Donate SIGN UP

sudoku

Avatar Image
Goofy | 10:25 Wed 31st Aug 2005 | Quizzes & Puzzles
8 Answers
the times has introduced 'Killer' sudoku. I think I'll give it a miss!
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 8 of 8rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by Goofy. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Do you mean the Samurai Soduko that has been in the Saturday edition of the Times for some time now
This new variation is terrific!
Question Author
no, not the samurai. the killer is new today.
Hvae you solved it patch49? I've been out since I noticed it, but might try this pm
The gentle one on the back page led me into a sense of false security ... the moderate one inside is far harder!
Question Author
I do wish the bvoxes were bigger. I'm used to that as OH and I both do the puzzles so we have made a grid which we copy to. No way for this one though.
It will certaily keep the grey cells in order until November and Rainbow!

I agree with Patch49; there seems to be a huge jump from the gentle killers to the moderate ones. Has anyone got any tips?

Unique Totals: Look for cell groups that have unique answers - e.g. two cells totalling 3, 4, 16 or 16; three cells totalling 6, 7, 23 or 24.

Hanging Cells: Look for "supercells" (3x3) which have one unknown (a cell belonging to a group which exits the supercell) - e.g. a supercell completely contains three groups of 9, 8 and 24 and a cell from group which goes outside the supercell; because the supercell has to total 45 the "hanging" cell must be 4.

More Hanging Cells: Look for rows and columns with one unknown - the rows and columns must each total 45 too.

SuDoku: Don't forget to use normal SuDoku rules, if you have a horizontal pair total 17 in the top row of the first supercell and another hpair total 17 in the bottom row the the second supercell, the 8 and 9 must be in the middle horizontal three cells in the third supercell.

Downsize: If you know the value of one cell in a threesome, the total of the other two is the remainder. This is obvious but I find it useful to change the printed cell total value.

Split:. Using SuDoku rules you can sometimes prove that (for instance) two cells in a group of four must be a 4 and a 5 but you don't know which is which. Split the group of four into a two-cell group totalling 9 and a two-cell group for the remainder.

Go Large: I print the samunamupure as large as I can (a single puzzle on an A4 page) then I write valid SuDoku numers at the bottom of a cell and valid samunamupure numbers at the top of a cell (obviously the cells actual valid numers are the intersection of these two).

Party on: Whereas normal SuDoku seems to be a solitary puzzle, samunamupure are REALLY fun solving with a friend. Print a grid each and chat as you work. You'll often find that you miss something that your friend sees and vice-versa. Once you've done a few together you are more in the mindset to tackle one on your own.
Question Author
I've now discovered that my printer/coier actually does enlarging too (I've only had it a year!), so am able to print to A4 size which makes it much easier.
I never seem to get them first time, but am getting there slowly. It's a different mind-set from the old ones.
Thanks Geroboa(?) for the hints.

1 to 8 of 8rss feed

Do you know the answer?

sudoku

Answer Question >>