I have interviewed enough times to know that you can't please everybody. And some interviewers like to assert their dominance during the interview. If they see you as a potential competitor rather than an underling, they won't endorse you.

I once aced an interview brainteaser, and the interviewer actually tried to derail my solution by interrupting and making misleading suggestions. When I finished, he told me that I was the only candidate so far to give the "correct" answer. He was clearly unhappy about it, which confused the heck out of me at the time.

I wasn't supposed to do that. I was supposed to give a half-assed, partially correct answer and let the other guy show off how smart and superior he was, by giving me the "real" answer.

So yes, beating the brainteaser might backfire. If it could, would you still want to work there?