The Sudobomber story develops...
From the Philadelphia Inquirer: Possible Cheating Probed at Sudoku Tournament (they get a fundamental point wrong - its round 3 not round 2 that matters) - let's hope the evidence (such as the appearance of his test papers and whether it looks like a grid someone would have when solving a puzzle, versus a grid someone would have when copying/being read an answer) leads to a fairer resolution here. There is still no way to restore a final with three advanced competitors, but not rewarding someone who gamed the system is a good start.
[ETA: NPR is reporting on it as well as standard AP wire. While indeed the Weekend Edition's Will Shortz is an organizer leading an investigation, I believe my contributions to exposing this cheater should not go unmentioned as they also borrow the frame I gave the story and the quotations around this person's name here on this blog.]
[EFTA: I've been interviewed a couple places now, including Philly's WHYY, for developing coverage tomorrow. Will Shortz has already been interviewed about this on All Things Considered and a couple new details are emerging from the cone of silence around this investigation. Most significantly, Eugene registered not just the day of as a walk-on, but also in the middle of the tournament and he only competed in Round 3. This is quite significant IMO. My observations of him after he finished 2nd is so far the only eyewitness account of this solver during the general qualification.)
The Sudobomber aka Eugene Varshavsky, in "action" (or I guess, inaction). The big headset bulge is expected in the finals, but who knows what was under the hood earlier.
Dr. Sudoku aka Thomas Snyder, in action and motion-blurred, before his mistake.
To think the next four minutes would take me through the whole range of OMG!!! I Won! to (gulp) two sixes to Congrats Tammy to No, Will, there are three errors on my grid to WTF is going on over here with "Eugene". Nothing is simple in the world of puzzles.
[ETA: NPR is reporting on it as well as standard AP wire. While indeed the Weekend Edition's Will Shortz is an organizer leading an investigation, I believe my contributions to exposing this cheater should not go unmentioned as they also borrow the frame I gave the story and the quotations around this person's name here on this blog.]
[EFTA: I've been interviewed a couple places now, including Philly's WHYY, for developing coverage tomorrow. Will Shortz has already been interviewed about this on All Things Considered and a couple new details are emerging from the cone of silence around this investigation. Most significantly, Eugene registered not just the day of as a walk-on, but also in the middle of the tournament and he only competed in Round 3. This is quite significant IMO. My observations of him after he finished 2nd is so far the only eyewitness account of this solver during the general qualification.)
The Sudobomber aka Eugene Varshavsky, in "action" (or I guess, inaction). The big headset bulge is expected in the finals, but who knows what was under the hood earlier.
Dr. Sudoku aka Thomas Snyder, in action and motion-blurred, before his mistake.
To think the next four minutes would take me through the whole range of OMG!!! I Won! to (gulp) two sixes to Congrats Tammy to No, Will, there are three errors on my grid to WTF is going on over here with "Eugene". Nothing is simple in the world of puzzles.