Hello, readers!
Here are the results of the 2022 Holiday Quiz. Due to a big oversight on a question, I’ve never gotten around to resolving the issue until recently. More details below but firstly, the answers.
Q1: What on Earth? (3 points)
Looks fun but what in the world are these people doing?
This is a film set and they are shooting Avatar 2. One of my good friends worked on it!
Q2: Keep Tabs (3 points)
Sometime in mid-2022, this gentleman is on his way to winning a world title. What is he competing in?
Pictured is Alejandro Clemente León (Spain) on his way to winning the 2022 World Jigsaw Championship. He also defended his title this year! Of course, we deleted the jigsaw pieces on the table but the T-shirt on one of the audience members might have been a giveaway.
Q3: Secret Santa (3 points)
Who is this person dressed up as Santa Claus?
It’s Bram de Laat, Netherlands’ finest puzzle solver. Though he lives in Australia now.
Q4: Icon Mash (23 points)
Using the symbols below, form as many names as you can.
By using the icons wisely, you can make 13 puzzle names: Bank Notes, Double Choco, Half Dominoes, Honey Islands, Ice Barn, Magic Summer, No 4 in a Row, Password Path, Slovak Sums, Spiral Snake, Square Jam, Statue Park and Tiger in the Woods. Leaving the symbol for “balance” and “star” unused.
Q5: Instructionless (3 points)
What is this puzzle type?
This solves uniquely as a Bosnian Road. Though I have accepted Tapa-Like Loop, even though the presentation isn’t conventional.
Q6: Disrespect (3 points)
What is going on?
A weird mixture of misunderstanding and lapse of concentration. During a chess game, Sam Sevian (left) picked up Hans Niemann’s (right) king and the crown on the piece came off. There are several theories floating around. Perhaps Sam was trying to grab a piece to fiddle with and accidentally picked up the king on the board, or maybe he noticed the king’s crown being loose and tried to repair it but forgot it wasn’t his move.
Q7: Instruction Mash (2,2,2,2,2,3,4 points)
Can you figure out which puzzles’ instructions appear here?
7A) a a a a a a across all any are are bar bars be be between between both cannot cannot cells cells cells diagonally do each each end end-points even even given ignore in in is not of of on other passes path path points region region region regions regions regions rope rope rope shaded shaded sides some some that that the the the there there thread through touch two two within
7B) a adjacent be cell cells connect each edge identical may more no numbers of on one pair passing path path than through used with
7C) cells cells each contain divide grid in in into is number number numbers of one only rectangle rectangle rectangles showing the the the the the to with
7D)1 1-n 2 a a a a all and appears are are be black black by column consecutive could dot dot dot dots each each either exactly fill given grid in in in is number numbers numbers numbers once one or or other row separated separates separates so that that the the therefore twice two two where white white
7E) above apply are by cells cells go in larger must number number rules slashes smaller some split standard sudoku the the these
7F) a a a a all along and and any any are at cell cell cell cell cell cell cell’s circled circled circled columns considered containing different different divided dotted dotted draw each each each edge edges exactly for from get going grid have if in in into is is is is its leaf leaf least leaves leaves lines lines must named non-circled number number numbered of one one one one only orthogonally path regions represents rows such that that that the the the there through to to tree tree tree trees undrawn unique with
7G) a all amount anywhere area cells cells cells cells connected consecutive contain exist form grid horizontally in indicated may more must not numbers of of one or or orthogonally regions run shade shaded shaded shaded so some than that the the there three unshaded vertically with
The answers are Rassi Silai, Numberlink, Shikaku, Kropki, Tight Fit Sudoku, Arborteum and Aqre.
Q8: Sequences (2 points)
What comes next in this sequence?
These are puzzle names missing “ONE”, “TWO”, “THREE” and so on. So the missing genre is any puzzle name that has “FIVE” in it. All of you answered CELLS (for Five Cells).
Q9: Christmas Trees (3 points)
Can you figure out which tree belongs to Jeffrey? 
Unless I can come up with something more fair, these tree questions will be retired. I think I’ve used every trick in the arsenal by now. So, look carefully and you may notice two unique (and not so Christmassy) symbols lined up in the centre. You might also notice that everyone’s names have a unique amount of letters. And that’s it. So Jeffrey’s tree, with 7 letters, is the first one with RAINBOW and SNOWMAN on it. I know. I’m so sorry.
And now, what took me so long to calculate the results?
The troublesome question 4! Gosh darn it! I did not make the instructions clear enough to indicate that more than one symbol have to be used in each answer. So there is no reason not to accept “Snake”, “Balance”, “Dominoes” etc. – since they are all valid names.
Omitting this question for now produce this result: Kevin Sun (34), Anthea McMillan (31), Adam Bissett (26), Matej Uher (22) and Manea Constantin (17). However, Kevin was the only person who solved question 4 the way it was intended so his total is much lower than others. If we include question 4, the final standings would have been:
1. Anthea McMillan (46), 2. Kevin Sun (44), 3. Adam Bissett (37), 4. Matej Uher (36) and 5. Manea Constantin (17).
Given this predicament, I decided it is most appropriate to award two prizes so…
Congratulations to Anthea McMillan from Australia and Kevin Sun from Canada!
I met them in Toronto for the WSPC and personally handed them their prizes.
Phew. One hundred apologies for such a squib. I have a lot to think about how to renovate this tradition so these incidents don’t happen again.
See you in Christmas!
Somewhere Over the Rainbow 