Participating in the Educational Codeforces Round 154 (Rated for Div. 2) was an exciting journey for me. After hours of dedication and problem-solving, I achieved a well-deserved rating boost of +29, a significant milestone that elevated me to the status of a "pupil" on the platform. The feeling of accomplishment was palpable, and I eagerly anticipated further challenges.↵
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However, the story took an unexpected turn when, nearly three weeks later, I received a notification from Codeforces that left me both surprised and disheartened. The email informed me that one of my submitted solutions had been identified as matching a solution from another participant, Mo3az_Khaled. To my shock, my ratings were deducted, and I was demoted back to the "newbie" status.↵
![ ](/predownloaded/5b/d4/5bd4998fbb67752a1c07ceb7fe6cfc5a395a8a89ed/99/ed99d47d0d971e6a13fb66dedd713875d86391cf.png)↵
What perplexed me even more was that I had submitted my solution before Mo3az_Khaled. This situation was undeniably frustrating, as it seemed to defy the principles of fair competition.↵
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↵
However, the story took an unexpected turn when, nearly three weeks later, I received a notification from Codeforces that left me both surprised and disheartened. The email informed me that one of my submitted solutions had been identified as matching a solution from another participant, Mo3az_Khaled. To my shock, my ratings were deducted, and I was demoted back to the "newbie" status.↵
![ ](/predownloaded/
What perplexed me even more was that I had submitted my solution before Mo3az_Khaled. This situation was undeniably frustrating, as it seemed to defy the principles of fair competition.↵