📕Get my FREE Solving Guide that will help you solve over 80% of all Sudoku puzzles🧩to include NYT Hard👉👉www.buymeacoffee.com/timberlakeB/e/125822 Timestamps 0:00 Intro 00:19 It’s Solving Time 00:30 Puzzle Story 01:40 BONUS Tip 04:20 Solving Trick 05:06 QOD 06:22 Solving Tip 07:43 Setting Up Powerful Strategy 10:45 Powerful Strategy Revealed 14:14 Solving 18 Cells At One Time
Very straightforward until the crunch point. It will be interesting to see whether you used one of two Skyscrapers, one of several applications of Simple Colouring, or BUG + 1. There may be a W-Wing lurking somewhere, but I find W-Wings very elusive. A refresher video on them wouldn't go amiss. Anyway, here's a possible notation-free path to the crunch point (56 = row 5 column 6): 56, 92, 74, 25, 97, 32, 11, 99, 91, 38, 71, 44, 54, 49, 37, 39, 87, 48, 19, 28, 89, 75, 85, 72, 82, 78, 88, 73, 51, 42, 21, 65, 45, … Then 22 (colours or Skyscraper on 1s), or 23 (BUG + 1); or 27 (colours or Skyscraper on 1s), or 53 (colours on 1s), or 68 (colours on 1s). For a very simple variation (still symmetrical), empty R1C6, R4C6, R6C4 and R9C4.
Nice Julian. Every now and then I find a book puzzle that has a neat solve path or a great instructional position, and this one I felt had both. Thanks for sharing your feedback.
As I filled out the grid, I kept finding (creating by placing digits) five-digit houses and filling them out. I found a couple of triples, and a lone 3 in a block amidst the clutter, letting me place digits throughout. It finally stopped, and I counted 18 cells -- pretty clearly the 18 in the title. I was stuck until I found a functional two-string kite -- 12 in row 1 and 13 in column 2, placing 2 in R6C8. That finished the puzzle. The green cell was filled during the final phase. 5:10 Yes I did. 7:50 I only found the 49 pair after finding the triple in the three blank cells above. 8:50 I found the 5 before the 49 pair, while filling the horizontal domino with 459. 11:50 I found the two-string kite. The other commenter found the skyscraper. 13:50 At least finding the skyscraper or the kite proves the uniqueness of the solution. If the 1 had not been in the cell, the puzzle would have broken with no solution. (I also think that skyscrapers are easier than BUG+1.)
Got down to the 18 cells in the obvious ways. With the big pile of BVC's I started looking for 2-string kites. I spotted (11:50) a different 2-string kite from the one you pointed out, 12's in R1C3/R1C8, and 19's in R2C7, R5C7. Eliminate the 1 in R5C3 The rest of the puzzle follows easily. Unique-solution strategies like BUG+1 always feel funny to me. Total time 16:47. I'm not that quick. (I just like working 'em, don't aspire to compete.)
I saw that 123, but wasn't sure that this was the B+1 situation. I also saw the skyscraper of 1s, and again got mixed up and looked for something else. Then I discovered placing a 1 in r6c8 destroyed everything.
@@georgesthibaudeau1533 You hv the habit of seeing bug +1 , in three diff horizontal chutes, I remember you once confused me in some puzzle on other channel , if my memory serves well but otherwise, I agree most of the time, ur arguments are logical. Bug+1 is in the entire grid not in the diff chutes of the grid , isn't it Timberlake?
Hello! My time as 6:36. I didn't find it hard this time 🤔 At the end I had a lot of pairs and 1 cell with 3 numbers. How I solved it: if R1C8 is a 2, then R2C3 is a 2, R1C3 is a 1, R5C3 is a 7, this make R5C5 a 2 and we can't place a 2 in box 6 at all!! Interesting new strategy! I didn't know this one. But I had a question: this is valid for any puzzle that had some cells with 2 numbers and 1 with 3 numbers? Or only when we have this 18 cells? And one more, correct me if I am wrong. After find the cell with 3 numbers, the number that I will choose to fill it is: the number that appear in other cells 3 times in a row and 3 times in a column?
Great questions. BUG+1 works with any number of cells remaining as long as one cell has 3 remaining candidates and the others only have 2. You always can pick the candidate in the 3 candidate cell that appears 3 times in the row, column, and block. Hope that helps.
Normally, skyscrapers and finned X-wings are easier to find than two-string kites. I just happened to find the latter here. (In this case it may have been lots of bivalued cells that gave me the kite.) When I saw this comment, I backtracked to find the skyscraper. It just happened to involve the cells for the two-string kite I found.
@@SmartHobbies I see finned x-wings regularly in puzzles, but don’t remember using one here. The way my brain works I find 2 string kites just a slightly more elusive version of skyscrapers. The skyscraper in this puzzle was enough, but it may be that I unconsciously used other techniques!
@@paulakeay4317 awesome job Paula. Multiple ways to get that last solve to break the puzzle open. Some see Finned X-Wings first, but most seem to notice Skyscrapers.
📕Get my FREE Solving Guide that will help you solve over 80% of all Sudoku puzzles🧩to include NYT Hard👉👉www.buymeacoffee.com/timberlakeB/e/125822
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
00:19 It’s Solving Time
00:30 Puzzle Story
01:40 BONUS Tip
04:20 Solving Trick
05:06 QOD
06:22 Solving Tip
07:43 Setting Up Powerful Strategy
10:45 Powerful Strategy Revealed
14:14 Solving 18 Cells At One Time
Very straightforward until the crunch point. It will be interesting to see whether you used one of two Skyscrapers, one of several applications of Simple Colouring, or BUG + 1. There may be a W-Wing lurking somewhere, but I find W-Wings very elusive. A refresher video on them wouldn't go amiss. Anyway, here's a possible notation-free path to the crunch point (56 = row 5 column 6):
56, 92, 74, 25, 97,
32, 11, 99, 91, 38,
71, 44, 54, 49, 37,
39, 87, 48, 19, 28,
89, 75, 85, 72, 82,
78, 88, 73, 51, 42,
21, 65, 45, …
Then 22 (colours or Skyscraper on 1s), or 23 (BUG + 1); or 27 (colours or Skyscraper on 1s), or 53 (colours on 1s), or 68 (colours on 1s).
For a very simple variation (still symmetrical), empty R1C6, R4C6, R6C4 and R9C4.
Nice Julian. Every now and then I find a book puzzle that has a neat solve path or a great instructional position, and this one I felt had both. Thanks for sharing your feedback.
As I filled out the grid, I kept finding (creating by placing digits) five-digit houses and filling them out. I found a couple of triples, and a lone 3 in a block amidst the clutter, letting me place digits throughout. It finally stopped, and I counted 18 cells -- pretty clearly the 18 in the title. I was stuck until I found a functional two-string kite -- 12 in row 1 and 13 in column 2, placing 2 in R6C8. That finished the puzzle. The green cell was filled during the final phase.
5:10 Yes I did.
7:50 I only found the 49 pair after finding the triple in the three blank cells above.
8:50 I found the 5 before the 49 pair, while filling the horizontal domino with 459.
11:50 I found the two-string kite. The other commenter found the skyscraper.
13:50 At least finding the skyscraper or the kite proves the uniqueness of the solution. If the 1 had not been in the cell, the puzzle would have broken with no solution. (I also think that skyscrapers are easier than BUG+1.)
Nice John. I like how you got to the 18 cell position. I agree about the other strategies “proving” the unique solution.
Got down to the 18 cells in the obvious ways. With the big pile of BVC's I started looking for 2-string kites. I spotted (11:50) a different 2-string kite from the one you pointed out, 12's in R1C3/R1C8, and 19's in R2C7, R5C7. Eliminate the 1 in R5C3 The rest of the puzzle follows easily.
Unique-solution strategies like BUG+1 always feel funny to me.
Total time 16:47. I'm not that quick. (I just like working 'em, don't aspire to compete.)
Great job with this puzzle. Way to find 2-string kite.
What is it about unique solution strategies that you are unsettled about?
@@SmartHobbies They feel like an ugly shortcut. Every puzzle that can be solved with them can be solved without them.
@@ke9tv That is a fair assessment.
I saw that 123, but wasn't sure that this was the B+1 situation. I also saw the skyscraper of 1s, and again got mixed up and looked for something else. Then I discovered placing a 1 in r6c8 destroyed everything.
Nice l, George’s!
@@georgesthibaudeau1533
You hv the habit of seeing bug +1 , in three diff horizontal chutes, I remember you once confused me in some puzzle on other channel , if my memory serves well but otherwise, I agree most of the time, ur arguments are logical.
Bug+1 is in the entire grid not in the diff chutes of the grid , isn't it Timberlake?
Hello!
My time as 6:36. I didn't find it hard this time 🤔
At the end I had a lot of pairs and 1 cell with 3 numbers. How I solved it: if R1C8 is a 2, then R2C3 is a 2, R1C3 is a 1, R5C3 is a 7, this make R5C5 a 2 and we can't place a 2 in box 6 at all!!
Interesting new strategy! I didn't know this one. But I had a question: this is valid for any puzzle that had some cells with 2 numbers and 1 with 3 numbers? Or only when we have this 18 cells?
And one more, correct me if I am wrong. After find the cell with 3 numbers, the number that I will choose to fill it is: the number that appear in other cells 3 times in a row and 3 times in a column?
Great questions. BUG+1 works with any number of cells remaining as long as one cell has 3 remaining candidates and the others only have 2. You always can pick the candidate in the 3 candidate cell that appears 3 times in the row, column, and block. Hope that helps.
@@SmartHobbies It helped for sure. Thank you for always being so kind! =)
@@anaayoung9142 You are welcome. I love doing this and hearing from viewers like you.
Easy
Used skyscraper on 1's.
Me too
Nice job finding the skyscrapers. Do you see them easier than the other strategies like finned X-Wings and 2-string kites?
Normally, skyscrapers and finned X-wings are easier to find than two-string kites. I just happened to find the latter here. (In this case it may have been lots of bivalued cells that gave me the kite.) When I saw this comment, I backtracked to find the skyscraper. It just happened to involve the cells for the two-string kite I found.
@@SmartHobbies I see finned x-wings regularly in puzzles, but don’t remember using one here. The way my brain works I find 2 string kites just a slightly more elusive version of skyscrapers. The skyscraper in this puzzle was enough, but it may be that I unconsciously used other techniques!
@@paulakeay4317 awesome job Paula. Multiple ways to get that last solve to break the puzzle open. Some see Finned X-Wings first, but most seem to notice Skyscrapers.