Games and Tournaments for CAT

Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (LRDI) is the most dreaded section in the CAT exam. This is because, in the last two editions of the CAT this section has been the toughest nut to crack for the aspirants. If you analyze the CAT Previous papers, it is clear that Games and Tournaments for CAT is one of the most important concepts in LRDI.

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With the introduction of on-screen calculator, the focus in the LRDI section has shifted from quick calculation to analyzing and decoding of data. In CAT 2016, there was no DI set involving just calculations. Hence you can expect some reasoning to be present in most of the DI sets in the examination. Furthermore, Games and Tournaments for CAT is one of the formats on which there can be a DI set, also involving logic.

As is the case with most of LRDI, it is a good idea to practice as many sets as possible to improve in this section. Do check out a few free mocks for CAT. Ensure that you analyze the solutions after taking the mock.

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Uniqueness of Games and Tournaments for CAT

The questions on Games and Tournaments are very unique. Consequently, there is no “one-best-method” to solve questions on Games and Tournaments. Questions on Games and Tournaments can be solved by logic and logic alone. Having said that, it is good to familiarize yourself with all the different types of questions that have appeared in the past.

What is a tournament?

Let us first look at what a tournament is. A tournament is a competition involving a number of contestants, all playing for the final trophy. The tournament can be a Tennis Grand Slam or Cricket World Cup or Football World Cup or Olympics etc.

In a tournament, the contestants, be it individuals or teams might play against each other a number of times, depending on the nature of the tournament. For example, in a tennis grand slam each player can play against another player for a maximum of one time. On the other hand, in a football world cup a team may play against another team more than once.

Knock-out Tournament

A knockout tournament is one in which the contestant losing a particular match is eliminated from the competition and he doesn’t play in the further rounds. A Tennis Grand Slam is a typical example of a knockout tournament. It is to be noted that in a knockout tournament, any two given players can play against each other only once.

Guidelines to ace Games and Tournaments for CAT

There are several guidelines you have to keep in mind while answering questions on Games and Tournaments for CAT. Here we shall look at those guidelines for solving problems from this topic.

1. Never assume any data. Many a time, students tend to assume data which they think is obvious. Firstly, read the given information carefully. Then look out for information regarding the format of the competition, gradation, elimination etc.
2. In a knockout tournament, two particular players can play against each other only once.
3. Some tournaments involve multiple rounds. In such tournaments be careful to check if the rules change from one round to another. Many times rules change from round to round. In such a case it is important to not miss the changed instructions.
4. Sometimes data is present in unconventional formats like tables or bar charts. It may sometimes also be presented in the form of triangular graphs or spider charts. Such questions become quite easy once the data is interpreted properly. So you should take special care while interpreting data in such sets.
5. Sometimes questions are asked on football tournaments where a partially filled table of goals scored is given along with some other data. Questions asked may involve goals scored by different teams or goal difference in a particular match. Consequently, in such cases, use the approach used in arrangement type of logical reasoning questions. This will make the format familiar and as a result you will be able to arrive at the answer quickly.

Solved examples of Games and Tournaments for CAT

Games and Tournaments is one of the favourite topics of the CAT paper setters. Consequently, there have been many instances in past CATs where questions have been asked on this topic. Therefore, let us look at some those previously asked questions on Games and Tournaments for CAT.

Solved Example [CAT 2005]

In the table below is the listing of players, seeded from highest (#1) to lowest (#32), who are due to play in an Association of Tennis Players (ATP) tournament for women. This tournament has four knockout rounds before the final, i.e., first round, second round, quarterfinals, and semi-finals. In the first round, the highest seeded player plays the lowest seeded player (seed #32) which is designated match No. 1 of first round: the 2nd seeded player plays the 31st seeded player which is designated match No.2 of the first round, and so on.

Thus, for instance, match no. 16 of first round is to be played between 16th seeded player and the 17th seeded player. In the second round, the winner of match No. 1 of first round plays the winner of match No. 16 of first round and is designated match No. 1 of second round, Similarly, the winner of match No. 2 of first round plays the winner of match No. 15 of first round, and is designated match No. 2 of second round. Thus, for instance, match No. 8 of the second round is to be played between the winner of match No. 8 of first round and the winner of match No. 9 of first round. The same pattern is followed for later rounds as well. The seeding of players is as follows:

1. Maria Sharapova
2. Lindsay Davenport
3. Amelie Mauresmo
4. Kim Clijesters
5. Svetana Kuznetsova
6. Elena Dementieva
7. Justine Henin
8. Serena Williams
9. Nadia Petrova
10. Venus Williams
11. Patty Schnyder
12. Mary Pierce
13. Anastasia Myskina
14. Alicia Molik
15. Nathalie Dechy
16. Elena Bovina
17. Jelena Jankovic
18. Ana Ivanovic
19. Vera Zvonareva
20. Elena Likhovtseva
21. Daniela Hantuchova
22. Dinara Safina
23. Silvia Farina Elia
24. Tatiana Golovin
25. Shinobu Asagoe
26. Francesca Schiavone
27. Nicole Vaudusiva
28. Gila Dulko
29. Flavia Pennetta
30. Anna Chakvetadze
31. Ai Sugiyama
32. Anna-lena Groenefeld

Question 1)

If there are no upsets (a lower seeded player beating a higher seeded player) in the first round, and only match Nos. 6, 7, and 8 of the second round result in upsets, then who would meet Lindsay Davenport in quarter finals, in case Davenport reaches quarter finals?

a) Justine Henin b) Nadia Petrova c) Patty Schnyder d) Venus Williams

Question 2)

If Elena Dementieva and Serena Williams lose in the second round, while Justine Henin and Nadia Petrova make it to the semi-finals, then who would play Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals, in the event Sharapova reaches quarterfinals?

a) Dinara Safina b) Justine Henin c) Nadia Petrova d) Patty Schnyder

Question 3)

If, in the first round, all even numbered matches (and none of the odd numbered ones) result in upsets, an there are no upsets in the second round, then who could be the lowest seeded player facing Maria Sharapova in semi-finals?

a) Anastasia Myskina b) Flavia Pennetta c) Nadia Petrova d) Svetlana Kuznetsova

Question 4)

If the top eight seeds make it to the quarterfinals, then who amongst the players listed below would definitely not play against Maria Sharapova in the final, in case Sharapova reaches the final?

a) Amelie Mauresmo b) Elena Deinentieva c) Kim Clijsters d) Lindsay Davenport

Solution 1)

To answer this question, we have to first visualize the pattern of the matches taking place in the tournament.

A few observations that we can make are:

1. The sum of seeds of players is every match in the first round adds up to 33.
2. If there are no upsets, the top 16 seeds proceed to the second round.
3. The sum of seeds of players in every match in the second round, provided there are no upsets in the first round, adds up to 17. Similarly, the sum of seeds adds up to 9 in the quarter-finals and to 5 in the semi-finals. The top 2 seeds play in the final. All this happens if there are no upsets (lower seeded player beating a higher seeded player) throughout the tournament.

To answer the first question, we have to observe that since it is mentioned that there are no upsets in the first round, the top 16 seeds proceed to the second round. Consequently, the matches in the second round are as follows:

Match-1 : #1 vs #16

Match-2 : #2 vs #15

Match-3 : #3 vs #14

Match-4 : #4 vs #13

Match-5 : #5 vs #12

Match-6 : #6 vs #11

Match-7 : #7 vs #10

Match-8 : #8 vs #9.

Since there are upsets in the 6th, 7th and 8th matches, the seeds who proceed to the quarter-finals are : 1,2,3,4,5,11,10 and 9.

The matches in the quarter-finals are:

Match-1: #1 vs #9

Match-2: #2 vs #10

Match-3: #3 vs #11

Match-4: #4 vs #5

Since Lindsay Davenport is seeded #2, she plays seed #10, i.e., Venus Williams in the quarters. Hence the answer is d) Venus Williams.

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Solution 2)

Seeds 6 and 8 lose in the second round => they are upset by seeds 11 and 9 respectively. It is also given that seed #7 makes it to the semi-finals, so #7 defeats #10 in the second round. In the quarters, #1 plays against #9 and #2 plays against #7. Therefore, Maria Sharapova (#1) plays against #9 (Nadia Petrova) in the quarters. Hence the answer is c) Nadia Petrova.

Solution 3)

We have to observe that since there are no upsets in odd numbered matches, the seeds 1,3,5,7…15 reach the second round. And since all the even-numbered matches result in upsets, the seeds 31,29,27,…17 reach the second round. In the second round, #1 plays against #17, #31 plays against #15 and so on. Since there are no upsets in the second round, seeds 1,3,5,7,9,11,13 and 15 proceed to the quarter-finals. #1 plays against #9 and reaches the semis. The player she has to play against in the semis is either #13 or #5. So the lowest ranked player she can play against in the semis is #13 i.e., Anastasia Myskina. Hence the answer is a) Anastasia Myskina.

Solution 4)

Since the top 8 seeds reach the quarters, the matches are as follows:

#1 vs #8

#2 vs #7

#3 vs #6

#4 vs #5

From this, we can see that #1 will play either #4 or #5 in the semis, but definitely not one of them in the finals. Hence, from the options, the only possibility is #4 i.e. Kim Clijsters. Hence the answer is c) Kim Clijsters.

In conclusion, we have now reached the end of quite a lengthy post on Games and Tournaments for CAT. With the information presented in this post we hope you can now easily solve questions on Games and Tournaments for CAT.

Do read our post on Reading Comprehension Tips and Tricks for CAT 2017.

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