| View previous topic :: View next topic | 
	
	
		| Author | Message | 
	
		| Steve R 
 
 
 Joined: 24 Oct 2005
 Posts: 289
 Location: Birmingham, England
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 1:12 pm    Post subject: Good Times |   |  
				| 
 |  
				| This is the puzzle used in the final of the Times sudoku championship, held on 16 September. 
 
  	  | Code: |  	  | +-----------------------+ | . . 7 | . 5 8 | 2 . . |
 | . . . | . 3 . | . . . |
 | 8 . . | 6 . 2 | . . 7 |
 -------------------------
 | 5 . 6 | . . . | 3 . . |
 | 7 3 . | . 6 . | . 1 2 |
 | . . 4 | . . . | 9 . 5 |
 -------------------------
 | 6 . . | 7 . 1 | . . 4 |
 | . . . | . 9 . | . . . |
 | . . 5 | 3 2 . | 7 . . |
 +-----------------------+
 | 
 The winner, Tom Collier, completed it in 12 minutes 45 seconds.
 
 I did not!
 
 Steve
 |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		| Marty R. 
 
 
 Joined: 12 Feb 2006
 Posts: 5770
 Location: Rochester, NY, USA
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 3:45 pm    Post subject: |   |  
				| 
 |  
				|  	  | Quote: |  	  | The winner, Tom Collier, completed it in 12 minutes 45 seconds. 
 I did not!
 | 
 
 Did not what? Finish in 12 minutes 45 seconds? Finish?
  |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		| Steve R 
 
 
 Joined: 24 Oct 2005
 Posts: 289
 Location: Birmingham, England
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:17 pm    Post subject: |   |  
				| 
 |  
				| It took me nearly an hour. 
 Steve
 |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		| Johan 
 
 
 Joined: 25 Jun 2007
 Posts: 206
 Location: Bornem  Belgium
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:43 pm    Post subject: |   |  
				| 
 |  
				| Guessing that the puzzle in The Times sudoku final would use the same advanced steps like the Super Fiendish on Saturday,It could save me quite some time. and yes both steps where present in the grid.(the other one, more harder to detect, because IMO this advanced step is very rare used for solving the VH's in The Daily Sudoku.) 
 Nevertheless the fore knowledge of these two advanced steps, it took me twenty minutes more than Tom's time.
 |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		| Asellus 
 
 
 Joined: 05 Jun 2007
 Posts: 865
 Location: Sonoma County, CA, USA
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:04 pm    Post subject: |   |  
				| 
 |  
				| I didn't time myself, but it took me about 30 minutes.  I only needed one advanced step, which wasn't all that advanced.  Basic methods (line-box and naked/hidden sets) got me here: 
  	  | Code: |  	  | +------------------+------------------+------------------+ | 139   16    7    | 19    5     8    | 2     4     369  |
 | 1249  146   129  | 19    3     7    | 8     5     69   |
 | 8     5     39   | 6     4     2    | 1     39    7    |
 +------------------+------------------+------------------+
 | 5     29    6    | 24    1     49   | 3     7     8    |
 | 7     3     89   | 58    6     59   | 4     1     2    |
 | 12    18    4    | 28    7     3    | 9     6     5    |
 +------------------+------------------+------------------+
 | 6     29    239  | 7     8     1    | 5     239   4    |
 | 123   7     1238 | 45    9     45   | 6     238   13   |
 | 149   148   5    | 3     2     6    | 7     89    19   |
 +------------------+------------------+------------------+
 | 
 There is a 6-cell DP in R12C249.  It includes an X-Wing on <6> (R12C29).  So, <6> can be placed in R1C2 and R2C9 and the puzzle falls apart.
 |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		| Asellus 
 
 
 Joined: 05 Jun 2007
 Posts: 865
 Location: Sonoma County, CA, USA
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:23 pm    Post subject: |   |  
				| 
 |  
				| Oops!   
 I wrote too soon.  I must have made a lucky error because my attempt to recreate the "puzzle falling apart" after the DP step didn't happen.
 
 I had to use two more steps, one of them recently discussed on another thread involving coloring from a W-Wing (sort of "inverse multi-coloring).  Here is the grid after the DP step:
 
  	  | Code: |  	  | +------------------+------------------+------------------+ | 139   6     7    | 19    5     8    | 2     4     39   |
 | 1249  14    129  | 19    3     7    | 8     5     6    |
 | 8     5     39   | 6     4     2    | 1     39    7    |
 +------------------+------------------+------------------+
 | 5     29r   6    | 24    1     49g  | 3     7     8    |
 | 7     3    w89g  | 58    6     59r  | 4     1     2    |
 | 12    18    4    | 28    7     3    | 9     6     5    |
 +------------------+------------------+------------------+
 | 6     29g   239  | 7     8     1    | 5    #23-9  4    |
 | 123   7     1238 | 45    9     45   | 6     238   13   |
 |#14-9  148   5    | 3     2     6    | 7    w89R   19   |
 +------------------+------------------+------------------+
 | 
 Note the {89} W-Wing that produces no direct elimination.  However, the coloring shown eliminates <9> from the cells marked #.
 
 After that, there is a {14} W-Wing in C12 that solves the puzzle.
 [Edit for misspelling.]
 |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		| nataraj 
 
 
 Joined: 03 Aug 2007
 Posts: 1048
 Location: near Vienna, Austria
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:39 pm    Post subject: |   |  
				| 
 |  
				| x-wing on 3 and then, here: 
  	  | Code: |  	  | +--------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
 | 139     16      7        | 19      5       8        | 2       4       369      |
 | 1249    146     129      | 19      3       7        | 8       5       69       |
 | 8       5       39       | 6       4       2        | 1       39      7        |
 +--------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
 | 5       29      6        | 24      1       49       | 3       7       8        |
 | 7       3       89       | 58      6       59       | 4       1       2        |
 | 12      18      4        | 28      7       3        | 9       6       5        |
 +--------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
 | 6       29      239      | 7       8       1        | 5       239     4        |
 | 123     7       128      | 45      9       45       | 6       28      13       |
 | 149     148     5        | 3       2       6        | 7       89      19       |
 +--------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
 
 | 
 xy-chain '29'(72)='92'(42)='21'(61)='18'(62)='89'(53)='93'(33)='39'(38 )='98'(98 )='82'(88 ) removes 2 from 3 cells: r7c8 r8c1 r8c3.
 |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		| Johan 
 
 
 Joined: 25 Jun 2007
 Posts: 206
 Location: Bornem  Belgium
 
 | 
			
				|  Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:11 pm    Post subject: |   |  
				| 
 |  
				| The same x-wing on <3> and then a swordfish on <9>. 
 In R129C149 the swordfish eliminates <9> in R9C8 and in R2C3
 
 
  	  | Code: |  	  | +---------------+---------+-----------+
 |*139  16  7    |*19 5 8  | 2 4  *369 |
 |*1249 146 12-9 |*19 3 7  | 8 5  *69  |
 | 8    5   39   | 6  4 2  | 1 39  7   |
 +---------------+---------+-----------+
 | 5    29  6    | 24 1 49 | 3 7   8   |
 | 7    3   89   | 58 6 59 | 4 1   2   |
 | 12   18  4    | 28 7 3  | 9 6   5   |
 +---------------+---------+-----------+
 | 6    29  239  | 7  8 1  | 5 239 4   |
 | 123  7   1238 | 45 9 45 | 6 238 13  |
 |*149  148 5    | 3  2 6  | 7 8-9 *19 |
 +---------------+---------+-----------+
 
 | 
 |  | 
	
		| Back to top |  | 
	
		|  | 
	
		|  |