The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[DreamCH]

Hi all

Being blended by the solution times I`ve read, I wonder how one can speed up a little bit, eg. which skills have to be learned to "run" trough a sudoku puzzle.

What do you do after a first fast scan?

Thx!

[Crazy Girl]

If you are up to date on the basic skills found at the websites below,
http://www.angusj.com/sudoku/hints.php
http://www.sadmansoftware.com/sudoku/techniques.htm
http://www.scanraid.com/BasicStrategies.htm

then your best bet would be to work with the numbers found most often in the grid noting 'locked candidates' and possible pairs, and work through the numbers 1 to 9.
Everyone has their own way, so have a go at different methods and see which works best.

[DreamCH]

I`m familiar with most strategies up to X- Wing, but "running" trough a medium puzzle is still not possible for me.
This one:

Code: Select all

47.........2...71..6.8......3.........9.7.1......258.454.....323..4.8..1.....6...   

(how to show this is a grid?!)

Solved in 9 minutes...

[Cec]

"...how to show this is a grid?!..."

To post a grid click on here
Cec

[Crazy Girl]

DreamCH,

Code: Select all

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

solved in 6-7 minutes, just have to look out for locked candidates and consider each number in turn, you will find yourself getting better with practise.

If you look at the top three blocks, and you can deduce in Blocks 1 and 3 the number 3 is in Rows one & three, so therefore in the block 2, 3 must be in the middle row (looking/solving where 3 can go in the rest of the grid should be enough to determine where it can go in Block 2 Row 2). Simple techniques like these should be enough to solve this sudoku.

[Carcul]

Puzzle solved in 4:41.

Carcul

[DreamCH]

Hi Carcul

I wonder how you catch that much information in such a fast time!

Any special things you`re looking for?

DreamCH

[ganesansub]

Has anyone tried this method to solve sudoku fast, posted at: http://www.howtodoubleyoursudokuspeed.com ? How good is it? Will it really help solve sudoku faster?

[tarek]

Has anyone tried this method to solve sudoku fast, posted at: http://www.howtodoubleyoursudokuspeed.com ? How good is it? Will it really help solve sudoku faster?

No I haven't........ (by the way, there is no method there, just blah....blah.....blah & links).

The best way to speed your solving is to AVOID clicking on the link above. That will save valuable time which could be used to solve more sudokus.

tarek

[Ruud]

It is affiliated to a site that sells an eBook called "How to solve every Sudoku". This book is 124 pages in font size 24 that comes up with the brilliant idea to write pencilmarks in the grid.

I agree with Tarek. Avoid this rubbish. If you want a good book about real solving tips, check out "The Logic of Sudoku" by Andrew Stuart.

Ruud

[Edit:] I disabled the links.