Alpha Sleuth® Solving Ladder Rules
The Rules:
Each Solving Ladder 'leg' will run for a period of 3 months, year-round:
- January-March
- April-June
- July-September
- October-December
Solving Contest participants earn Ladder points by responding within the
first 144 hours (6 days) with the correct answer.
Ladder points will be awarded each week as follows:
- 1st place = 5 points ("Alpha")
- 2nd place = 4 points ("Beta")
-
all others within the first 60 minutes = 3 points
-
all others prior to Hints being posted (*) = 2 points
-
all others after Hints are posted (*) = 1 point
-
"cooks" (**) earn a 1 point bonus
(*) Hints will be posted after 3pm on Wednesdays, to encourage less-experienced solvers
(**) Beginning 4/6/2008, "cooks" must meet our new & much stricter
requirements
Determining "Alpha", "Beta", 3rd Place, etc. Each Week:
We use our email PC/server "Received" time-stamp as the official time. This eliminates discrepancies between sending PC/server times, which is the fairest method possible. However, email can cause delays on an individual basis. If you have concerns about receipt-times, please request a confirmation with your email.
After each
Solving Ladder period is complete, the Ladder "Alpha" and "Beta" (1st & 2nd place) will be posted on our home page.
Their names will also be permanently posted on our
Contest Winners page.
Earning Solving Titles & Free Puzzle Books:
Solving titles will be awarded based on the number of puzzles solved (or "puzzle credits"):
-
Expert Sleuth = 25 puzzle credits
-
Master Sleuth = 50 puzzle credits
-
GrandMaster Sleuth = 100 puzzle credits
As you ascend to each title level, you will receive an autographed copy of our latest Alpha Sleuth® volume! Or... we can ship one to a friend as a gift if you like.
Earning Bonus Puzzle Credits:
