The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[999_Springs]

I don't know if this is the right forum to post this.

I am totally stuck on this puzzle. I have found 8 numbers and eliminated a lot of candidates but I don't see a way to continue. I hope that there isn't something horrendously simple which I have overlooked.

Puzzle:

Code: Select all

12 06 11 11 26 26 26 17 17
12 06 11 09 09|09 26 17 10
10 13 15 11 08 09 06 11 10
10 13 15 11 08 13 06 11 13
28 28 28 14 11 13 13|13 13
28 28 14 14 11 11 18 12 13
25 25 25 09 19 12 18 12 27
07 25 14 09 19 12 18 27 27
07 14 14 14 19 09 09 27 27


06 06 means a 2-cell cage totaling 6. The lines show the divisions of cages with the same total to prevent ambiguity.

Pencilmarks:

345 45 12345678 23678 23679 236789 3678 12367 12345678
789 12 123678 5 4 12367 3678 123679 23678
1234678 45679 6789 23478 126 23678 24 59 23478

2346789 46789 6789 34789 267 15 24 26 15
123456789 123456789 123456789 2346789 123567 12357 13678 123567 15
1234567 1234567 123 23467 123567 123567 9 8 1234567

12356789 12356789 12356789 23678 23689 3579 1368 4 1236789
145 123456789 2345678 23678 23689 3579 1368 12367 1236789
236 23678 23678 1 23689 4 5 12367 123678

[udosuk]

From your puzzle:

Code: Select all

.--.--.-----.--------.-----.
|12|6 |11   |26      |17   |
|  |  |  .--'--.--.  |  .--:
|  |  |  |9    |9 |  |  |10|
:--+--+--+--.--:  :--+--:  |
|10|13|15|11|8 |  |6 |11|  |
|  |  |  |  |  :--:  |  :--:
|  |  |  |  |  |13|  |  |13|
:--'--'--+--+--:  '--+--'  |
|28      |14|11|     |     |
|     .--'  |  '--.--+--.  |
|     |     |     |18|12|  |
:-----'--.--+--.--:  |  :--:
|25      |9 |19|12|  |  |27|
:--.  .--:  |  |  |  :--'  |
|7 |  |14|  |  |  |  |     |
|  :--'  '--:  :--'--:     |
|  |        |  |9    |     |
'--'--------'--'-----'-----'

Your pencilmark grid:

Code: Select all

 345       45        12345678  | 23678   23679  236789 | 3678 12367  12345678
 789       12        123678    | 5       4      12367  | 3678 123679 23678   
 1234678   45679     6789      | 2378    126    23678  | 24   59     23478   
-------------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------
 2346789   46789     6789      | 34789   267    15     | 24   26     15       
 123456789 123456789 123456789 | 2346789 123567 12357  | 1367 123567 15       
 1234567   1234567   123       | 23467   123567 123567 | 9    8      1234567 
-------------------------------+-----------------------+----------------------
 12356789  12356789  12356789  | 23678   23689  3579   | 1368 4      1236789 
 145       123456789 2345678   | 23678   23689  3579   | 1368 12367  1236789 
 236       23678     23678     | 1       23689  4      | 5    2367   23678   

doesn't proceed to a valid solution... You can start with the hidden single of 9 on r9 and verify yourself... So perhaps you'd like to throw that to the bin and start from scratch again... It shouldn't be too difficult if you're careful enough...

This is the solution: (copy & paste the tiny text to Notepad etc to view)

452698371
813547692
796312458
349871265
268935714
571426983
985263147
134759826
627184539

[999_Springs]

oops... r9c9 should be 236789.

HMMPPH!!! After spending 15 minutes carefully typing in the pencilmarks I make a mistake on the last cell. How annoying.

(curses keyboard)

I'm still stuck on the puzzle.

[re'born]

oops... r9c9 should be 236789.

HMMPPH!!! After spending 15 minutes carefully typing in the pencilmarks I make a mistake on the last cell. How annoying.

(curses keyboard)

I'm still stuck on the puzzle.

I don't think that can be the only problem. For instance, the 5 in column 6 is locked in box 8. In particular, r45c6 <> 5. This immediately implies that r4c6=1, which leaves the candidates r5c6[37] and r5c7[378]. But r45c6,r5c7 form a cage summing to 13. And there is no way to combine 1 + [37] + [378] to get 13. Therefore, an error happened sometime before this point.

[udosuk]

999_Springs,

From my solution r8c5=5, but you have already eliminated 5 from r8c5 in your PM grid... So obviously that's a wrong elimination...

There could be other errors in your PM grid, I don't have time to check it for you... Like I suggested it might be wiser to start from scratch...