Frequently Asked Questions About WCA Competitions

would there be a penalty if a square-1 is half sliced?


10f) Limits of misalignment for puzzles:
cube shaped puzzles: =< 45 degrees
Megaminx: =< 36 degrees
Pyraminx: =< 60 degrees
Square-1: =< 45 degrees (U/D) or 90 degrees (/)

So, if the slice is less than 90 degrees, it's okay. Above 90 degrees it's +2.
 
Anyone knows the amount of prize money that was given to Michal in the World Rubik's Cube Championships 2011? I know the total amount was 24,710 Euros, but what was the amount given for the first prize in the individual category of Rubik's Cube (3x3)?
 
Yes it's possible, but such talented people are very rare. Odds are that he's just a kid bragging about his future WR without realizing how much time andndedication it requires to reach that level.
 
...without realizing how much time andndedication it requires to reach that level.

I hope he considers my estimate of how many solves I've done and also considers that I've been doing deliberate practise for a good 3 out of 4 of the years I count solves for, and I'm not even sub 9 any more since I stopped practising about 2-3 months ago.
 
I wouldn't suggest using the 2011 prize money to predict the prizes for 2013. Our budget will be significantly less than it was in 2011.
 
I wouldn't suggest using the 2011 prize money to predict the prizes for 2013. Our budget will be significantly less than it was in 2011.

What determines how much funds are available? Does it all come from all the competitions through out the year?
 
In Article 4 of the WCA Regulations, it doesn't mention anything about what the scrambler does if he/she messes up during a scramble. Some situations in which this may happen is:
1.) If the puzzle pops while scrambling, and he/she loses his/her place.
2.) If he/she gets distracted while scrambling and mistakes R' for R (or R for R', etc)

I know that scrambler generators used for official competitions also returns a picture of what the puzzle would look like after doing the scrambling sequence. So, if the scrambler finished the scramble and finds that the resulting puzzle doesn't match the one in the picture, what will he/she do?

If the puzzle is something small like a 2x2 or 3x3, he/she can just solve the puzzle and redo the scramble. If it's something big like a 4x4 or 5x5 and it takes time to solve, that will delay the scrambling time and, by extension, the round.

This probably doesn't happen too often, but it does happen, which results in different scrambles for some people (which may or may not give them an unfair advantage)

EDIT: woops I didn't realize there was a thread for scrambling already, sorry ]:
 
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If the puzzle is something small like a 2x2 or 3x3, he/she can just solve the puzzle and redo the scramble. If it's something big like a 4x4 or 5x5 and it takes time to solve, that will delay the scrambling time and, by extension, the round.

For 4x4 and 5x5, we mostly give them to someone who's judging at that moment and can solve rather fast. For 6x6 and 7x7 you can ask the delegate whether the scramble is 'fair enough' (this exception for 6x6 and 7x7 is mentioned in the regulations)
 
In Article 4 of the WCA Regulations, it doesn't mention anything about what the scrambler does if he/she messes up during a scramble. Some situations in which this may happen is:
1.) If the puzzle pops while scrambling, and he/she loses his/her place.
2.) If he/she gets distracted while scrambling and mistakes R' for R (or R for R', etc)

I know that scrambler generators used for official competitions also returns a picture of what the puzzle would look like after doing the scrambling sequence. So, if the scrambler finished the scramble and finds that the resulting puzzle doesn't match the one in the picture, what will he/she do?

If the puzzle is something small like a 2x2 or 3x3, he/she can just solve the puzzle and redo the scramble. If it's something big like a 4x4 or 5x5 and it takes time to solve, that will delay the scrambling time and, by extension, the round.

This probably doesn't happen too often, but it does happen, which results in different scrambles for some people (which may or may not give them an unfair advantage)

EDIT: woops I didn't realize there was a thread for scrambling already, sorry ]:

If it is a 4x4 or 5x5, one or two minutes really doesn't screw up a schedule. Adding maybe 2 rounds of blind spontaneously may do that, but probably not 3-5 minutes
 
I do not think it is worth it to solve the wrongly scrambled 5x5 and rescramble. The original scramble does not have as much influence on the time as an event like 2x2 or 3x3.
 
I do not think it is worth it to solve the wrongly scrambled 5x5 and rescramble. The original scramble does not have as much influence on the time as an event like 2x2 or 3x3.

In UK competitions we pretty much always rescramble 5x5 if it is incorrectly scrambled. Pretty much every event apart from 6 and 7 we do this.
 
In UK competitions we pretty much always rescramble 5x5 if it is incorrectly scrambled. Pretty much every event apart from 6 and 7 we do this.

I commend you for that. You have more patience than I do. ;)

Of course, I'm perfect and never make mistakes anyway. :p
 
I commend you for that. You have more patience than I do. ;)

Of course, I'm perfect and never make mistakes anyway. :p

Oh yeah totally I never make mistakes *cough*. The thing is with the UK competitions, we generally have quite a few people who are very close to each other in time, and also a couple of potential ER holders, so we can't let someone get a mis-scramble just in case. Our organising crew is so efficient *COUGH* that we generally never run over time anyway so we can afford to do this I guess, but when the majority of people are not going to break any sort of records and time is tight I can understand not doing 5x5. But I think for most events it is important.
 
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