The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[monstersudoku]

The Sunday Datebook contained a monster sudoku (4x4 blocks, rows & columns with 0 to 9 plus A B C D E F) and it was rated 1 star (out of 5).
I say it is impossible it is 1 star but it has to be a 5 star (hardest).
Here it is. What do you think? 1 or 5 stars?

*5** 6**E *F*C *0**
B**0 24** *1*3 5*E*
*E** *D*1 5*** ****
**9F **C* **2* *418

*02* F3E* *97* **4*
6C4D **** **1* E2**
***5 **** B8** 7DF*
F*** **D* 3*A* ***9

0*** *E*C *B** ***F
*2DC **73 **** 8***
**F3 *8** **** 27BA
*8** *2A* *3FD *19*

DAB* *C** *E** 19**
**** ***2 8*C* **D*
*9*E 8*5* **BA F**6
**C* E*B* 7**9 **2*

After 4 hours of working on it, I could only determine 19 of the missing values. (A lot of swordfishs, wings, and stuff, but only 19 actual values, and then I'm stuck):

*5** 6**E *F*C *0**
B**0 24** *1*3 5*E*
CE** *D*1 5*** ****
**9F **C* **2* *418

*02* F3E* D976 **4*
6C4D **** **1* E2*3
93*5 C*2* B8** 7DF*
FBE7 **D* 3CA2 ***9

0**9 *E*C *B** D*3F
*2DC *F73 **** 8***
**F3 *8** **** 27BA
*8** *2A* *3FD *19*

DAB* *C** *E** 19**
**** ***2 8*C* **D*
*9*E 8*5* **BA F3C6
**C* E*B* 7**9 **2*
[/list][/code]

[silverpie]

Check out the crossfires of twos and sevens into Box 11. You should be able to place those two.

[davidbod]

Hi,

I created this puzzle and I promise you don't need any special tricks for it. It can be solved without X-wings, nishio, or even disjoint subsets.

Regards

David