The New Sudoku Players' Forum

by **999_Springs** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 9:00 pm

This thread is a continuation of that other thread I did where I documented all the patterns of nice loops with 6, 7, and 8 links along with suggested names. (The only possible pattern with 5 links is a turbot fish.)

I got bored so I compiled all the possible patterns for 9 links. That's 4 strong and 5 weak links, so you'll always get a discontinuous loop. These forcing chains will always be characterised by a rating of 7.2 on SE (except the last one which is an X-Chain and is 6.8).

I'm pretty sure I've got them all. I've found 30 of them. Here they are, sorted by the number of cells used in the pattern (including the elimination). Most of the names are mine.

Tell me if I'm missing a pattern or an elimination or got a duplicate or anything.

5 cells

1. 4-cell XY-chain

Code: Select all: 12. . | . . . | 23. . . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . 34 ------+-------+------ . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . ------+-------+------ . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . # . . | . . . | . . 14 # =/= 1

2. Your Destiny

Code: Select all: 12. . | . . . | 23. . . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . 34 ------+-------+------ . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . ------+-------+------ . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . *#--------4---------* # =/= 1

3. When you're studying and a velociraptor throws bananas at you

Code: Select all: 12. . | . . . | 23. . . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . * ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . 3 ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | *#--------4---------* # =/= 1

4. Don't read this name

Code: Select all: 12. . | . . . | *\. . . . . | . . . | . 2 . . . . | . . . | . .\* ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . 3 ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | *#--------4---------* # =/= 1

5. 5-cell bilocation chain

Code: Select all: *@------1-------*\. . . . . | . . . | . 2 . . . . | . . . | . .\* ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . 3 ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | *#--------4---------* # =/= 1 @ =/= 4

6 cells

6. I am a heron. I have a long neck. I like to pick fish out of the water with my beak. If you don't use this technique in 10 other sudoku puzzles I will fly into your house tonight and make a mess of your pots and pans.

Code: Select all: . . *-------1-------* . . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . 12 | . . | . . . | . . . *#. . | . . . | 23. . # =/= 3

7. You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish.

Code: Select all: . . *-------1-------* . . . | . . . | . . | * . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 2 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . * | . . | . . . | . . . *#. . | . . . | 23. . # =/= 3

8. Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116

Code: Select all: . . *-------1-------* . . . | . . . | . . | * . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 2 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 3 . *#. . | . . . |@*/. . # =/= 3 @ =/= 1

9. I hate it when a sudoku technique name doesn't end the way I think it octopus

Code: Select all: . . 12| . . . | . . * . . . | . . . | . . | * . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 2 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 3 . *#. . | . . . |@*/. . # =/= 3 @ =/= 1

10. The eye-rony of an eyelash in your eye

Code: Select all: . . 12| . . . | . . 23 . . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 3 . *#. . | . . . |@*/. . # =/= 3 @ =/= 1

11. Pan the room. Random use of candles, empty bottles, and cloth. And can you see me through this fan?

Code: Select all: . . 12| . . . | . . 23 . . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | # # | . . . | . . 13 | . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | # # # # =/= 1

12. Flobalobalobalob

Code: Select all: . ./* | . . . | . . * . 2 . | . . . | . . | */. . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 2 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 3 . *#. . | . . . |@*/. . # =/= 3 @ =/= 1

13. Taxi 3pi Cantaloupe

Code: Select all: . ./* | . . . | . . * . 2 . | . . . | . . | */. . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 2 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . * | . . | . . . | . . . *#. . | . . . | 23. . # =/= 3

14. I'm a teapot

Code: Select all: . ./* | . . . | . . 23 . 2 . | . . . | . . . */. . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . 13 | . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | # . . # =/= 1

15. "Boat number 99, come in please. Your time is up. Return to the dock immediately or I'll have to charge you overtime." "Boss, we only have 72 boats. There is no number 99." (Pause) "Boat number 66, are you in trouble?"

Code: Select all: . . 12| . . . | . . * . . . | . . . | . . | * . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 2 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . * | . . | . . . | . . . *#. . | . . . | 23. . # =/= 3

16. _xXx_OvErLy_ObNoXiOuS_sUdOkU_tEcHnIqUe_NaMe_xXx123456

Code: Select all: . ./*-------3-------* . 2 . | . . . | . . | */. . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 1 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | # # | . . . | . . * | . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | # # . # =/= 1

17. Shine on, you crazy diamond

Code: Select all: . ./* | . . . | . . 23 . 2 . | . . . | . . . */. . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 3 . *#. . | . . . |@*/. . # =/= 3 @ =/= 1

18. Double cheeseburger

Code: Select all: . ./*-------3-------* . 2 . | . . . | . . . */. . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | # # | . . . | . . 13 | . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | # # . # =/= 1

19. Whoever invented Heinz Baked Beans, Blu-Tack and Krispy Kreme doughnuts can't spell

Code: Select all: . . 23| . . . | . . * . . . | . . . | . . | 12. . | . . . | . . | ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . 3 . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . * . . . | . . . | . . . # . . | . . . | 13. . # =/= 1

20. The last thing the pencilmark remembered was his alarm clock displaying 8:36 before two bivalue cells surrounded him. One of them shackled him to the bed with a heavy iron chain, nine links long. The other bivalue grinded his filthy claws across his chest, his other hand muffling his screams. #1r3c7 woke up, relieved it was all a dream. But as he saw his clock read 8:35, a shadowy figure filled the doorway, and the hinges creaked. Meanwhile, some random guy in cyberspace clicked "Take step".

Code: Select all: . . *-------2-------* . . . | . . . | . . | 12. . | . . . | # . | ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . 3 . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . * . . . | . . . | . . . # . . | . . . | 13. . # =/= 1

7 cells

21. You flush one down, it swirls around

Code: Select all: . . *-----1-------* . . . . | . . . | . . * * . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . . 1 | . . | . . . | . . | 1 . . | . . . | . . | |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 2 . *#. . | . . . |@*/. . # =/= 2 @ =/= 1

22. Click... click... click... click... click... BOOM!

Code: Select all: . . *-----1-------* . . . . | . . . | . . 12 * . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 2 . *#. . | . . . |@*/. . # =/= 2 @ =/= 1

23. Things I Hate: 1. Naming sudoku techniques 2. Irony 3. Lists

Code: Select all: . . *-----1-----*\. . * . . | . . . | . 2 . | . . | . . . | . .\* |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | # # | . . . | . . 12 | . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | # # # # =/= 1

24. Flying cuttlefish

Code: Select all: . . *-----1-----*\. . * . . | . . . | . 2 . | . . | . . . | . .\* |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | *@-------2---------* | . . | . . . | . . . *#. . | . . . | . . . # =/= 2 @ =/= 1

25. "Dad, check for monsters under my bed." *Looks under bed* "Dad, there's somebody on my bed."

Code: Select all: . . 12| . . . | *\. . * . . | . . . | . 2 . | . . | . . . | . .\* |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . 1 . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . |-----+-------+------ | # # | . . . | . . 12 | . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | # # # # =/= 1

26. Bananana

Code: Select all: . ./* | . . . | . . * . 2 . | . . . | . . | */. . | . . . | . . 2 |-----+-------+-----| | . . | . . . | . ./* | . . | . . . | . 1 . 1 . . | . . . | */. . |-----+-------+------ | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . * . . | . . . | # . . # =/= 1

27. IAmA W-Wing With 2 Bilocations instead of 1. Ask Me Anything.

Code: Select all: . . *-----2-----* . . 12. . | . . . | . # . . . . | . . . | . . * ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . 2 . . . | . . . | . . | ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . * . . . | . . . | . . . # . . | . . . | . 12. # =/= 1

28. You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!

Code: Select all: . ./*-----2-----* . . . 1 . | . . . | . . * */. . | . . . | . # | ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . 2 . . . | . . . | . . | . . . | . . . | . . | ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . * . . . | . . . | . . . # . . | . . . | . 12. # =/= 1

29. That awkward moment when you make a necrocomeback post and nobody notices

Code: Select all: . ./*------2------* . . 1 . | . . . | . . 12 */. . | . . . | # . . ------+-------+------ . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . | . . . ------+-------+------ . . . | . . . | . ./* . . . | . . . | . 1 . # . . | . . . | */. . # =/= 1

9 cells

30. 4 strong links

Code: Select all: . ./* | . * . | . . . . 1 . | . | . | . . . */. . | . 1 . | . . . ------+---|---+------ . . . | . * . | . . . . . . | . . *-1-* . . . . . | . . . | . . * ------+-------+-----| . . . | . . . | . . 1 . . . | . . . | . . | # . . | . . . | . . * # =/= 1

(ok, a few name explanations are probably necessary.)

Hidden Text: Show

Obligatory nomenclature poll closes in a week.

One other thing. If anyone could help me out here, that'd be great. Come on, it's been nearly three weeks.

The New Sudoku Players' Forum

AICs with 9 links - and new original names

obligatory nomenclature poll

AICs with 9 links - and new original names