2008 Championships – Mark Goodliffe’s second win.

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on Categories Announcement
(New material added today (Mon 13 Oct) and later is just before the results, separated by a horizontal line). The Grand Final winning times quoted at Chletenham and in the newspaper report the next day were different by about three minutes. I’ve confirmed with Mark Goodliffe that the latter is correct, and revised below appropriately. This is quite important as it may well mean that this was the fastest performance ever in the final stage of the Championship. (The 14 and 15 minute winning times in the prelims are almost certainly the fastest recorded for any stage.)

A quick post for the moment – more detail later after supper and Stephen Fry’s American road trip on the box.

Both preliminary rounds produced some quick times – Tim Smith won the morning one in about 14 minutes, and Mark Goodliffe the afternoon one in about 15. The finalists from each one were largely the usual suspects. 1996 champ John Henderson managed to avoid making a mistake in the morning to qualify for his first final in recent years. Helen Ougham suffered from the high speed of the afternoon session, where a time of about 23 minutes for 3 puzzles was needed to qualify for the final, and missed a final place for the first time in recent years.

In the final, 1999 champ Mark Goodliffe won a long-overdue second championship, joining the previously small but now quite fast-growing list of two-time winners – John Sykes (10), James Atkins, Roy Dean, Bill Pilkington (3), Helen Ougham, Peter Biddlecombe, Mark Goodliffe. David Howell gained minor revenge for my narrow win last year, beating me by about three seconds. Behind Mark, Tim Smith, who has done well in preliminary stages in the past but not in the final, lived up to his potential in second place. Mark’s average time was 18 minutes – six minutes a puzzle (but see below), and he beat the rest of the field by around four minutes. Roughly the next six had times around eight or nine minutes per puzzle. All those who turned up for the final completed the puzzles inside the one hour time limit (slowest solver around 46 minutes), 19 of them with no mistakes.

First six finishers: Mark Goodliffe, Tim Smith, Michael Trollope, David Howell, Peter Biddlecombe, Chris Williams.

I was very satisfied with my 6th place in the morning preliminary and 5th in the final – apart from a two-minute jittery spell at the end of puzzle 1 in the prelim, everything went about as well as you can expect under pressure, and when he’s on good form, Mark is very hard to keep up with.

I’ve now added some rough versions of results – I’ll tidy these up in the next few days and add some more comments.

These are all unofficial and put up before getting any permission from the competition organiser.

Coverage in the online version of the paper

News article on this year’s championship
PDF of the Grand final puzzles There will be reports on these in our usual style some time in the next week or so. The prelim puzzles will presumably be used for the next six Wednesdays, as for the last couple of years, so you’ll see reports on them then.
PDF of Grand Final Solutions

Other things I didn’t mention last night

A convivial session of pub drinks and a curry the night before – which revaled among other things that Telegraph Toughie No. 32 by “Elgar” (= Nimrod / Enigmatist) will be quite a lot harder than the first few in the series.

A calendar and other activities to watch out for, organised by John Halpern (Times setter and Paul / Punk) and his partner Olwen, in aid of the Deaf-Bland charity Sense. John will apparently be running next year’s London Marathon for them. As Anax indicates below, the calendar will include some interesting if not bizarre pictures of setters and solvers.

Some interesting ideas from a few people about ways to expand and liven up the championships, which are a fairly dry event at present.

Best moment of the final: Neil Talbott banging his head on his desk as he understood and filled in the last clue.

The chance to meet some setters, one for the first time (Bob Hesketh, who owned up to some puzzles I’d found hard, and is more evidence that Times setters aren’t the elderly classics masters people traditionally think of).

Substantially easier puzzles in the final than last year – apparently a deliberate decision. I think they possibly ended up a bit too easy. If the decision was based on last year’s final where a few people got badly stuck, this may have been caused by the large number of potential finalists (about 50% of those in Prelim 2) who made the same ‘wicket instead of picket’ mistake last year.

To check or not to check: You can read in the paper that Mark would rather be hanged for a mistake than lose a place by checking. I lost one place to David Howell by checking, but my checking of the second puzzle found a one-letter mistake, so I’ll still stick to my policy.

Other competitors seen here or on Race the Clock

Neil Talbott is talbinho/neil23, Andy Wallace is linxit/andy123, Richard Grafen is richardvg/rvong
Mark Goodliffe has written here as i_am_magoo and competed very successfully as magoo on RTC3
John Marshall and Ken Gillett (7dpenguin) comment here
S Hanson, Neil Robinson (neilr) Shane Shabankareh, Simon Chillingworth, Helen Ougham, Adam Sanitt, and Tim Smith are all on RTC

B W Tilling in final results: He’d not expected to qualify, so unfortunately had already made travel arrangements that prevented him from taking up his place.

Grand Final Results

Columns 1/2/3 = correct answers for each puzzle
Time Order = position in order of finishing


Position
Name
1
2
3
Total
Time Order

1
Mark Goodliffe
30
30
30
90
1

2
Tim Smith
30
30
30
90
2

3
Michael Trollope
30
30
30
90
3

4
David Howell
30
30
30
90
4

5
Peter Biddlecombe
30
30
30
90
5

6
Chris Williams
30
30
30
90
8

7
S Hanson
30
30
30
90
9

8
Philip Meade
30
30
30
90
10

9
Neil Robinson
30
30
30
90
11

10
Neil Talbott
30
30
30
90
12

11
Peter King
30
30
30
90
14

12
Simon Chillingworth
30
30
30
90
15

13
Peter Brooksbank
30
30
30
90
16

14
Tony Sever
30
30
30
90
17

15
J S Williams
30
30
30
90
19

16
A A P Thorpe
30
30
30
90
20

17
Brenda Widger
30
30
30
90
21

18
D Webb
30
30
30
90
22

19
Neil McHale
30
30
30
90
23

20
John Henderson
30
29
30
89
6

21
R Crabtree
30
29
30
89
7

22
D Meek
30
30
29
89
18

23
J Daddow
28
30
20
87
13

(24)
B W Tilling

(Preliminary round results are as for the Grand final except
that only the total no. of correct answers is shown, and time order positions
are only shown for those who finished inside the time limit)

Preliminary 1 Results


Position
Name
Total
Time Order

1
Mr T Smith
90
1

2
Mr D Howell
90
2

3
Mr P Meade
90
3

4
Mr J Henderson
90
4

5
Mr B W Tilling
90
5

6=
Mr P Biddlecombe
90
6

6=
Mr N Robinson
90
6

8
Mr D Webb
90
8

9
Mr J A Sever
90
9

10
Mr N McHale
90
11

11
Mr C Williams
90
12

12
Mr A A P Thorpe
90
13

13
Mr P Dodd
90
14

14
Mr T Stubbs
90
15

15
Dr T Carnwath
90
16

16
Mr S Shabankareh
90
17

17
Mr M Lewis
90
18

18
Mr G McHugh
90
19

19
Mr P S N Kendall
90
20

20
Mr K Burton
90
21

21
Dr D M Jones
90
22

22
Mr M Rupp
90
24

23
Mr G Telfer
90
26

24
Mr K Ward
90
29

25
Mr Jack Robertson
90
31

26
Mr A Wallace
90
32

27
Mr G Maker
90
33

28
Mr D Luke
90
36

29
Mr J Baker
90
37

30
Mrs J Keene
90
38

31
Mr R Wiseman
90
39

32
Mr S R Rice
90
41

33
Mr T Kirk
90
42

34
Mr C D Taylor
90
43

35
Dr J Burscough
90
44

36
Mr A Porteous
90
45

37
Mr E Long
90
50

38
Mr R Grafen
89
10

39
Mr R Ward
89
28

40
Mr S Jordan
89
30

41
Ms A Nayar
89
34

42
Mr K Brough
89
35

43
Mr D J W Skinner
89
40

44
Mr E Simpson
89
46

45
Mr J B Kirwin
89
47

46
Mr P Holland
89
48

47
Mrs J Barker
89
49

48
Mr R Bull
89
52

49
Mr P Middlewick
89
54

50
Mr R Shrager
89
55

51
Mr P Navin
89
56

52=
Mr M Hammond
89

52=
Mr J MacLean
89

52=
Mrs D Ross-Smith
89

55
Dr S G Subbuswamy
88
23

56
Ms J Ramage
88
25

57
Dr A Martin
88
27

58
Dr J Rea
88
53

59=
Mr T R Philips
88

59=
Mr R J Fletcher
88

59=
Mr H M Beckitt
88

59=
Mr H Coffell
88

63
Mr A Claburn
87
51

64
Mr S Cooper
86

65
Mr J R Gallimore
82

66
Mr C Callaghan
81

67
Mr A Esau
80

68=
Mr K Fayle
78

68=
Mr D Henderson
78

70
Mrs V Black
75

71=
Miss P F M Jepson
74

71=
Mr J Porteous
74

71=
Mr G Willmut
74

74=
Mr W E A Skinner
66

74=
Mr J Robertson
66

76
Mr G Stubbs
65

77
Ms D Ross
56

78
Mrs P Tooley
55

Preliminary 2 Results


Position
Name
Total
Time Order

1
Mr M Goodliffe
90
1

2
Mr S Hanson
90
2

3
Mr N Talbott
90
3

4
Mr R Crabtree
90
4

5
Mr P Brooksbank
90
5

6
Dr J Daddow
90
6

7
Mr M A Trollope
90
7

8
Mr S Chillingworth
90
10

9
Mr P King
90
11

10
Mr J S Williams
90
12

11
Mr D Meek
90
13

12
Mrs B J Widger
90
14

13
Mr A J Dorn
90
15

14
Dr H Ougham
90
17

15
Mr M MacDonald-Cooper
90
18

16
Mr N Gray
90
19

17
Mr N Petty
90
20

18
Mr M Crapper
90
21

19
Mr J Marshall
90
22

20
Mr W Muir
90
27

21
Mr R Cuthbert
90
28

22
Mr D M MacArthur
90
29

23
Ms J Greatrex
90
30

24
Lord Aberdare
90
32

25
Dr C Wood
90
33

26
Mr J Daly
90
35

27
Mr S Feakes
90
36

28
Mr P Chamberlain
90
38

29
Mr A Poulter
90
39

30
Mr R Theobald
90
40

31
Mrs L Jordan
90
41

32
Mr A Walker
90
42

33
Mr C Whorlow
90
43

34
Mr S Williams
90
44

35
Mr A Cusworth
90
46

36
Mr D Le Fleming
90
47

37
Mr P Rheinberg
90
48

38
Ms M Coelho
90
49

39
Mr R Boden
90
50

40
Mr C J Brougham
90
51

41
Mr P Sant
90
53

42
Mr A Brown
90
54

43
Mr M Ollerenshaw
90
55

44
Mr B Gray
90
57

45
Mr P Burkhardt
90
59

46
Mr B Oliver
90
62

47
Mr C Jones
90
63

48
Mr N Mepham
90
66

49
Ms J McLeod
90
67

50
Mrs A C Lambirth
90
69

51
Mr M H Hodgson
90
71

52
Mr C Shore
89
8

53
Mr J Roberts
89
9

54
Mr A Sanitt
89
16

55
Mr M Thakkar
89
23

56
Mr S Anthony
89
24

57
Mr B Staveley
89
24

58
Mr C Baser
89
31

59
Prof R Davies
89
34

60
Mr A Cannon
89
37

61
Mr C Chapman
89
45

62
Mr P Phair
89
56

63
Mr R Midgley
89
58

64
Mr N French
89
61

65
Mr P Judge
89
65

66
Mr A Morpeth
89
68

67
Mr F Williams
89
70

68
Mr K Gillett
88
26

69
Ms D A Joyce-Townsend
88
64

70
Mr P W Wigham
87
60

71
Mr P Twyford
86

72
Mr A Hayes
85
52

73
Ms E G Bulloch
84
72

74=
Mr P Comley
82

74=
Mr M Renshaw
82

74=
Dr E Marshall
82

77
Mr A Humphries
81

78
Mr G MacDougall
75

79
Mr M Crooks
70

80
Dr A L Jonathan
69

81
Mr R A J Francis
66

82
Mr E J Walters
45

83
Mr K Morris
42

84
Mr M Morison
40

85
Mr M Nguyen
33

20 comments on “2008 Championships – Mark Goodliffe’s second win.”

  1. I just want to add that meeting so many crossworders – solvers and setters alike – was absolutely fantastic, a real pleasure. Great to meet up with Pete again and, for the first time, Jacquie, to meet linxit again and, for the first time, penguin/nigepun. It was also my debut meeting up with many of the Times setters – celebrated rather oddly by stripping off with them for a calendar photo-shoot, but you really cannot predict what’ll happen at these events…

    Congratulations to all who took part, and I really hope we can organise more frequent Sloggers & Betters evenings at which setters will appear in greater number. This weekend has demonstrated that when we meet up to share our enthusiasm for the one thing we Brits definitely do better than anyone else in the world, we come away with memories of sheer joy.

    Must do it more often, yes?

  2. Would love to see the final tallies with times and prizes etc.
    Also wondering how soon the Times will publish the contest puzzles so
    lesser lights can have a crack at them too. In my case… at leisure.
  3. Thank you, Peter, for the report. Congratulations to all those who got anywhere near the final stages. And well done, Peter, on a pretty remarkable performance in light of your ordeals of this year. Give yourself a well-earned pat on the back (and an extra spoon of sugar, or something, in your cocoa).
  4. Indeed, congratulations Peter on a remarkable showing once again..

    I am wondering what other competitors took part that I ought to recognise, from this blog and RTC3? I see Tony Sever (reached the final again, well done Tony!), and another Sever, surely some relation (?) but otherwise I tend to get confused by all the pseudonyms and usernames around here

  5. That’s it, keep scrolling , there I am, right down near the bottom!
    I made two silly mistakes, one being an answer I knew was probably wrong but panicked myself into sticking my hand up anyway. A couple of minutes later I realised what the (easy) answer should have been. The other was spelling LATHE with two Ts and no H! What an idiot!
    Timewise I was pretty pleased to have “finished” in about 27 minutes, though this was only the 26th fastest of my heat.
    Despite this I had a good day out. It was good to meet Pete, Anax et al.
    George – I know I said I’d share my winnings with you. If you wish, you can have my Time T-shirt (it’s plain white with “The Times” written on it). you’ll have to collect it though.
    1. Good show! I tried the championship puzzles with a hangover this morning and found them to be of almost exactly the same difficulty, 20 minutes for the first, 20 for the second and 20 for the third (everyone would have been on their second round of drinks if they were waiting for me)

      I should have checked dates a long time earlier, as I have a two-day break from my day job it would have been possible to head over and throw crackerjacks from the peanut gallery. I instead took a show at an experimental theatre night and did a Ronnie Barker style monologue about the financial crisis that sadly wasn’t taped, because it brought the house down.

      Would the t-shirt fit my pocket atlas?

  6. Congratulations; it sounds like you needed to be lightning fast to get to the final this year.

    Peter, you said there was discussion of ways to expand and liven up the championships. Was this entirely unofficial, or is there any chance of changes to the format?

    1. I estimate that 9 minutes a puzzle was the requirement to make the final in Prelim 1, about 6:30 in Prelim 2.

      Most of the ideas are unofficial at present, and don’t all relate to the competition format – some are things like getting publishers of xwd books to have stands at a place with an obvious market. Obviously anything costing more money is very unlikely in the current economic climate, and that probably includes restoring regional finals – the most frequent suggestion over the last few years.

  7. Only one clue adrift this year(2 last time) and 15 minutes or so faster but i have some way to go if i am to make the grand final which did seem ‘doable’ in retrospect. A good opportuntiy to put names to faces and refine ones approach. Congratulations all round.
  8. Hello and again congratulations. I posted previously anonymously (the first post) having forgotten to log in. I’ve downloaded the Grand Final puzzles with my wife having downloaded the solutions. I’ll ask her for help if…er…when I get stuck. However, I’m having trouble finding the preliminary ones if, in fact, they have been published. Wife also has answers to those.

    I should seriously consider joining the club. Perhaps a Christmas gift from her.

    all the best

    The cat avitar is, by the way, one of our two Maine Coon cats as a kitten.

    1. The pretty firm expectation is that as in the last two years, the prelim puzzles will appear over the next six Wednesdays – including the answers to them with the answers to the final is a mistake. If you’re doing them in the New York Post, they should start with puzzle no. 24,045 – then keep on adding 6 until you get to 24,075.
      1. Very glad to see that you seem to be doing well Peter. Thanks for your prompt reply and helpful info. I see it’s bedtime there. Have a good night.

        Bob Church in Toronto (colonialboy)

        p.s. Still have not hear anything about Fraser Simpson retiring

      2. The Grand Final solutions PDF has been replaced by one containing those solutions only.
  9. Thanks for putting up all the scores so promptly! I thought I might find some distinction by being at the bottom of the list but it seems I’m not guite there yet (a humble 65th). Very much enjoyed the weekend in Cheltenham all the same and look forward to next year.
  10. Congratulations to Peter for an excellent performance. Also commiserations to Rvong who would have been in the final again but for leaving a letter out.
    After completing 3 puzzles in about 30 minutes (very pleased with that) I thought I might have been close to the final but ended up 19th. Amazing speed from so many competitors.As Peter said two former champions missed out.The puzzles were definitely easier than last year, including the final puzzles – but it’s a level playing field for everyone. Amazing performance by Mark Goodliffe. Well done!
    JohnPMarshall
  11. Like you I made a mistake. Just one letter in an answer which I was pushed by time pressure into guessing. Sadly, I came 8th fastest in my prelim round and that letter cost me a place in the final!

    Oh well – next year!

    Chris

    1. Normally I’d say “never guess!”, but the apparent stampede of people finishing in Prelim 2 must have made it difficult, and you probably had only about a minute before the last qualifying hand went up. If the puzzles are harder next year, you’ll probably be able to think for two or three minutes.

Comments are closed.