Suduko

Soldato
Joined
16 Oct 2007
Posts
7,427
Location
UK
Yes, I'm about 10 years late to the party, but I've just discovered the joys of the annoying number puzzle.

Someone help me solve this buggar.

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Last edited:

mjt

mjt

Soldato
Joined
31 Aug 2007
Posts
20,018
Look for pairs.
6-9 are your pairs throughout that sudoku, so you can start placing the 1 with confidence.

-edit, started following Cracking the Cryptic during the first lockdown and ended up doing the NYT hard puzzles thanks to their methods.

I get into Sudoku every couple of years and then get bored, before coming back to it again, etc.
 
Associate
Joined
25 Jun 2006
Posts
1,359
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Somewhere East of Eden
Have a look at Row 2 Columns 1 & 2 you will notice that one of those cells must be a 1 therefore Row 2 Column 8 cannot be a 1 and you can remove the pencil mark. Simple

I have the "Enjoy Sudoku (ES)" App which cost a couple of quid. It has a learning mode, so if you ask for a hint, it gives you one. In the example above ES initially says "Consider block 1" and highlights in green the Rows 1,2 & 3 columns 1,2 &3 (the top left nine cells, a block), that might prompt you to the solution above. If NOT you have an option "More". It then says "Locked Candidates (pointing)" and now within the green highlights it now highlights Row 2, cells 1 & 2 in yellow with an explanation: "in the green house only the yellow cells can be 1". You might now be able to solve that part, if NOT you have another "More" option saying: "Since one of the yellow cells must be 1, no other cell in their row can be a 1" and actually removes the pencil mark 1 from cell 8.

Asking for a further hint, tells you to seek a finned fish. More now gives you a further message: "Sashimi X-Wing: of 1s in rows. The fin is shown in blue" and now because it is a bit more difficult ES gives you the option to learn that rule with the options Learn, More or Done. Assuming you select Learn ES now leaves your puzzle (you can come back by selecting Done) and gives you an explanation of that rule.

I hope this helps
 
Associate
Joined
25 Jun 2006
Posts
1,359
Location
Somewhere East of Eden
Explain the pair thing to me please.
L

Imagine you are looking at one row. In Cell 1 and 9 are just two pencil marks 5 & 8, however, there are a number of 5s and 8s in other cells in that row. Therefore in Cells 1 & 9 one MUST contain a 5 and the other an 8, so you can remove all 5 & 8 pencil marks in that row (only) because none of them can be a 5 or an 8.

The same applies to a pair in a block.
 
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