The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[Yogi]

Anyone know where i could get a list of the Codes for (say) 50 or 100 Diabolical puzzles? The Fiendish I have been subscribing to don't seem to do it for me any more.
Hoping to avoid having to convert them one-by-one from the solvers or websites. I haven't found any which provide them as multiples of codes.

Yogi

[Leren]

Names like Fiendish and Diabolical are just terms that are used to sell books or newspapers. I'm unaware of any accepted use of these terms outside of the common press.

FWIW here are a few puzzles that all solve using Skyscrapers.

Code: Select all

...28.754.9.4.38............397..28.84......3.5.....7...8..1.9......5..23.6......
...........19.2.6......679.9.2...6..37....95...5.....414...3..57.9.24......8.....
2.......6.4.......5.7918........3.......8..1.7.3..9.....23.784..85...1..9......5.
..56.8..33...5.....67..............1.82.145....6........45....77..96..1....1...2.
....41...5.67.2..1.2........4.9....2..9.586436..........41....57...8.....5......9
..9..35...627.....17...8.....6.....55.......3.93.8.2....72..6.9.....1..........8.
.92.3.14737.....69......3....7......4....2......4..23..6..45....8.39...2....1.98.
.23..49...5..1.4.....52......5.6.3.741.8....6.7.....................61..198.4.5..
.865.........4...8.9...2.......1....4..7....59......1......5.63...18.9..65..9.8.4
.1..9.......68..2.2...........35..9..7...98.3...2....4..316...54.8...1........7..
....2.........1.8.7.5.649.34.7...8.......2..4........5.5...7.19.89..32..3.6......
.3......4..67......79.4.2..36............5...7..4.23......2..96...374..1.2..5....
..1.....9.8.9...32..2173....2.............27..148..6......9........5..6319...7...

Skyscrapers are a common topic we get from people who are used to doing Newspaper/book puzzles and can't solve a puzzle - they've never heard of them. No doubt newspapers and books would use some scary term to describe these puzzles. They'd be considered too easy on this forum but you may find them a challenge. Happy skyscraper hunting !

Leren

[Yogi]

Thanx

[WinBear]

How about these? Too extreme?

Code: Select all

8.....12..76.8.....3......7..4....8..13..6...2..9....5....9..4...95..2....73....8
9...67..3.....5..2.5..4.9..1....46...6..7....8....13..48..5.1...9.8....7..3......
4..9.....9.27..1...65..8.....1...5.4.4.....8.2...8..13..6..78........9.....3.6..2
......13...........734....2.5.......7.48...6..2.9...87.4..19...6...2.4....23.7...
.86.........62.5....3..7..9....132....24...8.5.7....4......4.9....2..7.43......1.
6...3..2..13.9.6........75.13......8594.......8...5....693....2....79......6..3..
.5...6........139..3..2.....29.3...7.6...2.5.....4..3......56...482.........8...9
.5.9..3...6.13..5......2...7...4....9.....763.35....1...8..6.4.......29..2..5....
..7...6.54..15.2...5..3......1.6.4.95..9..........7.8.....7....9.42.....13....9..
..6....2.2...9.3....132...7...6.5..1.3..79..65..4............83..5...7..9..7...52
..13.5.8....6.29.....7.....8......35..5..8..1..7...2...6...7....48..9..7....2..4.
2..13..9...8.4.....36.........9...1.....839.6..2...5....4...1..36...5...1.....6.7
..6..2..5.8...4.....136......8.53......91..6.....2.7....9.7..137.........52......
5...81.....13...2.9.67.....3...1..5............7...3.9.6.53..42.9...4..7..2......
..8.7..13...5.8.6............1..72.88....1..97...4......52.....2..9..7..9.6..3...
..8.7..13...5.8.6............1..72.88....1..97...4......52.....2..9..7..9.6..3...
94.........63....7....21....8.76.....13........5....74......5.6....9..186...84.9.
.6..5........12.4....3.4..8.......3..135..9.2.7813.....8..2.5....9...1..1.......6
.....9..5.....3.6...781....13...........6.9....2..7.5.5...9.4.3.7.4..1...46.2....
..67.13....8.2...49.......7...4...5..1..6...2..7...86....97......2..8....3...5.7.
9...6.7.3..27....1..6....9......13.9.8.....7.....7.8..6..2....5.3.5..1..5...149..
9...6.7.3..27....1..6....9......13.9.8.....7.....7.8..6..2....5.3.5..1..5...149..
5.8.13........4.15..6...........5.2...9...3.....73..89..1...6..4..2..8..2...7....
2....6..9......3....345.1....82.....9..74........13...6.18...3........78..4....9.
...2..13........7......8..55...4.....46.2....1.3..7.6..9..6.7..3....562.4..3.2..8
..2..4..9...75.....13..........3.5..5..4.8.6..2......14..87.62........98.....5.4.


[champagne]

How about these? Too extreme?

Normally too hard for most players

[Yogi]

Thanx guys.

I'm currently working my way through the Skyscrapers list without too much trouible. The Extremes look fairly tough.
Make that VERY tough. The one I tried annoyed me for days and made me ask myself if I have a life outside Sudoku.

It's interesting to look at the trade-off between the satisfaction you get from solving a very hard puzzle, against the DISsatisfaction
you get from knowing that you are spending far too much time on it, when you could or should probably be doing something else.

I like the human questions.

[Leren]

Yogi said : ..... I like the human questions.

The sad fact of the matter is (for you at least) that you will have to confine yourself to relatively easy puzzles (easy for this forum), that are of equal difficulty, or slightly harder than, those published in newspapers, books and popular Sudoku websites. Puzzles above a certain level of difficulty simply do not admit of constructive solutions that are human friendly. The best way you can solve them is by trial and error.

Here is an excerpt from the Hodoku Solution to the first of the WinBear provided puzzles

Almost Locked Set XY-Wing: A=r9c12568 {124569}, B=r78c9,r8c8 {1367}, C=r5c8 {79}, X,Y=7,9, Z=6 => r9c7<>6

Hidden Rectangle: 3/6 in r4c79,r7c79 => r4c7<>3

Forcing Chain Contradiction in r3c5 => r2c1<>4 r2c1=4 r2c1<>1 r3c1=1 r3c5<>1 r2c1=4 r1c2<>4 r1c2=9 r4c2<>9 r4c2=5 r4c6<>5 r45c5=5 r3c5<>5 r2c1=4 r2c79<>4 r1c9=4 r1c9<>6 r3c8=6 r3c5<>6

Forcing Net Verity => r1c2=4 r4c1=9 (r2c1<>9 r2c1=1 r3c1<>1 r3c1=4 r3c4<>4) (r4c9<>9) (r4c2<>9 r1c2=9 r1c9<>9) r4c1<>7 r5c1=7 r5c8<>7 r5c8=9 (r5c7<>9 r5c7=4 r2c7<>4) (r5c7<>9 r5c7=4 r2c7<>4) r5c9<>9 r2c9=9 r2c9<>4 r2c4=4 (r2c4<>2 r2c6=2 r2c6<>5) r2c9<>4 r1c9=4 r1c9<>6 r3c8=6 (r3c5<>6) r3c4<>6 r3c4=1 r3c5<>1 r3c5=5 r3c6<>5 r4c6=5 r4c2<>5 r4c2=9 r1c2<>9 r1c2=4 r4c2=9 r1c2<>9 r1c2=4 r5c1=9 (r2c1<>9 r2c1=1 r3c1<>1 r3c1=4 r3c4<>4) (r4c2<>9 r1c2=9 r1c2<>4) (r5c1<>7 r4c1=7 r4c4<>7) r5c8<>9 r5c8=7 (r4c7<>7) (r5c7<>7) r6c7<>7 r7c7=7 r7c4<>7 r1c4=7 r1c4<>4 r1c9=4 (r2c9<>4 r2c4=4 r2c4<>2 r2c6=2 r2c6<>5) r1c9<>6 r3c8=6 (r3c5<>6) r3c4<>6 r3c4=1 r3c5<>1 r3c5=5 r3c6<>5 r4c6=5 r4c2<>5 r4c2=9 r1c2<>9 r1c2=4

etc etc

I just love that Forcing Net Verity move - how obvious is that !

More seriously, here are some puzzles that you might like to try your hand at:

Code: Select all

2-String Kite

.56.7.9...4.62..8.28...........8....73....618..5....2...........7.5...49....487.1
.617....5842.95....5..6.4.........3..25........41...26..........8.....672.....349
32..479.6..6........5.9..3.....7.......9.1..5..28..7.........7.6.3..4....5..26143
.81.2............9..68...4...31..7....8.57916........45....6.9223...84...........

Empty Rectangle

7...56.381.842.............5..3......4..8.7....1...24...3.........1....5.5...7.6.
..86........759...6..1...9.......83.9.6.....5..24.5.....5..438.3.18.2..6......2..
.3.8...7..48...1....745..69...74.951..4......7...2........1.....25.7...36.....7..
5.......3.....897.697.5...........287.3.1..........1....9..1357..8765......49....
47...........2...78..5..34..6..7..8...9.45..3.8......2741..32............9.2...5.

Kites and Empty rectangles are explained here.

Leren

[Yogi]

Hey WinBear! I think this one can be solved naked:
.3....9..6..4...........7...7.29.......3...6........4.4....5.8.....7.3....1......
That’s with Pen & Paper Only – No Screen.

WinBear.png (12.77 KiB) Viewed 1440 times

And you don’t have to handwrite PMs in either. Just the basics and a Skyscraper.
OK the others have been fairly diabolical. Just thought you might be interested.
- Yogi