Saturday, June 25, 2016

Number-crunching!

I'm sure you've been following all the results on xmtlive.com, right? Head over there straight away to see what's been going on! I'll write about all the fun of the XMT when I'm less tired and less dejected about getting knocked out in the group stage... but if there's one thing that always cheers me up, it's processing data on complicated Excel spreadsheets, and people* have asked me to update that Elo-style ranking with this year's results, so here we go!

*(okay, just one person, but when it comes to number-crunching you don't have to ask me twice...)

So, after day one, here's my calculation of 100-points-for-the-best-score-in-each-discipline. In previous years, this has been a pretty good indicator of who's in contention to win the title. Alex, Lance and Katie all managed between them to produce some mind-boggling new records - incidentally, my figurative 'side bet' on Katie being the first to register a perfect 50 words and 30 names came good; I must try to find someone who'll actually take my bets on this kind of thing in future!



I did manage some half-way acceptable scores here and there, it's just that everyone's now so much better than I've ever been...

Anyway, let's do some Elo - the same health warnings apply as before; there are hugely too few matches for this to make any sense, it harshly penalises people who've lost their most recent couple of matches (say, because they'd already qualified for the knockout stage and were chasing the records) and over-inflates the scores of people who've only had a very small number of matches... but I think it still makes for some fun reading! First off, an overall ranking, then one for each of the five disciplines:

ALL Name Matches Rating
1 Simon Reinhard 76 1631
2 Johannes Mallow 88 1563
3 Alex Mullen 51 1540
4 Lance Tschirhart 30 1534
5 Johannes Zhou 36 1532
6 Katie Kermode 40 1520
7 Purevjav Erdenesaikhan 15 1514
8 Jonas von Essen 54 1509
9 Boris Konrad 70 1492
10 Enkhjin Tumur 25 1470
11 Christian Schäfer 59 1468
12 Everett Chew 15 1452
13 Tsetsegzul Zorigtbaatar 15 1452
14 Marwin Wallonius 47 1449
15 Jan-Hendrik Büscher 15 1443
16 Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag 15 1440
17 James Paterson 12 1399
18 Gunther Karsten 12 1395
19 Andi Bell 12 1385
20 Mark Anthony Castaneda 45 1381
21 Akjol Syeryekkhaan 19 1375
22 Erwin Balines 12 1369
23 Marlo Knight 30 1366
24 Melanie Höllein 15 1363
25 Anudari Adiyasuren 15 1363
26 Yanjaa Altansuh 35 1356
27 Ola Kåre Risa 37 1354
28 Enkhmunkh Erdenebatkhaan 15 1337
29 Tsogbadrakh Saikhanbayar 15 1320
30 Shijir-Erdene Bat-enkh 15 1315
31 Annalena Fischer 31 1314
32 Ben Pridmore 53 1314
33 Anne Reulke 15 1313
34 Norbert Reulke 15 1306
35 Clay Knight 15 1305
36 Bat-Erdene Tsogoo 12 1293
37 Wessel Sandtke 15 1279
38 Tuuruul Myagmarsuren 15 1279
39 Johnny Briones 15 1270
40 Johann Randall Abrina 42 1240


CARDS Name Matches Rating
1 Simon Reinhard 13 1538
2 Johannes Mallow 18 1482
3 Mark Anthony Castaneda 10 1478
4 Alex Mullen 11 1472
5 Ben Pridmore 11 1463
6 Purevjav Erdenesaikhan 3 1443
7 Lance Tschirhart 6 1430
8 Tsetsegzul Zorigtbaatar 3 1424
9 Shijir-Erdene Bat-enkh 3 1420
10 Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag 3 1418
11 Everett Chew 3 1417
12 Enkhmunkh Erdenebatkhaan 3 1416
13 Gunther Karsten 3 1416
14 Anudari Adiyasuren 3 1416
15 Melanie Höllein 3 1414
16 Jonas von Essen 11 1409
17 Enkhjin Tumur 4 1401
18 Marlo Knight 6 1400
19 Boris Konrad 13 1397
20 Jan-Hendrik Büscher 3 1392
21 Johannes Zhou 7 1388
22 Ola Kåre Risa 9 1388
23 Anne Reulke 3 1387
24 Andi Bell 3 1387
25 Akjol Syeryekkhaan 3 1385
26 Erwin Balines 3 1384
27 Bat-Erdene Tsogoo 3 1384
28 Norbert Reulke 3 1382
29 Christian Schäfer 10 1367
30 Johann Randall Abrina 9 1366
31 Marwin Wallonius 9 1362
32 Yanjaa Altansuh 7 1358
33 Johnny Briones 3 1356
34 Tsogbadrakh Saikhanbayar 3 1356
35 Tuuruul Myagmarsuren 3 1356
36 James Paterson 3 1355
37 Clay Knight 3 1355
38 Wessel Sandtke 3 1352
39 Annalena Fischer 7 1352
40 Katie Kermode 7 1336

IMAGES Name Matches Rating
1 Johannes Mallow 11 1487
2 Boris Konrad 9 1475
3 Christian Schäfer 8 1452
4 Marwin Wallonius 7 1448
5 Johannes Zhou 7 1444
6 Katie Kermode 9 1442
7 Simon Reinhard 8 1428
8 Jan-Hendrik Büscher 3 1421
9 Alex Mullen 9 1420
10 Purevjav Erdenesaikhan 3 1419
11 Tsetsegzul Zorigtbaatar 3 1418
12 Everett Chew 3 1417
13 Wessel Sandtke 3 1416
14 Enkhjin Tumur 5 1415
15 Mark Anthony Castaneda 3 1415
16 Lance Tschirhart 6 1403
17 Akjol Syeryekkhaan 4 1403
18 Yanjaa Altansuh 6 1402
19 Annalena Fischer 4 1397
20 Jonas von Essen 4 1397
21 Ben Pridmore 7 1391
22 Johnny Briones 3 1386
23 Norbert Reulke 3 1385
24 Clay Knight 3 1385
25 Tsogbadrakh Saikhanbayar 3 1384
26 Enkhmunkh Erdenebatkhaan 3 1384
27 Marlo Knight 6 1372
28 Anudari Adiyasuren 3 1355
29 Ola Kåre Risa 3 1355
30 Melanie Höllein 3 1355
31 Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag 3 1354
32 Tuuruul Myagmarsuren 3 1353
33 Anne Reulke 3 1353
34 Shijir-Erdene Bat-enkh 3 1353
35 Johann Randall Abrina 6 1315

NAMES Name Matches Rating
1 Simon Reinhard 17 1570
2 Jonas von Essen 14 1512
3 Johannes Zhou 8 1458
4 Alex Mullen 8 1450
5 Katie Kermode 7 1448
6 Akjol Syeryekkhaan 3 1446
7 Jan-Hendrik Büscher 3 1441
8 Ola Kåre Risa 9 1428
9 Christian Schäfer 12 1426
10 Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag 3 1421
11 Enkhjin Tumur 5 1417
12 Purevjav Erdenesaikhan 3 1416
13 Andi Bell 3 1416
14 Erwin Balines 3 1416
15 James Paterson 3 1415
16 Lance Tschirhart 6 1408
17 Yanjaa Altansuh 7 1405
18 Anne Reulke 3 1404
19 Marlo Knight 6 1403
20 Tsogbadrakh Saikhanbayar 3 1398
21 Johannes Mallow 18 1389
22 Johann Randall Abrina 9 1388
23 Everett Chew 3 1385
24 Tuuruul Myagmarsuren 3 1384
25 Melanie Höllein 3 1384
26 Enkhmunkh Erdenebatkhaan 3 1383
27 Anudari Adiyasuren 3 1382
28 Tsetsegzul Zorigtbaatar 3 1379
29 Boris Konrad 15 1375
30 Annalena Fischer 6 1373
31 Marwin Wallonius 10 1369
32 Mark Anthony Castaneda 11 1365
33 Johnny Briones 3 1359
34 Wessel Sandtke 3 1355
35 Bat-Erdene Tsogoo 3 1353
36 Gunther Karsten 3 1353
37 Shijir-Erdene Bat-enkh 3 1353
38 Norbert Reulke 3 1352
39 Clay Knight 3 1350
40 Ben Pridmore 12 1271

NUMBERS Name Matches Rating
1 Johannes Mallow 15 1488
2 Christian Schäfer 13 1488
3 Purevjav Erdenesaikhan 3 1448
4 Enkhjin Tumur 5 1447
5 Katie Kermode 7 1444
6 Alex Mullen 9 1443
7 Lance Tschirhart 6 1432
8 Johannes Zhou 7 1423
9 Marwin Wallonius 10 1418
10 Andi Bell 3 1416
11 Gunther Karsten 3 1416
12 Clay Knight 3 1416
13 James Paterson 3 1415
14 Yanjaa Altansuh 7 1414
15 Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag 3 1413
16 Tuuruul Myagmarsuren 3 1411
17 Ola Kåre Risa 7 1409
18 Jonas von Essen 9 1409
19 Annalena Fischer 6 1401
20 Akjol Syeryekkhaan 4 1397
21 Jan-Hendrik Büscher 3 1387
22 Enkhmunkh Erdenebatkhaan 3 1387
23 Melanie Höllein 3 1387
24 Everett Chew 3 1386
25 Ben Pridmore 11 1386
26 Norbert Reulke 3 1385
27 Tsetsegzul Zorigtbaatar 3 1385
28 Tsogbadrakh Saikhanbayar 3 1384
29 Erwin Balines 3 1384
30 Shijir-Erdene Bat-enkh 3 1384
31 Anudari Adiyasuren 3 1384
32 Bat-Erdene Tsogoo 3 1383
33 Marlo Knight 6 1375
34 Simon Reinhard 16 1370
35 Boris Konrad 15 1361
36 Johann Randall Abrina 9 1357
37 Wessel Sandtke 3 1355
38 Anne Reulke 3 1353
39 Johnny Briones 3 1351
40 Mark Anthony Castaneda 9 1310

WORDS Name Matches Rating
1 Simon Reinhard 14 1574
2 Johannes Mallow 17 1531
3 Jonas von Essen 11 1520
4 Boris Konrad 12 1482
5 Katie Kermode 8 1464
6 Johannes Zhou 6 1459
7 Christian Schäfer 13 1457
8 Tsetsegzul Zorigtbaatar 3 1450
9 Everett Chew 3 1444
10 Lance Tschirhart 6 1441
11 Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag 3 1419
12 James Paterson 3 1416
13 Purevjav Erdenesaikhan 3 1415
14 Alex Mullen 10 1410
15 Gunther Karsten 3 1400
16 Mark Anthony Castaneda 8 1391
17 Jan-Hendrik Büscher 3 1389
18 Anudari Adiyasuren 3 1388
19 Ola Kåre Risa 7 1387
20 Melanie Höllein 3 1386
21 Annalena Fischer 7 1385
22 Erwin Balines 3 1384
23 Norbert Reulke 3 1382
24 Tsogbadrakh Saikhanbayar 3 1381
25 Enkhjin Tumur 4 1377
26 Marlo Knight 6 1373
27 Akjol Syeryekkhaan 4 1370
28 Marwin Wallonius 10 1361
29 Yanjaa Altansuh 7 1361
30 Anne Reulke 3 1358
31 Johnny Briones 3 1358
32 Clay Knight 3 1356
33 Enkhmunkh Erdenebatkhaan 3 1356
34 Andi Bell 3 1355
35 Bat-Erdene Tsogoo 3 1355
36 Wessel Sandtke 3 1354
37 Shijir-Erdene Bat-enkh 3 1353
38 Tuuruul Myagmarsuren 3 1353
39 Ben Pridmore 10 1323
40 Johann Randall Abrina 9 1280

Wow, I'm coming close to the bottom of most of those lists... ah well, it's still fun to crunch those numbers!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Midsummer

This is most definitely the longest day of the year, you know. It's just getting dark outside now, here in San Diego, and the sun came up a good 24 hours ago back in Birmingham. It's like being at the North Pole is probably like! I'm extremely tired after a long and extreme journey, but that's good, because I've got two days to get over the jetlag, and it's practically the right time to be going to sleep now, Pacific time. Good omens are accumulating for the competition - my memory for names is clearly better than ever, judging by the way I know who all four of the people Facebook told me had a birthday today are (memory-men Phil and Phill, recent former work colleague Adam and cousin Andrew; happy birthday one and all!) which compares favourably with the usual daily list of 'friends' who I can't remember befriending. And I'm quite picky about accepting Facebook invitations, too.

Another omen related to Facebook - when I see the five of diamonds followed by the ace of diamonds, in my head it's Richard Dutka, a boy I went to primary school with and don't really remember anything about except that his name helpfully started with the syllable 'dut'. Thirty years since we last communicated, he sent me a message on Facebook last week! If that's not a good omen, I don't know what is.

Well, maybe this is - when I arrived in America and had my passport scrutinized (always a worrying procedure), Border Patrol Officer Lopez was familiar with my name from Moonwalking With Einstein, and had a cheerful friendly chat about memory techniques! It was like being a celebrity welcomed into the country!

Monday, June 20, 2016

It's time to get extreme again!

So here we go - I'm flying out to San Diego tomorrow, for a couple of days settling in before three days of extreme memorising! Well, one day at least, maybe two, improbably three... it depends how early I get knocked out. But the excitement is mounting! Woohoooo! Extreeeeeeme!