The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[999_Springs]

Today's and last Thursday's only needed one or two locked candidate steps and singles. Could someone please verify this, and is there any reason why?

[Pat]

Are Times "Fiendish" puzzles getting easier again?

Today's and last Thursday's
only needed one or two locked candidate steps and singles.

Could someone please verify this,
and is there any reason why?

hey 999_Springs,
i haven't been following the Times puzzles in recent months --
are you saying that until now they all required duos,
that only now have they become easier?

1465 -- Fiendish
[ 29 clues ]

Code: Select all

 . . 8 | 4 . 1 | 3 . .
 . . 2 | . . . | 4 . .
 7 4 . | . . . | . 5 8
-------+-------+------
 . . . | 1 2 9 | . . .
 6 . . | . 5 . | . . 3
 . . . | 6 4 3 | . . .
-------+-------+------
 2 5 . | . . . | . 4 9
 . . 3 | . . . | 8 . .
 . . 6 | 9 . 5 | 2 . .



this needs only box-line interactions, it qualifies as Infra-Sub-Superior

the Pappocom software rates it Hard

1474 -- Fiendish
[ 28 clues ]

Code: Select all

 . . 2 | . . 1 | 6 8 .
 5 . . | . . 8 | 3 . .
 6 1 . | . . . | . . 2
-------+-------+------
 4 2 . | 7 . 3 | . . .
 . . . | . . . | . . .
 . . . | 6 . 9 | . 7 8
-------+-------+------
 7 . . | . . . | . 4 3
 . . 4 | 8 . . | . . 1
 . 9 5 | 1 . . | 8 . .



this needs only box-line interactions, it qualifies as Infra-Sub-Superior and also as "Ulterior"

the Pappocom software rates it Medium

[Bigtone53]

The Friday The Times Super Fiendish was launched with much song and dance about Swordfishes. In recent weeks, these have been simply solved with maybe the odd X-wing.

[999_Springs]

i haven't been following the Times puzzles in recent months --
are you saying that until now they all required duos,
that only now have they become easier?

Recently I haven't been doing many Times "Fiendish" puzzles, only "Super Fiendish" ones, but I think I do about one in every 4 "Fiendish" puzzles, and from the puzzles I have done, you may say that.

[Pat]

The Friday The Times Super Fiendish was launched with much song and dance about Swordfishes.

In recent weeks, these have been simply solved with maybe the odd X-wing.

when they tell me, "this puzzle needs Swordfish", i consider that somewhat of a spoiler

thus i'm actually happier with Super Fiendish when i don't know in advance if it will need a trio, an X-wing, or a Swordfish
and i can always hope for a puzzle which needs more than one of those