Hearts (for gentlemen only)

Everything about Sudoku that doesn't fit in one of the other sections

Hearts (for gentlemen only)

Postby m_b_metcalf » Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:43 am

Gentlemen,
Valentine's Day is soon upon us and we need to suitably impress the ladies (who may be making similar attempts to impress us). Last year's efforts were very pretty but not too difficult. Can we find an appropriate SE 10+ pearl?

Here are a few first attempts and suggestions.

Regards,

Mike Metcalf

We start with a 23-clue heart:
Code: Select all
 . 6 3 . . . 1 7 .
 9 . . 1 . 2 . . 3
 8 . . . 9 . . . 6
 6 . . . 5 . . . 7
 7 . . . . . . . 4 SE 8.4
 . 9 . . . . . 8 .
 . . 1 . . . 4 . .
 . . . 9 . 3 . . .
 . . . . 4 . . . .

followed by a 22-clue heart:
Code: Select all
 . 6 7 . . . 1 3 .
 3 . . 9 . 5 . . 6
 2 . . . 7 . . . 8
 8 . . . . . . . 3
 1 . . . . . . . 9
 . 4 . . . . . 5 .
 . . 3 . . . 7 . .
 . . . 8 . 3 . . . easy
 . . . . 4 . . . .

and one with 21 clues:
Code: Select all
 . . 5 . . . 7 . .
 . 9 . 8 . 1 . 5 .
 6 . . . 2 . . . 4
 3 . . . 7 . . . 2 SE 7.3
 2 . . . . . . . 1
 . 5 . . . . . 4 .
 . . 8 . . . 9 . .
 . . . 4 . 5 . . .
 . . . . 1 . . . .

This last one has a possible variant:
Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . . .
 . x x x . x x x .
 x . . . x . . . x
 x . . . x . . . x
 x . . . . . . . x
 . x . . . . . x .
 . . x . . . x . .
 . . . x . x . . .
 . . . . x . . . .

that I haven't been able to find. Similarly for a 20-clue heart:
Code: Select all
 . . x . . . x . .
 . x . x . x . x .
 x . . . x . . . x
 x . . . . . . . x
 x . . . . . . . x
 . x . . . . . x .
 . . x . . . x . .
 . . . x . x . . .
 . . . . x . . . .

JPF, where are you?

Of course, hearts are sometimes broken, as in:
Code: Select all
 . 9 7 . . . . 6 .   23 - 3, SE 7.2
 3 . . 4 . 2 . . 5
 1 . . . 7 . . . .
 . . . . 9 . . . 2
 7 . . . . . . . 8
 . 8 . . . . . 3 .
 . . 5 . . . 9 . .
 . . . 6 . 7 . . .
 . . . . 3 . . . .

or
Code: Select all
 . 6 7 . . . 1 . .
 . . . 9 . 1 . . 4
 5 . . . 7 . . . 8   22 - 2, SE 4.4
 4 . . . . . . . 3
 1 . . . . . . . 9
 . 2 . . . . . 6 .
 . . 9 . . . 7 . .
 . . . 3 . 8 . . .
 . . . . 5 . . . .

or
Code: Select all
 . . . . . . 6 . .   21 - 1, SE 7.4
 . 4 . 9 . 7 . 1 .
 1 . . . 3 . . . 8
 4 . . . 8 . . . 5
 6 . . . . . . . 3
 . 1 . . . . . 9 .
 . . 9 . . . 3 . .
 . . . 2 . 4 . . .
 . . . . 7 . . . .

Also, hearts can be tilted, as in:
Code: Select all
 . . . . 3 . . . . 23-clues, tilted, SE 8.4
 . . . 2 . 5 . . .
 . . 8 . . 4 . . .
 . 6 . . . 7 5 8 .
 1 . . . 6 . . . 3
 4 . . . . . . 9 .
 3 . . . . . 1 . .
 2 . . . . 9 . . .
 8 9 5 1 2 . . . .

and here too there are many variants possible.
User avatar
m_b_metcalf
2017 Supporter
 
Posts: 13637
Joined: 15 May 2006
Location: Berlin

Postby JPF » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:19 am

m_b_metcalf wrote:JPF, where are you?

Here I am:D

Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . . .
 . 3 9 7 . 5 4 2 .
 4 . . . 6 . . . 9
 1 . . . 8 . . . 6
 7 . . . . . . . 2
 . 5 . . . . . 9 .
 . . 8 . . . 1 . .
 . . . 2 . 3 . . .
 . . . . 7 . . . .    SE = 7.2

Code: Select all
 . . 3 . . . 4 . .
 . 1 . 6 . 2 . 3 .
 8 . . . 7 . . . 2
 7 . . . . . . . 3
 4 . . . . . . . 9
 . 2 . . . . . 6 .
 . . 1 . . . 7 . .
 . . . 9 . 3 . . .
 . . . . 2 . . . .   easy

JPF
JPF
2017 Supporter
 
Posts: 6139
Joined: 06 December 2005
Location: Paris, France

Postby Pat » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:59 pm

User avatar
Pat
 
Posts: 4056
Joined: 18 July 2005

Postby m_b_metcalf » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:31 pm

JPF wrote:
m_b_metcalf wrote:JPF, where are you?

Here I am:D

Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . . .
 . 3 9 7 . 5 4 2 .
 4 . . . 6 . . . 9
 1 . . . 8 . . . 6
 7 . . . . . . . 2
 . 5 . . . . . 9 .
 . . 8 . . . 1 . .
 . . . 2 . 3 . . .
 . . . . 7 . . . .    SE = 7.2

JPF

Brilliant! Your 20-clue is unshakable but, with two small changes, the first one can become a broken heart:( :
Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . . .
 . 3 9 . . 8 4 2 .
 4 . . . 6 . . . 9
 1 . . . 8 . . . 6
 7 . . . . . . . 2 SE 7.2
 . 2 . . . . . 9 .
 . . 8 . . . 1 . .
 . . . 2 . 3 . . .
 . . . . 7 . . . . 

Congratulations again.

Mike Metcalf
User avatar
m_b_metcalf
2017 Supporter
 
Posts: 13637
Joined: 15 May 2006
Location: Berlin

Postby JPF » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:32 am

m_b_metcalf wrote:Congratulations...
Thanks Mike.
Here are 2 hearts for the price of one :
Code: Select all
 . 2 . 5 . . . . .
 9 . 7 . 1 . . . .
 8 . . . 2 . . . .
 . 5 . 7 . . . . .
 . . 4 . . 3 . 9 .
 . . . . 9 . 1 . 8
 . . . . 8 . . . 6
 . . . . . 4 . 5 .
 . . . . . . 2 . .   
SE=6.6

JPF
JPF
2017 Supporter
 
Posts: 6139
Joined: 06 December 2005
Location: Paris, France

Postby m_b_metcalf » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:12 pm

JPF wrote:
m_b_metcalf wrote:Congratulations...
Thanks Mike.
Here are 2 hearts for the price of one :

... and here's my crude rendering of a heart pierced by Cupid's arrow:
Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . 8 4
 . . . . . . . 6 9
 . . 6 5 . 4 1 . .
 . 8 . . 7 6 . 5 .
 . 5 . . 9 . . 3 .     SE 8.5 with or without r2c8
 . . 2 . . . 8 . .
 . . 4 1 . 9 . . .
 . 7 . . 8 . . . .
 1 . . . . . . . .


Regards,

Mike Metcalf
User avatar
m_b_metcalf
2017 Supporter
 
Posts: 13637
Joined: 15 May 2006
Location: Berlin

Postby JPF » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:14 pm

19 & missing 9 :

Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . 1 2
 . . . . . . . . 3
 . . 4 5 . 6 7 . .
 . 1 . . 2 . . 3 .
 . 6 . . . . . 8 .
 . . 5 . . . 4 . .
 . . . 4 . 5 . . .
 . 2 . . 7 . . . .
 8 . . . . . . . .

JPF
JPF
2017 Supporter
 
Posts: 6139
Joined: 06 December 2005
Location: Paris, France

Postby ravel » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:11 pm

Since most ladies might be in doubt about your love, when you give them an ER 7.2 puzzle, here are some alternatives for this pattern:
Code: Select all
 +-------+-------+-------+
 | . . . | . . . | . . . |
 | . 9 8 | 4 . 7 | 1 3 . |
 | 6 . . | . 9 . | . . 2 |
 +-------+-------+-------+
 | 2 . . | . 3 . | . . 5 |
 | 1 . . | . . . | . . 8 |
 | . 4 . | . . . | . 9 . |
 +-------+-------+-------+
 | . . 6 | . . . | 4 . . |
 | . . . | 8 . 1 | . . . |
 | . . . | . 5 . | . . . |
 +-------+-------+-------+ ER 7.1

..........234.798.1...9...66...2...37.......8.1.....5...2...5.....8.3.......1.... ER 6.6
..........546.381.7...2...59...4...36.......9.8.....5...3...6.....8.5.......1.... ER 5.6
..........172.853.9...5...64...8...33.......9.8.....7...9...8.....7.1.......3.... ER 4.2
..........182.467.9...1...46...5...83.......7.5.....4...1...2.....4.8.......9.... ER 2.5
..........164.798.7...6...55...9...31.......6.4.....7...9...5.....7.8.......1.... ER 2.3
..........749.813.6...4...88...6...32.......1.3.....4...1...5.....4.7.......3.... ER 2.0
..........681.543.9...4...73...9...26.......1.5.....7...9...5.....3.6.......7.... ER 1.7
..........328.965.1...7...28...4...76.......5.5.....2...4...9.....5.3.......8.... ER 1.5
ravel
 
Posts: 998
Joined: 21 February 2006

Postby m_b_metcalf » Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:35 pm

JPF wrote:
m_b_metcalf wrote:JPF, where are you?

Here I am:D

Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . . .
 . 3 9 7 . 5 4 2 .
 4 . . . 6 . . . 9
 1 . . . 8 . . . 6
 7 . . . . . . . 2
 . 5 . . . . . 9 .
 . . 8 . . . 1 . .
 . . . 2 . 3 . . .
 . . . . 7 . . . .    SE = 7.2

JPF

OK, got one myself now:) :
Code: Select all
 . . . . . . . . .
 . 3 5 2 . 7 9 6 .
 4 . . . 8 . . . 1
 8 . . . 7 . . . 3
 6 . . . . . . . 9
 . 1 . . . . . 2 .
 . . 2 . . . 7 . .
 . . . 9 . 1 . . .
 . . . . 3 . . . .
   
SE 7.1

Regards,

Mike Metcalf
User avatar
m_b_metcalf
2017 Supporter
 
Posts: 13637
Joined: 15 May 2006
Location: Berlin

Postby ravel » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:10 am

Two more with different rating:
Code: Select all
..........152.789.2...4...71...7...63.......2.8.....1...7...5.....8.9.......1.... ER 4.4
..........164.852.9...7...16...9...73.......2.8.....1...7...8.....2.5.......4.... ER 8.5
ravel
 
Posts: 998
Joined: 21 February 2006

Postby ab » Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:08 am

here's another 6.6
Code: Select all
 . . . | . . . | . . .
 . 7 5 | 2 . 6 | 3 9 .
 8 . . | . 9 . | . . 1
 ------+-------+------
 1 . . | . 8 . | . . 5
 7 . . | . . . | . . 6
 . 9 . | . . . | . 2 .
 ------+-------+------
 . . 2 | . . . | 6 . .
 . . . | 4 . 7 | . . .
 . . . | . 3 . | . . .
ab
 
Posts: 451
Joined: 06 September 2005

Postby ab » Sun Feb 25, 2007 8:48 pm

a different heart:
Code: Select all
 . . . | . . . | . . .
 . 5 9 | . . . | 6 7 .
 3 . . | 1 . 7 | . . 4
 ------+-------+------
 4 . . | . 2 . | . . 1
 8 . . | . . . | . . 3
 . 3 . | . . . | . 5 .
 ------+-------+------
 . . 6 | . . . | 9 . .
 . . . | 8 . 3 | . . .
 . . . | . 1 . | . . .
ab
 
Posts: 451
Joined: 06 September 2005

re: heart-shaped puzzles

Postby Pat » Mon Feb 26, 2007 2:19 pm

User avatar
Pat
 
Posts: 4056
Joined: 18 July 2005


Return to General