UK Puzzle Association

Qualifying Procedure for 2012 UK WPC/WSC teams

2012 World Puzzle Championship (WPC) UK A Team: (4 persons)

The selection committee has chosen Neil Zussman as an automatic qualifier, based on his outstanding performance in the 2011 WPC Finals. The official results of the following events will determine the selection priority order for the remaining 3 team places.

1. 2012 UK Puzzle Championship (on-line)
2. 2012 UK Open Puzzle Tournament (on-site)
3. 2012 US Puzzle Championship (on-line)

Selection process:

1. Only (and all) UK competitors (except Neil Zussman) will be considered for the selection priority list.
2. Regardless of duplications, all the highest ranking UK competitors (except Neil) will be added to the list in the order of contest precedence given above.
3. Regardless of duplications, all the 2nd highest ranking UK competitors will be added to the list in the same way.
4. And so on, until all UK participants, participating in any of the above contests, are included, regardless of pre-declared availability for the WPC.
5. Once complete, all duplicates will be removed from the list, to produce the final selection priority list.
6. The 3 highest ranked people will be offered a team place.
7. Potential team members will have 7 days to confirm acceptance of their team place offer.
8. If a team place is not accepted, it will pass down to the next person on the selection priority list.

WPC Puzzle B Team: (4 persons)

The WPC B team score will NOT feature on the official results, nor will the scores of any of the individuals in the B team.

1. Priority for places in this team will be offered to people already travelling to the event as part of the UK WSC Team(s).
2. Any remaining places in this team will be offered in order of ranking on the final selection priority list.

2012 World Sudoku Championship (WSC) UK A Team: (4 persons)

The oficial results of the following events will determine the selection priority order for the 4 team places.

1. 2012 UK Sudoku Championship #1 (on-line)
2. 2012 UK Open Sudoku Tournament (on-site)
3. 2012 UK Sudoku Championship #2 (on-line)
4. 2012 UKPA Sudoku Ratings Table

For the purposes of selection, the UKSC #2 candidate list is equal to the UKSC #1 candidate list, with the top performer removed.

1. Only (and all) UK competitors will be considered for the selection priority list.
2. A separate selection priority list will be created and used in exactly the same way as for WPC team selection.
3. Place acceptance rules are as per WPC rules stated above.

WSC Sudoku B Team:

The WSC B team score will NOT feature on the official results, although 2 pre-chosen individuals will.

1. Priority for places in this team will be offered to people already travelling to the event as part of the UK WPC Team(s).
2. Any remaining places in this team will be offered in order of ranking on the final selection priority list.

Sudoku Ratings Tables:

For 2012, there shall be four eligible contests for the sudoku ratings table. (current standings)
A competitor's best 3 results will be considered for their ranking. The contests have been determined as being the declared monthly Sudoku contests on the LMI site, for May to August 2012 inclusive. These have been chosen since they are likely to represent a consistent international competitor participation for a fairer comparison.

A competitor's ranking score in a contest is calculated on their performance against the mean score of all scoring entries to that contest. A score of zero results in zero ranking points, while equalling the highest achieved score (of ALL entries) earns 100 points. A result equalling the average non-zero score for that contest earns 50 points. Any score either side of the mean is scaled proportionally.

Ratings Table Formula:

if raw_score<contest_avg_score then ranking_points = raw_score *50 / contest_avg_score
else : ranking_points = 100 - ((contest_max_score-raw_score) *50 / (contest_max_score-contest_avg_score))

Ties:

If two or more players are tied on the ratings table, then that tie is broken by examining performances in the highest priority qualification route. If still tied, then by performances in the second highest qualification route, and so on. If players are tied in all criteria, the winner will be determined by an independent drawing of lots.

Eligibility:

Any person who has the right to possess a full UK passport, and has the right to travel to the WPC/WSC host nation (Croatia in 2012) is eligible for selection.

UK Sudoku Championship 2012

The 2012 UKSC (United Kingdom Sudoku Championship) is scheduled to take place one weekend in June 2012

If you wish to participate in the contest, you will need to register on the UK Puzzle Association forum.

The test will feature a range of puzzles typically found in the world championship. It will be a mix of common and rare/new puzzle types.

An instruction booklet will be published on the contests page of this site around 1^st June 2012, detailing the puzzle types that will appear in the main test, along with examples of each.

If you wish to practice in the meantime, see the puzzle links and competitions areas of the forum.

All puzzles will be logically solvable, and feature a range of difficulty levels.

UK Puzzle Championship 2012

• Print out past USPC contests from here
• Practice, while timing yourself honestly. Solving speed is critical!
• Register to compete
• Follow all the instructions & links on the registration page
• Do the practice test, as if you were sitting the real test.
• The provisional date for this event is a Saturday in August 2012.

Eligible Ratings Contests 2012

Every month at Logic Masters India (LMI), a declared 'Monthly Puzzle Contest' and 'Monthly Sudoku Contest' are held.
The exact dates are not usually set until around 2 weeks before the contest takes place.
When known, the dates will be announced on the main website, and in the forum.
A mailling list has been set up, to notify registered UK users of these events.

Remember that your best three results from the four contests held May to August will be used to calculate your rating in each discipline.
The purpose of the scaling formula is to accurately compare your performance against the average mark, which may be higher or lower depending on the difficulty of the test.

In the meantime, you might like to practice from the contest archive at Logic Masters India. Follow links in the contest forum.

Costs

The UKPA does not presently have a primary sponsor. Therefore, in the event that we fail to raise sufficient funds to fully finance sending the team to Hungary, team members will be chosen in order of eligibility, that are prepared to self-fund travel and entry to the WPC/WSC.

Current costs, aside from travel to the event, are expected to be 400 EUR per person. This price includes accommodation for the full duration of the event, all meals, airport transfers, a day trip, and entry to the competition itself. Aside from the immense fun that is to be had from competing, and meeting like-minded individuals, it presents very good value by itself. Every person who has been to a WPC or WSC has enjoyed themselves immensely, and would thoroughly recommend the experience to anyone!

Sponsor appeal! If you are a company or a person with philanthropic tendencies, or you know of one, please consider helping us help the UK succeed on the international stage by sponsoring an individual, or the whole team. Even taking out one of our corporate membership packages would help tremendously. Thank-you!