UK Puzzle Association

The booklets for the individual rounds for the Sudoku Tournament are now available. I'm hoping to get the Puzzle booklets out within the next 24 hours. If anyone has any queries, please post questions here making it clear which round/puzzle you are querying. We've got some fantastic puzzles from a wonderful set of authors and I've enjoyed solving them all

Thanks Liane. One query about Round 5 Puzzle 3 - Anti-Palindrome.

On a grey line, must no digit pair appear in symmetrically opposite positions? Or is it enough for the grey line as a whole to be non-palindromic?

The given string 1234132 is OK under either interpretation. Whereas 1234123 fails the first test but passes the second.

Thank you.

david mcneill wrote: ↑Fri 16 Feb, 2024 11:22 am Thanks Liane. One query about Round 5 Puzzle 3 - Anti-Palindrome.

On a grey line, must no digit pair appear in symmetrically opposite positions? Or is it enough for the grey line as a whole to be non-palindromic?

The given string 1234132 is OK under either interpretation. Whereas 1234123 fails the first test but passes the second.

Thank you.

It is enough that the line as a whole is non-palindromic.

Thanks Liane. That is not the answer I expected. It makes the constraint rather weak for long lines.

I've uploaded the IBs for four of the puzzle rounds, hoping to get the last out tomorrow. I've also uploaded the schedule for both days. If anyone has any queries, please post here with round/puzzle number.

Puzzle Round 4 IB now available. I do recommend that you try the example for this round.
Going against tradition the IB for the Sudoku team round is also published as the rules are a little more complicated to be able to quickly describe in the break between rounds.

Looks great! A tiny note: the names of the rounds for round 4 and round 5 of the Puzzle event are the wrong way around on the schedule.

gareth wrote: ↑Sun 18 Feb, 2024 2:09 am Looks great! A tiny note: the names of the rounds for round 4 and round 5 of the Puzzle event are the wrong way around on the schedule.

The one document I didn't send for proof reading!

I haven't yet officially thanked all the puzzle creators, test solvers and proof readers (some of whom have also created some of the examples).
Authors: Numberland, Malrog, Clover, Kay Mennens, Wessel Strijkstra, Chiel Beenhakker, Mark Sweep, Martin Ender, Prasanna Seshadri and Tawan Sunathvanichkul.
Test solvers include: several of the puzzle authors but also: Nikola Zivanovic, Alex Robinson, Tantan Dai, David Collison, James McGowan.
Proof readers: Anthea McMillan and James McGowan.
Thanks must also go to Steve Wathall for once again making some lovely keepsake awards for the winners.

david mcneill wrote: ↑Fri 16 Feb, 2024 5:26 pm Thanks Liane. That is not the answer I expected. It makes the constraint rather weak for long lines.

Liane has emailed an update on this answer to those attending, as follows: "through contact with the puzzle author and puzzle type inventor they have confirmed that the constraint for that type of puzzle should indeed be the other option, i.e. "no digit must appear in symmetrically opposite positions"."

These rounds look great! I’m super looking forward to the two linked puzzle rounds.

I have two small queries:

For Japanese Sums in round 2, can we assume that any ? clues are single digit sums as double digit sums will be given as ?? clues?

For Shakashaka Cipher in round 1, it’s clear that the same letter is the same number each time. Is the same number the same letter each time?

pinkagape wrote: ↑Thu 22 Feb, 2024 7:10 am These rounds look great! I’m super looking forward to the two linked puzzle rounds.

I have two small queries:

For Japanese Sums in round 2, can we assume that any ? clues are single digit sums as double digit sums will be given as ?? clues?

For Shakashaka Cipher in round 1, it’s clear that the same letter is the same number each time. Is the same number the same letter each time?

Apologies for the delay in response.
For the Japanese Sums (and variants) Yes, each ? is for a single digit sum and double digit will be given as ??
Re Shakashaka Cipher - Yes the same number will be the same letter each time.

Thanks so much to Liane for organising both tournaments and the venue yet again!

Lovely to meet everyone - old faces and new

Looking forward to finishing off the unsolved puzzles at leisure, and of course to doing it all again next year.

Having heard back from the puzzle authors I am now in a position to make the booklets available here for others to enjoy. There are some fabulous puzzles. I am not able to make round 1 from the Sudoku tournament available as they will be published elsewhere.