The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[jack prantner]

i need help solving a particular puzzle listed in the Los Angeles Daily New on Friday April 7, 2006.

[Hud]

Jack, I guess you'd have to post the starting grid to get an answer. Here's one that was in the AZ Republic today rated 6 stars. Almost all the 6 starrers require advanced techniques. I needed 2 xy wings to solve this one but wonder if anyone can find a more simple method of solving it?

Code: Select all

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

By the way, I can usually only solve one of every three of these.

[re'born]

I needed 2 xy wings to solve this one but wonder if anyone can find a more simple method of solving it?

Hud,

I haven't necessarily found the best solution yet, but I can simplify things slightly. Using only naked and hidden singles, one obtains:

Code: Select all

 *-----------------------------------------------------------*
 | 7     89    89    | 5     1     6     | 2     3     4     |
 | 5     3     2     | 8     4     9     | 7     6     1     |
 | 4     6     1     | 2     7     3     | 5     9     8     |
 |-------------------+-------------------+-------------------|
 | 36*   57    3567  | 4     9     1     | 36    8     2     |
 | 389-  1     389   | 6     5     2     | 39    4     7     |
 | 2     4     69*   | 7     3     8     | 69    1     5     |
 |-------------------+-------------------+-------------------|
 | 68    58    568   | 9     2     4     | 1     7     3     |
 | 1     2     4     | 3     6     7     | 8     5     9     |
 | 39*   79    379-  | 1     8     5     | 4     2     6     |
 *-----------------------------------------------------------*

From here, an xy-wing produces the eliminations (5,1)!9, (9,3)!9 and the puzzle now is solved with singles.

[keith]

These puzzles have been posted and discussed on the Daily Sudoku forum. See, for example,

http://www.dailysudoku.co.uk/sudoku/forums/viewtopic.php?t=615

This puzzle is (April 8) simpler than the usual Saturday 6* puzzles are. The April 1 puzzle

http://www.dailysudoku.co.uk/sudoku/forums/viewtopic.php?t=590
http://www.dailysudoku.co.uk/sudoku/forums/viewtopic.php?t=609

is much tougher.

Keith