2021 World Sudoku+Puzzle Convention

[kiwijam]

This is an online event organized to fill in the gap after the postponed WSC & WPC.

The event starts on the 12th of November and ends on the 21st of November and will consist of a competitive part similar to the WSC & WPC, and various side events like panel discussions, lectures, trivia quizzes, and fun puzzle contests.

For more details see:
https://logicmastersindia.com/forum/for ... 941#M29647
or
https://www.worldpuzzle.org/championshi ... onvention/

[pinkagape]

Is the registration still not open or am I missing something?

[emma]

If you're missing something, so am I...

[emma]

My ability to participate is going to be somewhat reduced if the instruction booklet doesn't appear very soon.

[gareth]

Received this in the past hour from the WPF:

Dear members,

The awaited online World Sudoku+Puzzle Convention starts this Friday at 3 PM GMT at the Logic Masters India website. The event lasts 11 days and besides the competition part, you can attend a lot of panels with authors and top solvers via ZOOM and take part in a trivia quiz or bonus puzzle contests.

https://logicmastersindia.com/forum/for ... 941#M29684

I want to kindly ask you to share this invitation with your members and ask them to register for the event via this Google form. The registration is free. If Google forms do not work in your country, please let me know, we will sort it out.

https://forms.gle/9baJqV42Q74hDzP6A

The full schedule will be posted here (link below) in a very short time. The Instruction Booklets will be released on Tuesday on the LMI website. The opening ceremony is on Saturday at 1 PM GMT and the Q&A session will follow afterward.

https://logicmastersindia.com/forum/for ... 941#M29684

I am sorry for the lack of communication and informing you on such short notice but want to ensure you that the organizers did a great job, and the competition quality meets WSPC standards.

For more information follow the LMI website and WPF social media.

https://logicmastersindia.com/home/

[david mcneill]

Thanks Gareth. I've registered via the link you shared. Not sure what rounds I'll have time to do, but it's nice to have the option.

[pinkagape]

If people are looking for a puzzle this evening, the first Time Trial is tonight at 9pm UK time. It’s a football Sudoku.

[DavidC]

Thanks Adam - I mistakenly thought that everything started on Saturday

David

[detuned]

I thought I'd try my best at a UK results round up, given that I didn't have much time to actually participate myself.

I'm not entirely sure whether the main Sudoku and Puzzle competitions were aggregated by total score, as the results page only seems to give the ranks. As results are only given by nicknames I'll do the same here in case anyone objects to being identified.

For Sudoku, no real surprises in the overall Top 3:
1. Kota
2. Jaku111
3. TiiT

As far as the UK goes:
9. Puzzle_Maestro
21. David McNeill
60. jkong

I believe all are familiar names to these parts, but if you are further interested in the results then see here: https://logicmastersindia.com/WSPC2021/ ... asp?type=S

For Puzzles, I suppose no real surprises either:
1. EKBM
2. WA1729
3. Puzzle Maestro

And as far as the UK goes:
3. Puzzle_Maestro
10. nilz
86. David McNeill
(An honourable mention also for kiwijam in 17th place )

Full results here: https://logicmastersindia.com/WSPC2021/ ... asp?type=P

There were also some time trials, with which the UK also had a great deal of success, claiming second place in the medal leaderboard with 5 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze, a total of 11 which was only bettered by Japan. Well done to our medallists:

Puzzle_Maestro, with 5* Gold medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze (*One of these was excluded from the country leaderboard)
nilz, with 1 Gold medal, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze
And also to kiwijam, with 3 Bronze medals

Finally, there were some Bonus Rounds, one of which was also taken by Puzzle_Maestro. The UK top 3 in each were:

King of Kakuro:
10. Puzzle_Maestro
24. David McNeill
33. nilz

Snake Wrangler:
1. Puzzle_Maestro
8. nilz
29. David McNeill
(also, 11. kiwijam)

Fleet Admiral:
4. Puzzle_Maestro
16. nilz
57 pinkagape
(also 13. kiwijam)

Baker Street Irregulars:
9. Puzzle_Maestro
11. nilz
20. pinkagape
(also 18. kiwijam)

Sudoku Nebula:
22. Puzzle_Maestro
25. David McNeill
35. nilz

[DavidC]

Thank you to those of you who took part in the various video discussions. I haven't watched them all yet - the shortest of the five is three quarters of an hour! - but I have enjoyed a couple of them already. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGY12L ... A/featured

[pinkagape]

I hope everyone had a good time. It was pretty intense but it was good to have so many puzzles. Well done to everyone who made it through it all! I will be taking away beating Freddie in the first time trial

I was interested in what would happen if you added the top four from each country together (for puzzles - I didn't do sudoku but I'd be happy to make a table if people were interested).

1) Japan 26129.2
2) USA 23325.3
3) Japan B 20755.5
4) United Kingdom (including James) 20020.1
5) Germany 19211
6) Japan C 18391.8
7) China 17934.8
8) United Kingdom (excluding James) 17690.6
9) France 16143.3
10) USA B 15638.5

[Nilz]

I agree that it was an enjoyable contest; nice to see some familiar names and faces again, and it was great to get the competitive juices flowing again! And actually, even though I didn't remember to take part in most of them, the Time Trials were a really good idea, particularly because they're the sort of thing that seem to work so much better online, so it was good to make good use of the (hopefully only) time we'll essentially need to run such a convention online (hopefully any future online events if this scale would be run because we want to).

Thanks for the summaries, Adam and Tom- looking through the results my first thought was that we've got a really good potential team brewing. I know not all of the top solvers took part, but that's still a positive leaderboard for team UK/ GBR + kiwi.

My highlight was obviously the Skateboarding time trial (i.e. the thing I won), but definitely very pleased to get top 10 overall.

Let's hope we don't have to wait too many more years before we can all meet up again in person.

[david mcneill]

I thought it was great fun. I didn't do the time trials but did have a go at the bonus rounds.

Perhaps the first thing I should do is take my hat off to Freddie on breaking into the top 10 in the Sudoku (and whipping me in the process). No surprise to see Freddie on the puzzle podium too. Great to see Neil in the top 10 there. Definitely greater strength in depth from the UK competitors overall. Our next face-to-face event should be exciting.

I know we can't wait to see the back of Covid and get together again. But I actually think that the WPF (or its successor!) should consider holding the WSPC only every other year with a convention just like this one in alternate years. I'd be happy if the convention featured slightly fewer rounds to make it less onerous for both organisers and competitors. A biennial WSPC would reduce our carbon footprint and allow more time to plan and deliver the event.

[emma]

That's an interesting idea, David. There might be some countries willing to "host" an online event who might find the ftf event too much, as well.