If the code produces an answer sooner, including coding time, it's the best code. The real world rewards timeliness not comeliness. Contests can, and should,

If the code produces an answer sooner, including coding time, it's the best code. The real world rewards timeliness not comeliness. Contests can, and should, require maintainable code by giving you one goal and then at acceptance throw some new requirements at you. But still, if you win you're showing your code was more maintainable even if it's ugly to others.