SudokuSolver Forum

You probably know that http://www.killersudokuonline.com/ produces a weekly killer, Mondays pm, usually 'mindbending' strength, occasionally 'outrageous' which I think is a shade weaker. They don't seem to have a forum.

I find them as hard as the typical assassin: many have taken me longer, and they have a different style, I feel (actually I usually like the assassin better).

However I'd be pleased to see some discussion: a difficulty rating, a critical commentary, and in the last resort, maybe a hint sometimes. (I've not yet solved No. 155; No.121, I think it was, gave me some trouble; and I have half-a-dozen untried, by way of a buffer stock.)

I don't use analytical software, so I'm not in a position to rate them myself, or to give code strings: anyway, they're easy to find on the site, there's an excellent archive index, and I don't want to do any poaching.

Welcome to the thread.

cheers

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Joe

Well, nobody has minded so far, and one or two have sent encouraging messages, so here goes:

Weekly No. 168 seems interesting enough to mention - has the hallmark diagonal symmetry and big cages, and I rate it quite a stinker (in a good way). I'd be glad to have an SS rating, and/or a few second opinions.

I used:

cheers

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Joe

Weekly 168 was off the Richter scale with an SS (v3.3) rating of 8.2!

You better post a walkthrough Joe.

It's must be a joke ! (early first April joke ?)

Concerning the two others puzzles :

Weekly MB 121 : SSscore V3.3.0 : 1.10
ps code : 3x3::k:1792:1792:1794:1794:5124:5124:5126:5126:7432:5385:5385:8971:1548:1548:5124:5126:7432:7432:5385:8971:8971:10261:2070:7432:7432:7432:5914:8971:8971:8971:10261:2070:1824:1824:5914:5914:8971:6437:6437:10261:10261:10261:5914:5914:7468:6437:6437:1583:1583:2097:10261:7468:7468:7468:6437:6967:6967:6967:2097:10261:7468:7468:5950:6967:6967:5441:4930:2115:2115:7468:5950:5950:6967:5441:5441:4930:4930:1101:1101:3151:3151:

Weekly MB 155 : SSscore V3.3.0 : 2.16
ps code :3x3::k:5376:5376:1794:1794:1794:7685:7685:2055:2055:5376:5642:5642:5642:5642:3598:7685:7685:1809:5376:5651:3604:3604:3350:3598:5912:1809:1809:5651:5651:2333:2333:3350:3598:5912:5912:5912:5651:6181:5158:5158:5158:5158:5158:5912:7212:6181:6181:6181:3632:817:3122:3122:7212:7212:4918:4918:6181:3632:817:3899:3899:7212:5694:4918:6208:6208:3632:4931:4931:4931:4931:5694:1864:1864:6208:6208:2124:2124:2124:5694:5694:

I am afraid there will be no Assassin tomorrow ; so, we have time to have a look to these puzzles ...

cheers,

manu

I don't want to discourage Joe-Casey, Frank or manu at all, I love the idea of this thread, but I think we need to keep our own Assassin series the priority. If anyone has got time to look at a puzzle, please make the nonexistent Assassin 148 before trying these ones.

If no one has time to make an Assassin, then I'd rather we don't post about any other puzzles in this forum. Without an Assassin we are hamstrung. I need to take this to heart as well because I was planning to put some energy into techniques and ratings posts. They will go on hold.

Thankyou to manu for getting A149 ready for us.

Cheers
Ed

If no-one has posted A148 by Thur I am sure Jsudoku and I can produce something around 1.5 on the Richter scale

Thanks, Frank!

This being a 'sideline' topic. I don't want to distract from the Friday Assassin programme. So for the moment, I won't post unless the next TWO Assassins are promised, and I invite others to follow that guideline for now.

I'm consulting one or two others about making the Assassin provision system more reliable; if a sensible suggestion emerges I'll post that on the 'What is...' sticky.

Meanwhile, KSO Weekly 168: I don't do walkthroughs - it might not be polite anyway for puzzles on another site, before their solution is published - but I welcome the exchange of hints.

cheers

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Joe

Personally, I'd rather not have this and would rather have a gap instead. But thanks for the offer! In my view, we need new hand-made puzzles in the Assassin tradition. Gaps will show that we only want makers who will put in the big effort. If we use gap-filler puzzles we wont get new Assassin puzzle makers. I think we should keep the standard high.

Cheers
Ed

I don't want to get myself committed to writing walkthroughs - I can barely read walkthroughs; I throw the puzzles away when I've solved them, and I've never made orderly notes unless I had to restart for a third time.

If you want a hint & encouragement without spoilers, try:

Or a narrative sketch of my route, to compare notes (Spoiler alert):
(This was for KSO weekly 168)
cheers

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Joe

I have solved this puzzle and posted my walkthrough on djape's forum (though most critical moves have already been spotted by others there). Nonetheless since then I've been solving each weekly puzzle and writing walkthroughs. I'll post the walkthroughs here, starting from #168 to the most recent #174. I'll probably do it on another thread because I want to have control to edit the first post where I can put up an index (in case the thread grows long and spans multiple pages). You guys are welcomed to discuss them or write your own walkthroughs.

Added later: just read through this thread and found out the it seems Ed doesn't like the idea of posting about those puzzles in fear of disrupting the normal Assassin program. Well in that case I'll postpone posting the walkthroughs unless someone actually wants them.

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