The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[PaulIQ164]

Hello. I just got back from Cheltenham myself. No victory for me, but I think I posted a respectable score (18min05sec). The puzzle's apparently going to be in The Times today, in the inevitable feature about the championships (hopefully along with the Grand Final puzzle - I'd like to have a go at that. No Carol Vorderman though, apparently she had the flu and had completely lost her voice. I'm suspicious myself - she was plenty able to shout a lot on Ant & Dec last night (what? Prerecorded? Never!). Anyway, everyone got a free The Times pencil and pen, a Su Doku book, and a Tikes Su Doku Carrier Bag. Result! Furthermore, I did my first Superior Sudoku on the train back (mostly because I never by The Sunday Times usually, and they had free copies all over the place).

Since there's already 300-odd bits of paper floating around the UK with it on, I don't suppose it'll do any harm to post the Round One puzzle (the one all the adults did, the best six qualifying for the grand final):

Code: Select all

4 2¦1  ¦   
   ¦   ¦98
   ¦23 ¦  6
---+---+---
8 1¦ 9 ¦6 
 2 ¦   ¦ 7
  4¦ 6 ¦8 1
---+---+---
9  ¦ 53¦   
 36¦   ¦   
   ¦  1¦3 5

Quote of the day - Wayne Gould: "I don't really like numbers."

[possum]

Well done Paul. But no Carol - a disappointment to some, I should imagine...

[PaulIQ164]

Oh, and (I can only assume as some kind of tribute) the Listener Crossword had an eerily familiar feel to it... I hereby reproduce its rules (the grid itself is a 13x13 crossword grid of the variety with thick bars instead of black boxes, so a letter goes in every square):

Pseudo-clue by BeRo

After entering the answers to the clues, solvers must delete all examples of the letters A to G and Q to Z inclusive, in the central 9x9 square. The remaining letters must be augmented by more of the same, so that in each row, column nd 3x3 square (when the 9x9 region is divided into nine such squares) there is one instance of each of the remaining nine letters. The 9x9 square should now contain, lineally, a "pseudo-clue" consisting of unusual - and not entirely accurate - wordplay (eight letters), and a pseudo-definition (one letter). These together allude to the pseudo-clue's answer, which can be found in the grid. The pseudo-definition and the answer - but no other cells - must be highlighted in the final grid.[/b]

[China71]

Just returned to London after the Times Championship and would just like to congratulate all the winners and finalists who attended.

[kuff28704]

the grand final su doku was printed in the paper today, and after a while of trying to solve it i decided i didnt have enough time before i went out so put it into computer software to see what techniques it required (i was interested how hard "ultra fiendish" puzzles actually are.)

Code: Select all

 38¦   ¦  2
  4¦ 2 ¦ 5
   ¦  6¦19
---+---+---
   ¦9  ¦2 
   ¦ 8 ¦   
4 2¦  1¦   
---+---+---
 8 ¦   ¦   
 9 ¦ 3 ¦8   
1  ¦   ¦92

and it gave me a value of 2129 solutions! can this be true? it certainly seems that way

[PaulIQ164]

Looks like you (or the paper) missed out a couple of clues. That's not quite symmetrical.

[Pappocom]

Cor blimey! The paper did miss some clues out.

There should be a "6" at the end of row 4, a "7" in r7c3, and a "5" in r7c4.

[Edited: the co-ordinates for the "7" have been corrected]

- Wayne

[lunababy_moonchild]

So, Wayne how was the Championships for you? What happened?

Luna

[possum]

... and why didn't Carol show up? Is it because Wayne's books are more popular than hers?

[Bigtone53]

There should be a "6" at the end of row 4, a "7" in r7c3, and a "5" in r7c4.

Wayne,

it still doesn't look symmetrical, or isn't it meant to?

[SteveF]

And Simple Sudoku says that with the extras Wayne suggests there are zero solutions?

[Sharon]

7 in r7c3 5 in r7c4 and 7 in r4c9 would work too - That validates in the Pappocom software (as does 6 in r4c9).

I was at the championships and managed the round 1 puzzle in 16 minutes. It was good to look round and see so many still puzzling! Shame about Carol Vorderman though, I was hoping to meet her.

[MCC]

Maybe pappocom meant a 4 at r7c3? or possibly a 7 at r7c3?
Either would make it symmetrical.

[PaulIQ164]

You can see the 7 in question on the picture on the front cover if you look. Rather poor show by The Times, getting such an important puzzle wrong. Tsk.

[afjt]

Now that you think you've decided what the grid should look like, could you show it here in its entirety to avoid everyone else having to read through the whole thread. Thanks.