WSPC 22: Day -1

So here’s to the revival of detuned radio’s championship reports!  I don't have a laptop with me this year however I’ll see what I can do tapping things out on a phone. I don’t think I’ll be in depth with all the gory details as I once was, and I think I’ll try to be at least somewhat journalistic about proceedings, aiming at an audience who sort of knows what puzzles are but don’t really know what the world championships are all about. 

I am here, finally, in Krakow. About 4 hours late, and sorely missing the company of others I’d hoped to catch this evening who have very sensibly gone to bed. I have sworn many times never to fly Wizz Air again, but I think this time is probably the last. I look forward to an epic fight to claim my rightful €250 when I get back home. 

To set the scene about the championships, I can share some of my day idly spent staring at a phone within the confines of Gatwick airport. 

At both the WSC: https://www.wspc2022.com/wsc and the WPC: https://www.wspc2022.com/wpc there is about as much variety in sudoku and logic puzzle grids that you could hope to throw a forest worth of sticks at. (Maybe that should be pencils?).  I encourage my dearest readers to follow those links, scroll down to view the instruction booklets, and prepare yourselves.

I have been doing these things since 2007, so I reckon I qualify as a seasoned pro at these things by now; but I doubt you will be that much more bewildered by it all than I am. I suppose I’ve done just enough reading to at least understand all the rules now, but there will be more than a few types that I will encounter for the first time when it really matters, in the competition itself. 

I might save more on the puzzles themselves for tomorrow. It’s getting late and there’s a long week ahead. I’m glad to be back at championships for the first time since 2019, to seeing old friends once again, and also to see how well the competitive juices get going again. My thanks also to the organisers for all they have already done in preparation - I was there in 2014 and once you’ve been through that, you certainly have my solidarity!