Clueless Explosion Archive - Ruud's Puzzles
This is an archive of Ruud's Clueless Explosion puzzles and solutions, which were originally posted on sudocue.net from 2006 to 2008. The ratings are those quoted by Ruud when he posted his puzzles.
For those who aren’t familiar with Clueless Explosions, the 81 blue cells form an extra Sudoku grid. This form of Sudoku is called Clueless because the blue cells don’t include any numbers (clues).
There are diagrams for each puzzle and solution. Alternatively, if you are using a software solver, there are code strings. If you are using SudokuSolver first select File, Puzzle Type -> Extended; then in the Puzzle Type drop down menu below the right-hand diagram select Clueless Explosion. Now Select the Code String and Copy and Paste into SudokuSolver. Other software solvers will have similar procedures.
Edit. I've now found that there's a simpler way using SudokuSolver. Select File, Import, Explosion, copy and paste the code string into the new window that opens and click OK.There wasn't a specific Clueless Explosion guide, but Ruud's
Clueless Special guide may give useful hints about how to get started.
Puzzle rating table, with links to archive entries.
At Ed's suggestion, I've added SudokuSolver(v3.6) scores to the table.A score of 0.85 indicates that SS solved these puzzles using hidden singles and box/line intersections,
scores of 0.95 and 1.00 are when SS used hidden singles, hidden pairs and box/line intersections,
higher scores indicate the use of harder techniques.
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Puzzle | Rating | Score | | Puzzle | Rating | Score |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Clueless Explosion 1 | Moderate | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 10 | Hard | 0.90 |
| Clueless Explosion 2 | Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 11 | Tough | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 3 | Very Hard | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 12 | Tough | 1.15 |
| Clueless Explosion 4 | Hard | 1.10 | | Clueless Explosion 13 | Hard | 0.95 |
| Clueless Explosion 5 | Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 14 | Moderate | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 6 | Very Hard | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 15 | Hard | 0.90 |
| Clueless Explosion 7 | Very Hard | 1.15 | | Clueless Explosion 16 | Tough | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 8 | Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 17 | Hard | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 9 | Very Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 18 | Very Hard | 1.00 |
| | | | | Clueless Explosion 19 | Tough | 1.05 |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
Page #1 Page #2
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Puzzle | Rating | Score | | Puzzle | Rating | Score |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Clueless Explosion 20 | Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 30 | Very Hard | 2.10 |
| Clueless Explosion 21 | Very Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 31 | Hard | 1.10 |
| Clueless Explosion 22 | Tough | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 32 | Hard | 1.15 |
| Clueless Explosion 23 | Very Hard | 1.45 | | Clueless Explosion 33 | Hard | 1.15 |
| Clueless Explosion 24 | Hard | 1.10 | | Clueless Explosion 34 | Very Hard | 1.10 |
| Clueless Explosion 25 | Tough | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 35 | Hard | 1.50 |
| Clueless Explosion 26 | Hard | 1.10 | | Clueless Explosion 36 | Hard | 1.15 |
| Clueless Explosion 27 | Tough | 1.10 | | Clueless Explosion 37 | Very Hard | 1.60 |
| Clueless Explosion 28 | Moderate | 1.20 | | Clueless Explosion 38 | Hard | 1.10 |
| Clueless Explosion 29 | Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 39 | Hard | 1.00 |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
Page #3 Page #4
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Puzzle | Rating | Score | | Puzzle | Rating | Score |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Clueless Explosion 40 | Tough | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 50 | Hard | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 41 | Moderate | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 51 | Hard | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 42 | Hard | 1.10 | | Clueless Explosion 52 | Tough | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 43 | Tough | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 53 | Very Hard | 1.25 |
| Clueless Explosion 44 | Hard | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 54 | Tough | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 45 | Very Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 55 | Moderate | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 46 | Very Hard | 1.15 | | Clueless Explosion 56 | Tough | 1.10 |
| Clueless Explosion 47 | Tough | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 57 | Very Hard | 1.30 |
| Clueless Explosion 48 | Tough | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 58 | Very Hard | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 49 | Tough | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 59 | Very Hard | 1.25 |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
Page #5 Page #6
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Puzzle | Rating | Score | | Puzzle | Rating | Score |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Clueless Explosion 60 | Tough | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 70 | Hard | 1.15 |
| Clueless Explosion 61 | Very Hard | 1.15 | | Clueless Explosion 71 | Very Hard | 1.30 |
| Clueless Explosion 62 | Tough | 0.95 | | Clueless Explosion 72 | Tough | 0.95 |
| Clueless Explosion 63 | Very Hard | 1.50 | | Clueless Explosion 73 | Moderate | 1.00 |
| Clueless Explosion 64 | Tough | 1.10 | | Clueless Explosion 74 | Tough | 0.95 |
| Clueless Explosion 65 | Hard | 0.90 | | Clueless Explosion 75 | Hard | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 66 | Tough | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 76 | Tough | 1.00 |
| Clueless Explosion 67 | Very Hard | 1.10 | | Clueless Explosion 77 | Hard | 1.00 |
| Clueless Explosion 68 | Hard | 1.05 | | Clueless Explosion 78 | Tough | 0.95 |
| Clueless Explosion 69 | Tough | 1.00 | | Clueless Explosion 79 | Very Hard | 1.00 |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+ +-----------------------+------------+-------+
Page #7 Page #8
+-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Puzzle | Rating | Score |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+
| Clueless Explosion 80 | Hard | 1.00 |
| Clueless Explosion 81 | Tough | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 82 | Very Hard | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 83 | Tough | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 84 | Tough | 1.05 |
| Clueless Explosion 85 | Tough | 1.10 |
+-----------------------+------------+-------+
Page #9
Roll of HonourRuud wrote:
For each correct Clueless Explosion, you earn 1 point.
Note: To enable new players to catch up with the regulars, only the last 26 Clueless Explosions will included in the score.
On Ruud's website, players with 26 points were shown with a gold medal, those with 25 points a silver medal and a bronze medal for those with 23 points.
+----+-------+--------------------------+-------------+-------+
| | Medal | Player | Country | Score |
+----+-------+--------------------------+-------------+-------+
| 1 | G | Nouggie | USA | 26 |
| 2 | G | PeteTy | USA | 26 |
| 3 | G | Brian Rothery | Sweden | 26 |
| 4 | B | Byron Okamoto | USA | 26 |
| 5 | G | Tomas Kollen | USA | 26 |
| 6 | G | slowhand | Brazil | 26 |
| 7 | G | Don Parker | USA | 26 |
| 8 | G | Børge T. Anderssen | Norway | 26 |
| 9 | G | lynn893 | Canada | 26 |
| 10 | G | Hans Schmitten | Germany | 26 |
| 11 | G | Susan | USA | 26 |
| 12 | G | Susan Warner | Sweden | 26 |
| 13 | G | Ria Tettelaar | Netherlands | 26 |
| 14 | G | jsmif | USA | 26 |
| 15 | G | Ron Cain | USA | 26 |
| 16 | S | Glyn | UK | 25 |
| 17 | S | Gemma | Netherlands | 25 |
| 18 | S | Marlie | Netherlands | 25 |
| 19 | S | Jason McNary | USA | 25 |
| 20 | S | Yuri Joubert | Germany | 25 |
| 21 | B | Julie Stuckmeyer | USA | 23 |
| 22 | B | sarah | USA | 23 |
| 23 | | Khunangkaro | Thailand- | 22 |
| | | | Nederland | |
| 24 | | Oscar | México | 21 |
| 25 | | Nasenbaer | Germany | 21 |
| 26 | | sheila | USA | 20 |
| 27 | | Neil Sinclair | Canada | 19 |
| 28 | | Danamario | Canada | 15 |
| 29 | | Thomas Jaspers | Netherlands | 15 |
| 30 | | Caida | Canada | 13 |
| 31 | | Miss Universum | Germany | 13 |
| 32 | | Yian Annette Chien | Taiwan | 9 |
| 33 | | Gina Hines | USA | 7 |
| 34 | | Steve Powers | USA | 7 |
| 35 | | Robin Cutler | USA | 6 |
| 36 | | Chris Robinson | Australia | 4 |
| 37 | | John Pushnik | USA | 4 |
| 38 | | Pierre-Hugues Carmichael | Canada | 3 |
| 39 | | DianaB | USA | 3 |
| 40 | | MaryG | USA | 3 |
| 41 | | T O'D | USA | 1 |
| 42 | | Para | Netherlands | 1 |
| 43 | | MARLIE | Netherlands | 1 |
| 44 | | sheila | USA | 1 |
| 45 | | Marilyn | UK | 1 |
+----+-------+--------------------------+-------------+-------+
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+
| Country | Score | Players | Average |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+
| USA | 331 | 20 | 16.6 |
| Netherlands | 93 | 6 | 15.5 |
| Germany | 85 | 4 | 21.3 |
| Canada | 76 | 5 | 15.2 |
| Sweden | 52 | 2 | 26.0 |
| Norway | 26 | 1 | 26.0 |
| UK | 26 | 2 | 13.0 |
| Brazil | 26 | 1 | 26.0 |
| Thailand-Nederland | 22 | 1 | 22.0 |
| México | 21 | 1 | 21.0 |
| Taiwan | 9 | 1 | 9.0 |
| Australia | 4 | 1 | 4.0 |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+
There was also a list for each of the last 26 puzzles of the order in which correct solutions were submitted. There were between 25 and 34 correct solutions submitted for each of these puzzles.