OlympicIRL

So New Zealand have their first opportunity to find the Silver Ticket. Please unlock one of the treasure chests to see if you can find the Ticket GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Miss your next turn 19 20 21 22 x 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 Miss your next turn 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Miss your next turn Unlucky Serbia, you too have to sit the next round out. Back again to @Gianlu33 now! GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Miss your next turn 19 20 21 22 x 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 Miss your next turn 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

@DaniSRB it's your go now

Sorry buddy, you sit this round out remember

x No luck this time. Mexico misses their next turn so now it's back to Serbia! GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Miss your next turn 19 20 21 22 x 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

x Unlucky. So the other contestants can breathe a sigh of relief as we continue now with New Zealand GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Miss your next turn 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

And so the first opportunity to find the Silver Ticket has presented itself to Serbia at this early stage. So I'd now like to ask @DaniSRB to open one of the 20 treasure chests GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Miss your next turn 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Miss your next turn Unlucky, Mexico misses their next turn. On now to Serbia! GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Miss your next turn 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Hello and welcome everyone to Heat 1 of the battle to become the host of TISC Open 2017. Three contestants representing and will do battle in the first heat in a race to find the one and only Silver Ticket on offer for a place in the Final. Here is a reminder of the rules.... Rules: Players will compete against each other in a game called Gridlock. The aim of the game is to uncover keys in order to open the treasure chests and find the one and only available Silver Ticket for the Final in this heat. Players take turns revealing tiles from the grid. There are 20 keys hidden in the 64-square grid. After a player has revealed a key, they immediately get to use the key to open one of the 20 treasure chests. One of these chests contain the Silver Ticket which ensures that player's passage to the Final. However, to complicate matters a little, the grid system has been infiltrated by those pesky penguins. There are 8 penguins in total lurking in the grid. Players need to be very cautious when selecting tiles because the penguins are set on causing mayhem. Collecting three penguins during the game results in instant elimination for that player and their dreams of hosting TISC Open 2017 will be over. If two players are eliminated by the penguins, the one and only surviving contestant will automatically be awarded the Silver Ticket and advance to the Final. One final piece of information to know - Séamus the lucky leprechaun has hidden himself away in the grid. For the lucky contestant who uncovers him, Séamus will wipe away all those pesky penguins that the player has collected thus far and he will also grant that player a free go at opening one of the treasure chests. Good luck to all contestants and choose wisely . So without further ado, let's play Gridlock!! @mrv86 you are up first, choose a square please GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Ok, you and Gianlu can take turns representing Wanderer

Excellent.... as Italy have no interest in the bidding contest it would be great if you would play on behalf of Wanderer

No worries. We'll see if a neutral user nominates to play in the next few minutes but if not then you can play for him

Ok so we have DaniSRB and mrv86 here. No sign of Wanderer so I'd like to ask for another user to step in to represent him and New Zealand.

Not a problem and thanks for taking the effort to connect despite the travel

I already sent the solution set to a neutral user so the results can be verified.

The game doesn't begin for another 90 mins (18:00 GMT). I just wanted to post the rules in advance so users can read it and understand it before we begin

Ok so here is a quick run through the rules of the game that will be used in the heats.... Players will compete against each other in a game called Gridlock. The aim of the game is to uncover keys in order to open the treasure chests and find the one and only available Silver Ticket for the Final in this heat. Players take turns revealing tiles from the grid. There are 20 keys hidden in the 64-square grid. After a player has revealed a key, they immediately get to use the key to open one of the 20 treasure chests. One of these chests contain the Silver Ticket which ensures that player's passage to the Final. However, to complicate matters a little, the grid system has been infiltrated by those pesky penguins. There are 8 penguins in total lurking in the grid. Players need to be very cautious when selecting tiles because the penguins are set on causing mayhem. Collecting three penguins during the game results in instant elimination for that player and their dreams of hosting TISC Open 2017 will be over. If two players are eliminated by the penguins, the one and only surviving contestant will automatically be awarded the Silver Ticket and advance to the Final. One final piece of information to know - Séamus the lucky leprechaun has hidden himself away in the grid. For the lucky contestant who uncovers him, Séamus will wipe away all those pesky penguins that the player has collected thus far and he will also grant that player a free go at opening one of the treasure chests. Up first in heat one will be and . Play will begin with the nation who achieved the highest finish at TISC Open 2016 (i.e. Mexico, followed by Serbia and then New Zealand). @mrv86 @DaniSRB @Wanderer GRIDLOCK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Yes things will go ahead as planned. I am now in the process of trying to come up with some kind of game format. Not a good idea for me to leave this until after Christmas

Golfer, Danny Willett is starting early with the beers

Here we go!

Happy Christmas everyone! For all who celebrate, I hope you and your families have a very peaceful holiday The 25th is our main day here. I have returned home from midnight service at the church where they played beautiful hymns and as always "O Holy Night" was the highlight and gave me goosebumps, beautiful hymn. Tonight we put the presents under the tree and tomorrow morning begins by opening the presents. For dinner we have either soup or garlic mushroom for starters, turkey and ham for main with all the usual sides of roast potatoes, brussels sprouts, parnisps, carrots, stuffing, gravy. For dessert we have a selection of dishes to choose from, but I am particularly looking forward to my apple pie because I just love apple pie This is how our table was prepared last year.... And most of all I am looking forward to acting like a big kid and playing with my nephew and the new toys Santa will bring him tonight Our tree....

I'm sorry but to be the host you need to exhibit a level of respect well beyond what you have shown here. Everyone has bad days but you are constantly complaining and disrespecting the other candidates. I just don't get it. The sad thing is, most people probably would have loved to see you host one day because you have a good level of skills in terms of being creative. But the fun and sense of good spirited humour that is at the heart of our contest is way more important than anything else and is what makes TISC the enjoyable show it is. You're not ready to host this event and that is what is very clear. Maybe things will change in future.

Yes, now is my science podcast time for bedtime

Today wasn't the best of days in terms of entertainment. Wade threw very well though and loved the improvised chant from the crowd "James Wade and his red chinos"

Maybe we can try a game tomorrow (if it works on my computer that is )