The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[BlazerMom]

Of the daily mega sudoku puzzles linked to washingtonpost.com, seven contained errors between June 20 and July 6. Often the error involves changing a "given" number. I have contacted Uclick, the puzzle provider, with the specifics. Just wondering if anyone else has shared this frustrating experience.

[BlazerMom]

Oops. Errors appear again in the mega sudoku puzzles of July 16 and 19.
I have reported these errors to U click, the provider to the Post, each time they occur, but they have been nonresponsive.

[r.e.s.]

BlazerMom,

There are no errors in the July 19 Sudoku Mega puzzle, although the "Help" button displays some wrong info (it says to use 0-F, whereas the puzzle obviously uses 1-G, as correctly stated on the main page). Solving this puzzle involves nothing more than naked- & hidden-singles. I didn't check the other puzzles you mentioned.

[BlazerMom]

The solution for the July 19 mega puzzle contains duplicates (1's)in the fifth row from the top.
Also, the solution changes a given number in the second row from the top.Where the puzzle gives a C, the solution makes it a D.
I consider those to be errors, however I will re-work the puzzle to verify.

[r.e.s.]

Here (converted to text format) is the washingtonpost.com July 19 Sudoku Mega puzzle & solution ...

Code: Select all

 5 . . F | . . . . | . . G 1 | A D . .
 D A . . | . . . . | . 8 . 9 | . . . 7
 . 8 . . | 3 4 C . | E A . B | . . . F
 G 1 . . | 6 F . D | . . . . | 4 E . 2
---------+---------+---------+--------
 3 . . G | . B . . | . . . . | . 7 . .
 . . . C | 8 A . 5 | D F . . | 2 9 B .
 4 . A . | . 6 . E | . B C . | 3 . . D
 . . . 2 | . G . . | . . . 3 | . . 4 .
---------+---------+---------+--------
 . B . . | 4 . . . | . . E . | 5 . . .
 1 . . 5 | . D F . | A . 2 . | . 3 . 6
 . 9 C 8 | . . 2 A | B . 3 6 | F . . .
 . . 2 . | . . . . | . . 4 . | D . . B
---------+---------+---------+--------
 C . D 1 | . . . . | 3 . B G | . . 6 4
 6 . . . | 2 . B G | . 4 8 A | . . D .
 9 . . . | C . D . | . . . . | . . 3 1
 . . 4 3 | 7 1 . . | . . . . | E . . A


 5 C E F | B 2 8 7 | 4 6 G 1 | A D 9 3
 D A 3 4 | 5 E G 1 | 2 8 F 9 | B 6 C 7
 2 8 7 6 | 3 4 C 9 | E A D B | G 1 5 F
 G 1 9 B | 6 F A D | 7 3 5 C | 4 E 8 2
---------+---------+---------+--------
 3 D 8 G | F B 4 2 | 6 9 A 5 | 1 7 E C
 E 6 1 C | 8 A 3 5 | D F 7 4 | 2 9 B G
 4 5 A 9 | 1 6 7 E | G B C 2 | 3 8 F D
 B 7 F 2 | D G 9 C | 8 E 1 3 | 6 A 4 5
---------+---------+---------+--------
 A B 6 D | 4 7 1 3 | 9 G E F | 5 C 2 8
 1 4 G 5 | E D F B | A C 2 8 | 9 3 7 6
 7 9 C 8 | G 5 2 A | B D 3 6 | F 4 1 E
 F 3 2 E | 9 C 6 8 | 5 1 4 7 | D G A B
---------+---------+---------+--------
 C 2 D 1 | A 9 E F | 3 7 B G | 8 5 6 4
 6 E 5 7 | 2 3 B G | 1 4 8 A | C F D 9
 9 G B A | C 8 D 4 | F 5 6 E | 7 2 3 1
 8 F 4 3 | 7 1 5 6 | C 2 9 D | E B G A

I don't see any errors.

[BlazerMom]

I agree that's right.

Except that the online version provided by UClick has a C as the given at the beginning of the second line, not D.
And in the fifth line, B instead of 1.

[r.e.s.]

I agree that's right.

Except that the online version provided by UClick has a C as the given at the beginning of the second line, not D.
And in the fifth line, B instead of 1.

The online puzzle has no "C as the given at the beginning of the second line", and there is no given '1' in the fifth line of what I posted. Here's a screen shot of the online puzzle:

[BlazerMom]

I'll concede conditionally.

I wish the puzzle printout on my desk matched the one you provided here.
I see a big green C and a big green B that does not match the solution, whic shows a D and a 1 respectively.

Must be the puzzle poltergeist.

Nice chatting with you.

[r.e.s.]

One possibility (as likely as a poltergeist, I guess ) is that early on the 19th the puzzle contained the errors you mention, and it was cached on your disk at that time. Then every time you returned to the site -- which in the meantime corrected the puzzle -- you still ended up viewing the earlier version. Pretty weird in any case.

[s.s.]

I found the same mistakes BlazerMom did in the July 19 puzzle. It must have been corrected in the version that r.e.s. references. I tried the puzzle three times before giving up and comparing it to Uclick's provided answer key, where I saw the duplicate 1s and replaced letter.

[BlazerMom]

Has anyone noticed that the last mega offered by this site was Friday, July 21? While I am annoyed by an impossible puzzle - and complain when they occur - I miss them when they are gone.

[s.s.]

I've noticed it, too -- what else am I supposed to do while I'm finishing my breakfast?

[Crazy Girl]

BlazerMom/s.s.,
Don't know if this will help but when I was visiting a puzzle site a while ago I had a problem viewing the latest update, and found that if you press Crtl + F5, this would force your browser to get the latest version of this page from your ISP, who maybe is holding an older version of the page.

Hope this is of some use.

[BlazerMom]

Thanks!
I will keep this in mind.
I may simply be trying too early in the day. A good puzzle is more interesting than a third cup of coffee.