Scoring Formula
The competition uses a dynamic scoring model designed to reward early solves, recognize first blood achievements, and discourage blind guessing. Each challenge starts with a high initial value and decreases as more participants solve it.
Initial challenge value
Every challenge starts with an initial value of 500 points. This is the maximum base value a participant can obtain from the challenge before any dynamic reductions are applied.
Dynamic point reduction
The score of a challenge decreases as more participants solve it. For every additional correct solve, the challenge value is reduced by 10 points. The score reduction continues until the challenge reaches its minimum value.
Minimum score floor
No challenge can drop below 100 points. Even if many participants solve the same challenge, its value will never be reduced further once this minimum threshold is reached.
First blood bonus
The first participant to solve a challenge receives a +20 point first blood bonus. This bonus is added on top of the challenge value at the moment of the first correct submission.
Wrong flag penalty
Every incorrect flag submission results in a −50 point penalty. This rule is intended to discourage random guessing and encourage careful analysis before submitting an answer.
Challenge score formula
The challenge value can be expressed as:
Challenge Score = max(100, 500 − 10 × (number of correct solves − 1))
This means the first correct solve keeps the challenge at its highest base value, and each additional solver reduces it by 10 points, down to the 100-point minimum.
Participant score formula
A participant’s total score is calculated by summing the points earned from solved challenges, adding first blood bonuses, and subtracting penalties from incorrect submissions:
Total Score = Σ(earned challenge points) + Σ(first blood bonuses) − 50 × (wrong submissions)
Scoreboard transparency
The scoreboard does not only show total points. It also displays additional performance indicators for each participant, including the number of first bloods achieved and the number of incorrect submissions made during the competition.