Competition Rules

The current competition ('Orzac' Puzzle) ends on 31st October 2000. Please send in your result file via email to brickmaster@bricks-game.de until then. The correct file name is: orz_1.brk for player 1, orz_2.brk for player 2, orz_3.brk for player 3 and so on.

Deadline for sending in / time handicap system

The best three players/teams of the last competition get a time handicap. This system is introduced to give worse players a better chance to win a prize. The time handicap is a number of the following series:

0.063 / 0.094 / 0.125 / 0.188 / 0.250 / 0.375 / 0.500 / 0.750 / 1.000

All players start with 1.000. A player who reaches rank 1, 2 or 3 gets a new time factor, which is half of the old (e.g. 1.000 -> 0.500). A player whose time factor is less than 1.000 and who did not reach rank 1, 2 or 3 gets also a new time factor. This new factor is the number to the right of the old factor in the series (e.g. 0.500 -> 0.750). In addition the time is devided by the number of team members. The handicap factor of a team is the team's best member's factor. The deadline for each player/team is calculated with the following formula and rounded to full days:

time = (handicap factor of the best team member) / (number of members) * (full time)

The 'full time' for the current competition is 70 days (2 months + 1 week).

Examples:

Single player with a handicap of 0.500: time = 0.500 / 1 * 123 days = 62 days

Team with two players, player 1 with a handicap of 0.375, player 2 with a handicap of 1.000: time = 0.375 / 2 * 123 days = 23 days

Team with three players, all players with a handicap of 1.000: time = 1.000 / 3 * 123 days = 41 days

Current player handicap factors:

Javier Ospina (Colombia): 0.250
Matt Groff (USA): 0.250
Ernie Gonzales (USA): 0.250
Wolfgang Joch (Germany): 0.250
Ruben Spaans (Norway): 0.500
Fabrice Duprat (France): 0.500
Alan Chan (Hong Kong): 0.500
all other players: 1.000

Deadlines:
0.250 -> 09.09.00
0.500 -> 26.09.00
1.000 -> 31.10.00

Please ask me if you are in doubt of your deadline. Late entries are not eligible to win a prize and will be ignored for the ranking.

This Java applet shows the relevant time for the deadline (local time in Germany). If you can't see the clock you need to enable Java. Important: the time/date on your computer (local time) must be correct - otherwise the clock above shows the wrong time. (US east coast should be -6 hours / west coast -9 hours)

Further rules

Everyone who solves this puzzle will be added to the Hall of Fame.

The winners (solutions with the fewest moves) will be announced in September and the best solutions will be posted after that. If more than one player finds the best solution, the solution with fewer steps wins. If there is still a tie the player which sent in first will win.

The current leader of the competition and her/his number of moves will be posted here. During the last two weeks the leader page will not be updated to keep up the suspense.

Teamwork is as well allowed as individual solutions. Please state all members of your team when sending in your file. Players may not team up or split during the competition. If a player has already sent in an individual solution (s)he may not team up. Sharing solutions with other players/teams or posting solutions on the internet is not allowed and might lead to disqualification. Updating solutions (sending an improved solution) is possible.