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• First announcement (handed out at IPP 25)
• Final mailing (June 2006)

Sixth Annual Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition

Renamed last year, the Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition was established in 2001 to promote and recognize innovative new designs of mechanical puzzles, a cause that Nob personally championed for many years.

Update: The 54 entries for the 2006 Design Competition are in, and photos are available on the competition web site.

The 2005 competition included 57 participating designs. Shiro Tajima's W-O won the Puzzlers' Award, and Akio Yamamoto's Radix won the judging committee's Grand Prize. Details about all the prize winners and participating designs are available at the competition web site.

The 2006 Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition will be held in conjunction with IPP26 in Boston, USA. The competition is open to designs made public between July, 2004 and June, 2006. All types of mechanical puzzles are eligible for the competition.

Anyone may submit his or her own mechanical puzzle design, regardless of IPP affiliation. (The puzzle does not need to be part of an IPP Exchange, nor does being part of an Exchange qualify or disqualify an entry. Participation in the Design Competition does not entitle the designer to an IPP invitation.)

The following is a brief overview of the competition. Please visit the competition web site for the official rules and entry procedure.

Timetable

• Entry Deadline: June 15, 2006
• Judging at IPP: July 27 to July 29, 2006
• Awards announced at IPP: July 30, 2006

Entries

Formal entry includes a complete written description and two copies of the puzzle (as described in the official rules). The entry fee is $25 per design.

Judging & Awards

The Puzzlers' Award will be selected by the IPP26 attendees, who will be able to review the puzzles during IPP26. Additionally, one or more jury prizes will be awarded, as determined by a select group of judges.

All judges will be asked to consider the following criteria, balanced by their personal preferences: innovation, physical design, and the fun of solving the puzzle.

The awards will be presented at the Puzzle Party. The winning puzzles will also be featured in the IPP Souvenir Booklet. The competition web site will summarize the entire competition and include purchasing information for all available designs.

We look forward to another exciting and rewarding competition!

Design Competition Committee