Rätsel und Puzzles
Preeface
Dear puzzle(d) friends,
This is already my 11th booklet with logic puzzles made especially for all you puzzlers in the world. This 11th booklet was also supposed to be my last due to lack of feedback, which, for me, automatically meant I was making puzzles for a (very) small audience. This lack of feedback already changed my plans from issuing a booklet every two months in issuing a booklet whenever I felt like it. But thanks to a lot of positive reactions during this years WPC, I'll give it another go.
I also think it's time that I give you all a proper introduction. So here's some background information about how I became a puzzle addict.
In high school I first discovered my ability to make and solve puzzles. Every now and then I made a practice test for the physics exams, and went in discussion with our mathematics teacher about the answers in the answer booklet. (I remember a discussion about how many cartons of orange juice fit in a special sized box. Everybody stacked the cartons in an upright position in the box, but I tried to put in cartons on their side and on their back as well, resulting in two extra cartons that would fit in.)
I became a real puzzle addict after I qualified for the 8th WPC in Budapest back in 1999. I just managed to get through the qualification round and the Dutch national round to enter the team. On one of our first meetings before the event in Budapest, Niels Roest (our nations best puzzler) handed in two retrograde battleship puzzles. He made those for Breinbrekers and was awarded a free subscription for the forthcoming year. Since I still had no subscription to Breinbrekers, I also started to develop some puzzles. I drove Hans Eendebak, team captain and editor of Breinbrekers, mad with all the stuff I "invented". I would send him two or three puzzles every two weeks.
I was also looking for a place to do my practical (I was studying mathematics
at the time (what else would you expect)) and also that request I mailed
to Hans. After this all went very quickly. Hans offered me the chance to
fill the "yellow section" of Breinbrekers for the 3rd issue of 2000. All
these kind of puzzles also feature in my booklets and two concepts even made
it through the WPC 2003 puzzle selection. (Checkers and tournament, puzzle
3 and 13 of part II). I also did my practical at Puzzelsport in the summer
of 2000. I developed (another) "Swedish crossword
puzzle generator" for them. After this I became a regular puzzle maker for
Breinbrekers, and I'm doing this ever since.
In 2001, after a disappointing 9th place in the national finals in 2000, I again made it to the WPC. On that event Hans made clear that he wanted to nominate the Netherlands to host the event in 2003. He was making an inventory of all people he wanted to help him with the content. I was one of them. And although I finished 6th that year, in my heart I felt more a puzzle maker rather than a puzzle solver. (The 2001 WPC was very mathsorientated, so it was very easy for me to do well in the event).
Here I am, in 1999 struggling to get to the event as a puzzle solver, and now making puzzles for the event. I would like to thank a number of people for this:
First of all Hans Eendebak who not only hired me to work for Puzzelsport but also did a great job as a team captain in the 1999 and 2001 event, and as the responsible man for this years WPC-puzzles. It is an honor to work with you. I hope this won't be our last event together!
Secondly there are all the Dutch team members I've served with in 1999 and 2001 (in alphabetical order): Jan Beelen, Paul Jacobs, Delia Keetman, Jeroen Meewisse and Niels Roest. Damn good puzzlers you all. Further more all the people I worked with this 12th WPC: Rob Geensen and Jan Lam from the organizing staff, Delia and Stef Keetman as fellow puzzlemakers, Rick Uppelschoten my roommate for the event, for listening to my on- and ongoing stories, even way past 4 AM. And last but definitely not least all the people who either helped to check the solutions, handed out and took in the "exams" or organized the excursions and all the people at Papendal, who made this a great championship. Congratulations all on a fantastic event.
Also all puzzlers present at the last WPC and all puzzlers enjoying my booklets, thank you very much for all your interest. In particular I'd like to thank Otto Janko who translated all my puzzles into the German language. And all the others who link to my home page.
And finally I would like to thank my wife Sonja, I love you, and also my family for their support, I couldn't have done it without you!!!
Tim Peeters
October 2003