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[jdyer]

The 2006 US Puzzle Championship practice test has been posted. The first puzzle used to be called "Number Place" in the old test but has been renamed to "Sudoku Variation". Very cute.

This will be the first US Puzzle Championship since sudoku fever has hit the US. I do wonder if the number of entrants is going to be affected.

Comments

[motris]

I don't think that there will be such a bounce in registration and/or participation just because of the sudoku fad. Long term, I'd like to see such a change, but I don't feel the sudoku craze has really focused into the broader math/logic puzzle world in that way yet.

Another question is how many sudoku-type puzzles will be on it, and will they all be variations. Last year had two and they were pretty solid puzzles. I've recommended to Nick Baxter that he should just make it all sudoku variations so that I can easily qualify but I'm guessing the test will not feel anymore Sudoku-based than last year's, just that the old Number Place name (last seen in 2004) will no longer appear with this puzzle-type as you've correctly observed.

[jdyer]

If nothing else, you can always post to sudoku.com and see who bites.