Free points in Rated Puzzles?

Interesting. Does it correlate to anything you can think of? Maybe ask for a hint first followed by correct moves leading to a solution?

Not sure, since it only happened a couple times.. I didn't notice exactly the circumstances... Other than I'm pretty sure I didn't start with a hint since I almost never do. Maybe got it on a retry. Thinking also that points are conditioned on your current puzzle rating vs the rating of the puzzle itself vs the time it took to complete the puzzle. Seems the higher get my puzzle rating to climb, the harder it is to get it to climb further, and if I complete puzzles in a reasonable time I get very few points compared to the points I lose if I screw up.

Happened to me a few weeks ago also and I was equally surprised. Pretty sure I asked for a first move hint and then got the rest right. Patzer Pity Points, who knew?


I;ve seen a couple of other posts like that. A bug probably made it's way into the rating algorithm.

maybe it had to do with you completing the rest of the puzzle- as maybe you just got a hint for the first, but it was a 4+ move puzzle
I noticed something odd the other day when I was bumbling through my Rated Puzzles. I wasn't able to figure out a good move on a particular puzzle and requested a hint. I then completed that puzzle's moves. When I proceeded to the next puzzle it gave me a +1 even though I had bailed and requested a hint. I was surprised to get a point when I definitely didn't solve it - are mercy points given out to us incorrigible patzers?