort of), I've been having a look at last year's USPC again. What a beast! But the Sudoku included was absolutely brilliant. You simply don't get computer generated fare to solve like that, and I can easily imagine enough guile and craft going into making that puzzle as someone mi...
by motris
Fri 29 Jul, 2011 3:20 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: LMI July Puzzle Contest (30-31 July 2011)
Replies: 24
Views: 42747

Re: LMI July Puzzle Contest (30-31 July 2011)

I was trying to be oblique too so apologies if I confused you initially, but it looks like you've caught up to the major constraint(s) placed on the construction.
by motris
Thu 28 Jul, 2011 6:29 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: LMI July Puzzle Contest (30-31 July 2011)
Replies: 24
Views: 42747

Re: LMI July Puzzle Contest (30-31 July 2011)

If it's the same piece of logic that I'm thinking of - probably not, as mine's pretty simple - then it can also help with the Magic Snail - not that the example for that needed much help though... It's quite likely the same bit of logic, but it is real overkill for the Magic Snail example. Still, t...
by motris
Thu 28 Jul, 2011 3:35 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: LMI July Puzzle Contest (30-31 July 2011)
Replies: 24
Views: 42747

Re: LMI July Puzzle Contest (30-31 July 2011)

I've been developing new approaches to getting some of these solved without guesswork. I can say there is a very satisfying global constraint on the Star Battle which really helps its solution. It may be the puzzle where the cube shape mattered most and introduced new logic to discover. Not sure on ...
by motris
Tue 12 Jul, 2011 3:40 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: Nikoli Selection - LMI July 2011 Puzzle Test #1
Replies: 17
Views: 28824

Re: Nikoli Selection - LMI July 2011 Puzzle Test #1

While it wasn't true on this kakuro, there are many uniqueness opportunities with them. They pop up exactly as they do in sudoku puzzles where you're looking for forbidden rectangles. For example, if you have two vertical clues that are a 17 (two-cells) and a 24 (three-cells) with the cells of the 1...
by motris
Mon 04 Jul, 2011 4:20 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: UKPA Puzzle Cruise (2-3 July 2011)
Replies: 41
Views: 81838

Re: UKPA Puzzle Cruise (2-3 July) ** started **

Thanks for putting together these puzzles. It was very good practice for the USPC. (And I learned I should not try to solve these tests when it is 38 degrees outside and over 31 inside my apartment. I was a bit slow, but also was solving different puzzles. On Aquarium Display I stopped when I had al...
by motris
Mon 27 Jun, 2011 4:54 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: 2011 UK Puzzle Championship (25-26 June 2011)
Replies: 83
Views: 155216

Re: 2011 UK Puzzle Championship (25-26 June 2011)

I must say firstly that this is news to me! I suspect the reason you can't find these exact percentages is in fact, that they're not pubished. It's mainly that I haven't taken the time to go through all the old WPF newsletters which exist only as scanned images for the relevant page. This was the s...
by motris
Mon 27 Jun, 2011 3:24 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: 2011 UK Puzzle Championship (25-26 June 2011)
Replies: 83
Views: 155216

Re: 2011 UK Puzzle Championship (25-26 June 2011)

Has anyone tried solving it with 8+1? Whatever shapes you choose, you have more than 24 cells in total. This was my experience as well which came up as I checked the puzzle. In fact, re-reading the rules I think they point more to 8+1 than anything else as you are putting in 8 shapes from those bel...
by motris
Mon 27 Jun, 2011 3:12 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: 2011 UK Puzzle Championship (25-26 June 2011)
Replies: 83
Views: 155216

Re: 2011 UK Puzzle Championship (25-26 June 2011)

While I'm here, a lovely set of puzzles and, unlike the USPC, all WPC standard - no spot the difference, for example. To defend my country's championship, I'll point out that the World Puzzle Federation standard is actually to include a set percentage of various types of puzzles and observational p...
by motris
Tue 14 Jun, 2011 3:24 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: 2011 UK Sudoku Championship (11-12 June 2011)
Replies: 55
Views: 105266

Re: 2011 UK Sudoku Championship (11-12 June 2011)

Will you be good for the UKPC the weekend after next? I can guarantee that it is 100% puzzles, with not a sudoku to be seen! ;) Although some gentle bifurcation may be required... I'm much more likely to participate in a puzzle competition over a sudoku competition in general, and am definitely loo...
by motris
Tue 14 Jun, 2011 3:21 pm
Forum: Puzzle Competitions
Topic: 2011 UK Sudoku Championship (11-12 June 2011)
Replies: 55
Views: 105266

Re: 2011 UK Sudoku Championship (11-12 June 2011)

Sure. I guess I'd simplify my comments by saying there are two axes of difficulty with a sudoku. They can have easy or difficult (or non-existent) logical steps. They can have a broad or narrow solving path (meaning fewer places to make the next deduction). These have a low score on the type of step...