At a first glance, on the PMs of this puzzle, you can hope to prove Junior Exocets:
JE2(123)r1c89, r2c5, r3c3 or JE2(1234)r3c46, r1c3, r2c7 (potential double JE). They share the same three cross-lines. Unfortunately, in c7, 3 S-cells would contain digit 3. No JE2, nor JE4. So bad !
(Confirmation: an attempt to prove the fundamental exocet property for digit 3, with these target cells, by T&E [+3r1c89, -3r2c5, -3r3c3] leads to a solution, with singles!)
What still can be done is to escape to a Senior exocet.
With the first near missed JE2:
- Code: Select all
b1=CH(123)
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 9 8 1234 | 7 1235 1245 | 6 B13 B23 |
| <1237 <1237 5 | 6 T123 8 | 1237 4 9 | CL4
| 123467 123467 <12347 | 1234 9 124 | 1237 8 5 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 12467 9 <1247 | 1245 <1256 3 | <1248 167 24678 | CH(12)
| 123467 5 <12347 | 8 <126 12469 | <1234 13679 23467 | CH(123)
| 12346 12346 8 | 1249 7 12469 | 5 1369 2346 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 123457 12347 9 | 1235 8 1257 | T34 3567 3467 |
| 123578 1237 6 | 1235 4 1257 | 9 357 378 |
| 34578 347 <347 | 359 <356 5679 | <348 2 1 | CH(3)
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
CL3 CL2 CL1
Senior Exocet (123)r1c89, r2c5, r7c7
S-cells: r459c357, r3c3, r2c12. Cross-lines: c357, r2; cover houses: r45, b1 for digits 1 & 2, r59, b1 for digit 3.
Eliminations: -4 r7c7 (non base digit in target cell); 3 is a true base digit => -3 r2c5 (false in second target cell), -3 r1c5, r23c7 (cells in sight of both base cells); ste
Another choice of "cross-lines"\cover houses, for the same SExocet.
- Code: Select all
b2=CL4
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 9 8 1234 | 7 1235 1245 | 6 B13 B23 |
| 1237 1237 5 | 6 T123 8 | 1237 4 9 |
| 123467 123467 <12347 | <1234 9 <124 | 1237 8 5 | CH(123)
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 12467 9 <1247 | 1245 <1256 3 | <1248 167 24678 | CH(12)
| 123467 5 <12347 | 8 <126 12469 | <1234 13679 23467 | CH(123)
| 12346 12346 8 | 1249 7 12469 | 5 1369 2346 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 123457 12347 9 | 1235 8 1257 | T34 3567 3467 |
| 123578 1237 6 | 1235 4 1257 | 9 357 378 |
| 34578 347 <347 | 359 <356 5679 | <348 2 1 | CH(3)
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
CL3 CL2 CL1
Senior Exocet (123)r1c89, r2c5, r7c7
S-cells: r459c357, r3c346. Cross-lines: c357, b2; cover houses: r345 for digits 1 & 2, r359 for digit 3.
Same eliminations.
A senior exocet can also be found, starting from the second near missed JE2 (with the same alternative choice of "cross-lines"\cover houses):
- Code: Select all
b1=CL4
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 9 8 T1234 | 7 1235 1245 | 6 13 23 |
| <1237 <1237 5 | 6 123 8 | <1237 4 9 | CH(123)
| 123467 123467 12347 | B1234 9 B124 | 1237 8 5 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 12467 9 <1247 | 1245 <1256 3 | <1248 167 24678 | CH(12)
| 123467 5 <12347 | 8 <126 12469 | <1234 13679 23467 | CH(123)
| 12346 12346 8 | 1249 7 12469 | 5 1369 2346 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 123457 12347 9 | 1235 8 1257 | T34 3567 3467 |
| 123578 1237 6 | 1235 4 1257 | 9 357 378 |
| 34578 347 <347 | 359 <356 5679 | <348 2 1 | CH(3)
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
CL3 CL2 CL1
Senior Exocet (1234)r3c46, r1c3, r7c7
+4r3c46 => +4r1c3; no check of cover houses for digit 4.
S-cells: r459c357, r2c127. Cross-lines: c357, b1; cover houses: r245 for digits 1 & 2, r259 for digit 3.
Eliminations: -4 r7c7 (base digit can't be true in target cell r7c7); 3 is a true base digit => -3 r1c3 (false in second target cell), -3 r3c1237, b2p235 (cells in sight of both base cells); ste
Alternatively:
- Code: Select all
b3=CH(123)
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 9 8 T1234 | 7 1235 1245 | 6 <13 <23 | CL4
| 1237 1237 5 | 6 123 8 | <1237 4 9 |
| 123467 123467 12347 | B1234 9 B124 | 1237 8 5 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 12467 9 <1247 | 1245 <1256 3 | <1248 167 24678 | CH(12)
| 123467 5 <12347 | 8 <126 12469 | <1234 13679 23467 | CH(123)
| 12346 12346 8 | 1249 7 12469 | 5 1369 2346 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
| 123457 12347 9 | 1235 8 1257 | T34 3567 3467 |
| 123578 1237 6 | 1235 4 1257 | 9 357 378 |
| 34578 347 <347 | 359 <356 5679 | <348 2 1 | CH(3)
+----------------------------+------------------------+-------------------------+
CL3 CL2 CL1
Senior Exocet (1234)r3c46, r1c3, r7c7
+4r3c46 => +4r1c3; no check of cover houses for digit 4.
S-cells: r459c357, r2c7, r1c89. Cross-lines: c357, r1; cover houses: r45, b3 for digits 1 & 2, r59, b3 for digit 3.
Same eliminations.