Thursday, March 17, 2011

There's A Tournament Tomorrow? Really?

Yes, really. And the Puzzle Brothers, along with 629 other pre-registered contestants, are looking forward to the opportunities the weekend presents.

 
What will make this year's tournament quite interesting - aside from the possibility of Dan Feyer steamrollering all comers in the tournament as he did last year - is the number of top-level solvers who won't be showing this year. A quick glance of the contestant rolls shows top-50 names like Katie Hamill, Eric Maddy, Ron Sweet, Barry Haldiman and Eric LeVasseur not competing as of this morning. This year's confirmed A contestants are:
  • Howard Barkin
  • Katherine Bryant
  • Adam Cohen
  • Jon Delfin
  • Len Elliott
  • Anne Erdmann
  • Dan Feyer
  • Peter Gordon
  • Francis Heaney
  • Tyler Hinman
  • Doug Hoylman
  • Will Johnston
  • Kiran Kedlaya
  • Joshua Kosman
  • Frank Longo
  • Brian Olewnick
  • Joon Pahk
  • Trip Payne
  • Doug Peterson
  • Arnold Reich
  • Amy Reynaldo
  • Ellen Ripstein
  • Al Sanders
  • Dan Seabolt
  • Dave Tuller
  • Thomas Weisswange
  • Stella Zawistowski
The top B-level solvers, if last year's rankings hold, are expected to be Bob Mackey, Richard Kalustian, and Susan Hoffman. Bob has been relegated to B by virtue of winning no A- or B- level awards in the last seven tournaments, and Joon Pahk, last year's B champion, has been moved up to A. Katie Hamill will not be at the tournament this year, owing to other commitments; nor will last year's third-place contestant in B, Ron Sweet. For the record, I will again be competing in the B level this year but realistically won't make the podium, there's just too much of a logjam. Louis Lana (last year's C winner) and David Plotkin move up to B this year, and Boone Gorges makes a big jump from D to B.

The C division will be populated with even more up and coming solvers this year as several people did well enough last year to move up a class or two, including Brian Cimmet, Amanda Yesnowitz and David Moulton.

Stay with The Puzzle Brothers for complete tournament coverage - video updates throughout the day on Saturday, and on Sunday, we will be bringing you live as-it-happens blogging of the final round, brought to you by Cover It Live.

3 comments:

Dave Mackey said...

One other note... the comforting names of Jay Kasofsky and Miriam Raphael appear on the contestant roster. Kasofsky has never missed a tournament and Raphael has been to 33 of them.

Dave Mackey said...

Ellen Ripstein has also been to 33 tournaments. Sorry!

Dan said...

The top B solver is probably Jeffrey Harris, who's returning after several years and a Lollapuzzoola title! We're as likely to see him in the A finals as the B.

My parents look forward to your CoverItLive! Thanks...