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Archive Part A - Assassins 1-50, variants & other killers

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:27 am

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Old SSv3.2 scores:

Killer rating table      
Rounded Score from SSv3.2  
pg# on this thread
(E) = Easy  (H) = Hard                         
======================================================================
|A ##       Rate  Score|A ##       Rate  Score|A ##       Rate  Score|
|----------------------+----------------------+----------------------|
|A.16       1.25   0.95|SKX1              1.00|A.22              0.80|
|UTA       H1.50   1.90|A.19       1.00   0.80|SKX2              1.40|
|UTAv2     H1.50   1.50|A.20       1.00   0.75|A.23              0.70|
|A.17       1.00   0.70|A.20v2     1.25   1.20|A.24              1.25|
|A.17v2    E1.50   1.10|A.21              0.70|                      |
|A.18       1.25   0.95|A.21v2            1.50|                      |
|====================================================================|
                              page #2

Old scores from SSv3.3.0:

Killer rating table      
Rounded Score from SSv3.3.0
! = 0.10 change from previous version of score  
pg# on this thread
(E) = Easy  (H) = Hard
======================================================================
|A ##       Rate  Score|A ##       Rate  Score|A ##       Rate  Score|
|----------------------+----------------------+----------------------|
|A.16       1.25   1.00|SKX1             !1.20|A.22              0.80|
|UTA       H1.50  !2.25|A.19       1.00   0.80|SKX2      1.75   !2.95|
|UTAv2     H1.50  !1.60|A.20       1.00   0.80|A.23              0.75|
|A.17       1.00   0.70|A.20v2     1.25   1.15|A.24     H1.25    1.25|
|A.17v2    E1.50  !1.30|A.21              0.70|                      |
|A.18       1.25  !1.15|A.21v2    H1.50   1.55|                      |
|====================================================================|
                              page #2

Killer rating table
SudokuSolver Target range v3.6.3

Rating.....Score
0.50   =   0.85
0.75   =   0.90-0.95
1.00   =   1.00-1.20
1.25   =   1.25-1.45
1.50   =   1.50-1.70   (E) = Easy  (H) = Hard

===========================================================================================
|A ##     by     Rate    Score|A ##     by     Rate    Score|A ##     by     Rate    Score|
|-----------------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------------------|
|A.16    Ruud    1.25     1.05|SKX1    Ruud             1.05|A.22    Ruud             0.95|
|UTA     Ed     H1.50     1.85|A.19    Ruud    1.00     0.95|SKX2    Ruud    1.75     2.35|
|UTAv2   Ed     H1.50     1.45|A.20    Ruud    1.00     0.90|A.23    Ruud             0.90|
|A.17    Ruud    1.00     0.85|A.20v2  Ed      1.25     1.00|A.24    Ruud   H1.25     1.35|
|A.17v2  Ed     E1.50     1.25|A.21    Ruud             0.85|                             |
|A.18    Ruud    1.25     1.05|A.21v2  Ed     H1.50     1.60|                             |
|=========================================================================================|
                                         page #2

Assassin 16 by Ruud (Sept 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 2 8 7 | 3 1 5 | 9 4 6 |
| 9 5 4 | 2 6 7 | 1 8 3 |
| 6 1 3 | 8 4 9 | 7 5 2 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 7 4 5 | 1 9 3 | 6 2 8 |
| 1 9 8 | 6 5 2 | 4 3 7 |
| 3 6 2 | 4 7 8 | 5 9 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 4 2 9 | 7 8 6 | 3 1 5 |
| 8 7 1 | 5 3 4 | 2 6 9 |
| 5 3 6 | 9 2 1 | 8 7 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Ruud, lead-in: a tough nut to crack
sudokuEd: Indeed it was. Took ages to find the right nut-cracker to use - lots of nooks and crannies to search through
Andrew: I found it the hardest Weekly Assassin so far..I.. avoid putting in candidates until necessary and never more than four candidates in a cell unless I'm stuck and forced to put in more
Oscar: After 4 days, I just couldn't make it without the "hint on the nook" from sudokuEd :oops:

. It is narrow gorge that allows to pass to the other side of the mountain. I would rate this one 1.25

Walkthrough by sudokuEd:

Walkthrough by Andrew:

Last edited by Ed on Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:17 am, edited 8 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:42 am

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

UTA - Ruudiculous Tag Killer by sudokuEd (Sept 06)

Puzzle pic: 1-9 cannot repeat on the diagonals:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 4 5 6 | 3 7 1 | 2 8 9 |
| 7 1 9 | 8 4 2 | 5 6 3 |
| 8 3 2 | 5 6 9 | 7 4 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 7 1 | 6 9 8 | 3 2 4 |
| 9 2 8 | 7 3 4 | 1 5 6 |
| 3 6 4 | 1 2 5 | 9 7 8 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 6 9 5 | 4 1 7 | 8 3 2 |
| 1 4 7 | 2 8 3 | 6 9 5 |
| 2 8 3 | 9 5 6 | 4 1 7 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

sudokuEd, lead-in: This puzzle takes SumoCue 17 seconds to find a solution, compared to Uluru's 10. So, a definite UTA
Tag solution for 30 steps (not in archive) then swapped to UTA2: by Nasenbaer, sudokuEd, Andrew
Para: worked through this killer in the last few days. Now done both killers from before i came here...Really tough work to finish it
Andrew in 2011: Para and I have both shown that the original UTA is also solvable by logic....rate..at Hard 1.5
2020: Revisit forum thread here

Condensed Walkthrough of SudokuSolver log by sudokuEd:

Walkthrough by Para:

2011 walkthrough by Andrew:

UTA v2 by sudokuEd (Sept 06)

Puzzle pic: 1-9 cannot repeat on the diagonals:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 4 5 6 | 3 7 1 | 2 8 9 |
| 7 1 9 | 8 4 2 | 5 6 3 |
| 8 3 2 | 5 6 9 | 7 4 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 7 1 | 6 9 8 | 3 2 4 |
| 9 2 8 | 7 3 4 | 1 5 6 |
| 3 6 4 | 1 2 5 | 9 7 8 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 6 9 5 | 4 1 7 | 8 3 2 |
| 1 4 7 | 2 8 3 | 6 9 5 |
| 2 8 3 | 9 5 6 | 4 1 7 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

sudokuEd: I've changed some cages around and now it is solvable by logic. Hence UTA2
tag solution: by sudokuEd & Nasenbaer (support from Andrew; and more support from Andrew!

)
Andrew in 2011: I used the same breakthrough steps that I used for my UTA walkthrough. I'll therefore also rate UTA2 at Hard 1.5

Condensed Walkthrough by sudokuEd:

2011 Walkthrough by Andrew:

Last edited by Ed on Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:54 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:48 am

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Assassin 17 by Ruud (Sept 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 4 7 | 6 8 2 | 3 1 9 |
| 3 8 9 | 4 7 1 | 6 2 5 |
| 2 6 1 | 9 5 3 | 4 8 7 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 4 1 2 | 8 3 5 | 7 9 6 |
| 8 9 6 | 7 1 4 | 2 5 3 |
| 7 5 3 | 2 9 6 | 8 4 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 1 2 4 | 5 6 7 | 9 3 8 |
| 9 7 5 | 3 2 8 | 1 6 4 |
| 6 3 8 | 1 4 9 | 5 7 2 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Ruud, lead-in: This is a strange killer. It keeps resisting almost till the very end
Andrew: True! Apart from an easy start it does resist for a long time. The Assassins continue to get harder each time
Ruud: I create all my Killers (Assassins and Jigsaws) manually, and use SumoCue to validate and rate it. I keep rearranging the cages until the puzzle has the required difficulty, while it can still be solved by the program....I only needed to glue a few cages together to avoid an easy solution
Oscar: really keep working until the end. With less than two hours solving time I would rate it 1.0

Walk-through by Andrew:

Assassin 17 V2 by sudokuEd (Sept 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 4 7 | 6 8 2 | 3 1 9 |
| 3 8 9 | 4 7 1 | 6 2 5 |
| 2 6 1 | 9 5 3 | 4 8 7 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 4 1 2 | 8 3 5 | 7 9 6 |
| 8 9 6 | 7 1 4 | 2 5 3 |
| 7 5 3 | 2 9 6 | 8 4 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 1 2 4 | 5 6 7 | 9 3 8 |
| 9 7 5 | 3 2 8 | 1 6 4 |
| 6 3 8 | 1 4 9 | 5 7 2 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

sudokuEd: Look the liberty of making a small change to Assassin 17 to make it a bit harder. It's still solvable by logic
Andrew: When A17V2 first appeared I didn't get very far with it. I was still resisting using elimination solving..I found the other key move, step 26, difficult to spot so for that reason I'll rate A17V2 as an easier 1.5 rather than a harder 1.25

Walkthrough by sudokuEd:

Walk-through for Assassin 17 Version 2
1."45" on N3 -> r2c6 = 1
2. "45" N9 -> r8c6 = 8
3. 30(4) cage in N568 = {6789} with 8 locked in r6 -> no 8 elsewhere in r6
4. 17(2) cage in N4 = {89} -> no 8 or 9 elsewhere in r5 or N4
5. "45" on N12 -> 5 outties = 19 -> must have 1 -> no 1 elsewhere in r4 -> 1 required in 18(5) cage in N56 locked in r5 -> no 1 elsewhere in r5
6. 16(3) cage in N45 = {367/457} = 7{36/45}
7. "45" on r6789 -> 3 innies = 8 = {125/134} = 1{25/34} with 1 locked in r6c89 in N6 -> no 1 elsewhere in N6 or r6 -> r5c5 = 1 (hidden single N5)
8. 7 locked in 16(3) cage in N45 now only in r5 -> no 7 elsewhere in r5
9. from step 7, r6c389 = [5{12}/{134}] but r6c89 cannot be {12} = 3 since that requires r45c8 = 16 = {79} but 7 and 9 only in r4c8 -> r6c389 <> [5{12}] -> r6c389 = {134} only -> no 3 or 4 elsewhere in r6.
10. from step 9, r6c89 = {13/14} = 4 or 5 -> r45c8 = 14 or 15 = [95/86/96] -> r4c8 = {89}, r5c8 = {56}
11. from step 9, r6c3 = {34} -> r5c34 = {67/57} = {5/6} -> Killer pair with {56} in r5c8 -> no 5 or 6 elsewhere in r5
12. "45" on c89 -> 2 outies = 12 -> no 1,2 or 6 -> 1 in c7 locked in r89c7 = 6 = {15} only -> no 1 or 5 elsewhere in N9 or c7
13. "45" on N6 -> 3 innies = 17. Max. r56c7 = {49} = 13 -> min. r4c7 = 4 but this means 2 4's in c7 -> no 4 possible in r4c7
14. from step 12,r17c7 = 12 = {39/48}, r23c7 = {28/37/46} -> complex hidden single on 3 in r1237c7 -> no 3 in r5c7.
15.19(4) cage in N6 = 1{369/459/468} = {4/6, 6/9...} -> r456c7 = 17 <> {269/467} (since would leave no combinations for 19(4) cage. -> the only combination left for r456c7 = {278} with r5c7 = 2, {78} pair in r46c7 -> no 7 or 8 elsewhere in c7 or N6, r23c7 = {46} pair in c7 and N3, r4c8 = 9, r23c7 = {46} pair in N3
16."45" on N8 -> 4 outties - 24 = 1 innie -> r6c567 cannot = 24 since that would require r6c4 = r9c4 which is impossible since both are in c4 -> r6c567 <> {789} -> no 6 in r7c6 -> 6 required in 30(4) cage locked in r6 and in N5 -> no 6 elsewhere in r6 or N5.
17. rest of 18(5) cage in N56 now can only = {348/357} but cannot be {357} since r5c4 = {57} -> r4c45 + r5c6 = {348} only with 8 locked in r4 -> r46c7 = [78], r34c6 = [62/35]
18. "45" on N2 -> 1 outie + 2 = 1 innie. r3c6 = {36} -> r3c3 = {14} -> r3c36 [13/46] but cannot be [46] since r3c7 = {46} -> r3c36 = [13], r45c6 = [54], r45c9 = [63], r5c48 = [75], r56c3 = [63]
19. {69} pair in r6c56 -> r6c4 = 2, r7c6 = 7,
20. "45" on N8 -> r9c4 = 1, r89c7 = [15]
21. {57} pair in r6c12 = 12 -> rest of 15(4) cage = 3 = {12}, 18(3) cage in N7 = {458} only, r89c1 = [69} only, r89c2 = {37} only
22. "45" on r89 -> r7c3 = r8c9 = 4
the rest is pretty straight forward

Walkthrough by Andrew:

Last edited by Ed on Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:57 am

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Assassin 18 by Ruud (Sept 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 6 8 2 | 3 1 7 | 9 5 4 |
| 3 9 5 | 4 6 2 | 7 1 8 |
| 7 4 1 | 9 5 8 | 6 2 3 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 7 3 | 6 2 1 | 4 8 9 |
| 1 2 9 | 7 8 4 | 3 6 5 |
| 8 6 4 | 5 3 9 | 2 7 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 4 3 8 | 2 7 5 | 1 9 6 |
| 9 5 7 | 1 4 6 | 8 3 2 |
| 2 1 6 | 8 9 3 | 5 4 7 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Ruud, lead-in: It takes a lot of nibbling before you are able to place the first digit. Halfway there is another obstacle to remove
annette: toook me almost 2 hours
sudokuEd: I was greedy and got straight into the Mains - then got indigestion halfway through!
Andrew, in A19, A55 & 71 threads: A18 was the first one I found hard... That was the first one that I needed a hint
Oscar: SudokuEd Walk Through is really very good....I did turn my back to this one and had to restart a couple of times :oops:

Arround 3 hours solving time I would rate it 1.25

Walkthrough by sudokuEd:

Special Killer X 5 Oct 06 (aka SKX1) by Ruud (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic: 1-9 cannot repeat on the diagonals:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 8 6 5 | 9 7 1 | 4 2 3 |
| 3 2 1 | 4 6 5 | 7 9 8 |
| 4 7 9 | 3 8 2 | 1 6 5 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 2 5 8 | 1 3 4 | 6 7 9 |
| 1 9 7 | 8 5 6 | 2 3 4 |
| 6 4 3 | 2 9 7 | 5 8 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 9 1 6 | 7 4 8 | 3 5 2 |
| 5 8 2 | 6 1 3 | 9 4 7 |
| 7 3 4 | 5 2 9 | 8 1 6 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Nasenbaer: Took me really long to get to the first number, but from then on it unfolded rapidly
sudokuEd: If that is your first ever walk-through Nasenbaer, it is very impressive
Andrew, on SKX4 thread: Assassin level

Walkthrough by Nasenbaer:

Walkthrough by Andrew:

Assassin 19 by Ruud (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 3 6 7 | 8 9 4 | 2 1 5 |
| 1 5 4 | 2 3 6 | 7 9 8 |
| 2 9 8 | 5 1 7 | 3 6 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 7 2 | 3 6 1 | 4 8 9 |
| 4 8 9 | 7 2 5 | 1 3 6 |
| 6 1 3 | 4 8 9 | 5 7 2 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 8 2 1 | 9 5 3 | 6 4 7 |
| 9 4 6 | 1 7 2 | 8 5 3 |
| 7 3 5 | 6 4 8 | 9 2 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Andrew: It was good to have a slightly easier puzzle this time but definitely still an Assassin
Ruud: You need almost every trick in the book to break this Assassin. When it finally surrenders, your victory will be total
Andrew: At first I doubted that was true but... I'm now convinced! I'll stick with my "slightly easier" comment; most steps managed to fix at least one cell
Oscar: After the warning by Ruud... do not overlook any detail or opportunity, and ... then it's ok

. I rate it 1.0

Walkthrough by Andrew:

Last edited by Ed on Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:01 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:12 pm

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Assassin 20 by Ruud (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 9 5 1 | 3 7 2 | 6 4 8 |
| 4 8 3 | 6 1 9 | 5 7 2 |
| 6 2 7 | 5 4 8 | 1 9 3 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 7 1 9 | 4 8 3 | 2 5 6 |
| 5 6 4 | 2 9 1 | 3 8 7 |
| 2 3 8 | 7 6 5 | 9 1 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 8 7 5 | 9 2 6 | 4 3 1 |
| 1 9 6 | 8 3 4 | 7 2 5 |
| 3 4 2 | 1 5 7 | 8 6 9 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

sudokuEd: Nasenbaer obviously found Assassin 20 way too easy (BTW -great walk-through)
Oscar: I would rate it 1.0

Walkthrough by Nasenbaer:

Walkthrough by Andrew:

Assassin 20 V2 by sudokuEd (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 9 5 1 | 3 7 2 | 6 4 8 |
| 4 8 3 | 6 1 9 | 5 7 2 |
| 6 2 7 | 5 4 8 | 1 9 3 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 7 1 9 | 4 8 3 | 2 5 6 |
| 5 6 4 | 2 9 1 | 3 8 7 |
| 2 3 8 | 7 6 5 | 9 1 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 8 7 5 | 9 2 6 | 4 3 1 |
| 1 9 6 | 8 3 4 | 7 2 5 |
| 3 4 2 | 1 5 7 | 8 6 9 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Nasenbaer: Version 2 is MUCH harder. It took me ages to place the first number, even with parts of the solution still in my memory
Ed, Archive lead-in: Everyone, please feel free to do all these early puzzles
Andrew in June '08: OK, here's the first one!

I had another go at A20 V2. When it first appeared I was still using insertion solving and didn't manage to finish it. I started again, this time using elimination solving. I'll rate A20 V2 as 1.25

Walkthrough by sudokuEd:

2008 Walkthrough by Andrew:

Last edited by Ed on Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:06 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:15 pm

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Assassin 21 by Ruud (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 2 8 5 | 1 7 9 | 4 6 3 |
| 1 4 7 | 3 2 6 | 8 5 9 |
| 3 9 6 | 4 5 8 | 2 7 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 7 5 9 | 8 6 3 | 1 4 2 |
| 8 2 1 | 7 9 4 | 6 3 5 |
| 4 6 3 | 2 1 5 | 7 9 8 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 1 2 | 9 4 7 | 3 8 6 |
| 6 3 4 | 5 8 1 | 9 2 7 |
| 9 7 8 | 6 3 2 | 5 1 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Nasenbaer: harder than number 20 (just my opinion). It took some time to get the first number, but then it unfolded nicely
nd: Not a pushover puzzle but actually you can place numbers within a couple of steps using overlapping cages

Walkthrough by nd:

Walkthrough by Andrew:

Assassin 21 V2 by sudokuEd (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 2 8 5 | 1 7 9 | 4 6 3 |
| 1 4 7 | 3 2 6 | 8 5 9 |
| 3 9 6 | 4 5 8 | 2 7 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 7 5 9 | 8 6 3 | 1 4 2 |
| 8 2 1 | 7 9 4 | 6 3 5 |
| 4 6 3 | 2 1 5 | 7 9 8 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 1 2 | 9 4 7 | 3 8 6 |
| 6 3 4 | 5 8 1 | 9 2 7 |
| 9 7 8 | 6 3 2 | 5 1 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Forum thread here
sudokuEd: couldn't solve it. But there are a huge number of logical steps in this V2 - feels like just needs one more - eg maybe the quad etc. I don't have any time to try again at the moment, but maybe someone else can
Andrew: I managed to solve it in less than a day after I started, one of my quickest variants. ..I'll rate my walkthrough at least Hard 1.5
Ed: found an equally interesting alternative way (as Para and Andrew). I think it is a Killer Empty Rectangle.

Walkthrough by Para:

Walkthrough by Andrew; Feb 2010:

Walkthough by Ed; March 2010:

Last edited by Ed on Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:30 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:18 pm

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Assassin 22 by Ruud (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 8 2 | 4 3 6 | 1 9 7 |
| 6 1 9 | 7 2 5 | 8 4 3 |
| 4 3 7 | 1 9 8 | 6 2 5 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 9 2 4 | 6 7 1 | 3 5 8 |
| 3 5 6 | 2 8 4 | 9 7 1 |
| 1 7 8 | 3 5 9 | 2 6 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 8 9 1 | 5 6 7 | 4 3 2 |
| 2 6 5 | 8 4 3 | 7 1 9 |
| 7 4 3 | 9 1 2 | 5 8 6 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

nd: A very tough one, though no exotic tricks are required

Walkthrough by nd:

A very tough one, though no exotic tricks are required.

1. R23C3 = R34C5 = {79} (eliminating {79} in the rest of R3). 45 rule on C5 -> R56C5 = 13 = {58}. 45 rule on C1234 -> R56C4 = 5 = {14|23}. R56C6 = 17 + 14 - (13 + 5) = 13 = {49|67}.

2. 45 rule on R12 -> R2C3467 = 29 = {5789} -> R23C7 = [86|95], R2C46 = {5789} with 5 locked in those cells in R2/N2.

3. 45 rule on N5 -> R4C456 = 14. 45 rule on N2 -> R1C46 = 10. 45 rule on N1235 -> R3C1289 = 14. 45 rule on R1234 -> R5C19 = 4 = {13} -> R56C4 = [23|41], but placing 4 in R5C4 results in an impossible combo in the 14(3) cage so R56C4 = [23], R56C6 = [49|76], R4C46 = {1(4|6)} with 1 locked in those cells in R4/N5. 45 rule on R5 -> R6C37 = 10 = {28|46} ({19} is disallowed because a 1 can't go in a 19(3) cage).

4. 45 rule on C4 -> R1789C4 = 26 -> the 1 is locked in the 14(3) cage in C4 -> R1C46 = [46|64|73|82|91]. 45 rule on N3 -> R3C89 - R1C6 = 1 -> R1C6 <> 1 -> [91] is eliminated as a possibility from R1C46. We have now eliminated 9 from R1C456 -> X-wing on 9 on R23 in conjunction with R23C3 -> R23C7 = [86], R6C37 = [64|82].

5. 45 rule on R3 -> R3C46 = 9 = {18} (because {567} are blocked) -> R12C5 = {23}, R1C46 = {46}, R3C1289 = {2345} -> R3C1 = {45}, R3C2 = {234} -> R4C23 = {234}.

6. In N1 the 6 must go in the 12(3) cage = {(15|24)6} -> hidden {45} pair in conjunction with R3C1 -> R3C2 = {23} -> 4 is locked in N4/R4 in R4C23 -> R4C46 = {16}, R4C5 = 7, R3C5 = 9, R23C3 = [97], R56C6 = [49], R56C5 = [85], R1C46 = [46], R4C46 = [61], R3C46 = [18], R2C46 = [75], R1C23 = {28}, R3C2 = 3, R12C5 = [32], R1C78 = {19}.

7. Mop-up. 45 rule on N1 -> R3C1 = 4, R45C1 = [93], R78C1 = {28}, R5C9 = 1, R3C89 = [25], R4C9 = 8, R4C78 = {35}, 19(3) cage in N4 has a 5 locked in it -> R5C23 = {56}, R6C3 = 8, R1C23 = [82], R4C23 = [24], R5C78 = {79}, R6C7 = 2, R78C9 = {29} (because the 2 in N9/C9 cannot go in a 14(2) cage!), R9C89 = [86], R6C89 = {46}, R6C12 = {17}, R78C2 = {69}, R5C23 = [56], x-wing on 9 in R78 -> R9C4 = 9, R89C3 = {35}, R78C4 = {58}, R7C3 = 1, and you carry on...

Last edited by Ed on Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:20 pm

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Special Killer X - October 27 (aka SKX2) by Ruud (Oct 06)

Puzzle pic: 1-9 cannot repeat on the diagonals:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 2 9 5 | 1 8 3 | 4 6 7 |
| 1 6 4 | 7 9 2 | 8 5 3 |
| 8 3 7 | 5 4 6 | 9 1 2 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 6 8 3 | 9 5 1 | 7 2 4 |
| 5 4 2 | 8 3 7 | 6 9 1 |
| 9 7 1 | 6 2 4 | 5 3 8 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 3 5 8 | 2 7 9 | 1 4 6 |
| 7 2 6 | 4 1 5 | 3 8 9 |
| 4 1 9 | 3 6 8 | 2 7 5 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Ruud: I'm looking forward to read your walkthroughs
sudokuEd: Ruud will just have to wait a bit. Am totally stuck - what have I missed? Keep looking for ALSxy - but keep getting tricked :?:

Nasenbaer: nasty (ups, sorry, I mean fantastic

) puzzle. .. After kneeling into it I found some other things.. (I) broke it down in as many substeps as I could so that it is easier to comment on a specific point
sudokuEd: Wow - still some way to go yet! Might have to resort to SumoCue "hints"
Andrew, in SKX4 thread: I haven't yet solved (it) - at Super Assassin level
Andrew (in 2012): Thanks Ruud for a challenging puzzle. SKX-2 was much harder than the other three SKX puzzles.
When I tried this puzzle again at the weekend, I found that I'd got fairly close to the breakthrough in summer 2008; the next couple of steps were hard to find.
There seems to be a very narrow solving path; I worked in the same areas as Ed although our steps were rather different.
Rating 1.75.

Condensed Walk-through by sudokuEd:

Walkthrough by Andrew (finished in 2012):

Last edited by Ed on Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:48 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:23 pm

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Assassin 23 by Ruud (Nov 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 9 8 1 | 5 4 3 | 7 6 2 |
| 3 7 2 | 8 9 6 | 5 4 1 |
| 6 4 5 | 2 7 1 | 9 3 8 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 1 9 4 | 7 6 8 | 2 5 3 |
| 2 5 7 | 3 1 4 | 8 9 6 |
| 8 6 3 | 9 5 2 | 1 7 4 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 7 1 8 | 4 3 9 | 6 2 5 |
| 4 2 9 | 6 8 5 | 3 1 7 |
| 5 3 6 | 1 2 7 | 4 8 9 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

nd: Mostly 45-rule work

Walkthrough by nd:

Last edited by Ed on Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Assassin Archive & Ratings Update

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:27 pm

Grand Master

Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:16 am
Posts: 1043
Location: Sydney, Australia

Assassin 24 Tetris by Ruud (Nov 06)

Puzzle pic:

Code: Select, Copy & Paste into solver:

Solution:

+-------+-------+-------+
| 5 2 6 | 3 7 4 | 1 8 9 |
| 8 1 9 | 5 6 2 | 3 7 4 |
| 3 7 4 | 1 9 8 | 2 5 6 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 2 9 5 | 4 1 7 | 6 3 8 |
| 4 8 1 | 6 3 5 | 7 9 2 |
| 7 6 3 | 8 2 9 | 5 4 1 |
+-------+-------+-------+
| 9 4 2 | 7 5 6 | 8 1 3 |
| 1 5 8 | 2 4 3 | 9 6 7 |
| 6 3 7 | 9 8 1 | 4 2 5 |
+-------+-------+-------+

Quote:

Ruud: this Tetris puzzle came out just right. Combined, SumoCue and SudoCue needed more than 160 solving steps (including singles). This Killer is an Assassin and a Nightmare
Andrew: was certainly a challenge. ... it being harder than any previous Assassin
nd: Haven't posted a walkthrough because I couldn't produce one that seemed very satisfactory (i.e. not using ugly T&E steps). Time for me to brush up my midrange-to-advanced techniques in "regular" sudoku, I think...
PsyMar in A25 thread: I tried (A24).. and couldn't get much of anywhere
Andrew, in A55 thread: A24 was the first really difficult one
Andrew: When I first solved this puzzle I wasn't satisfied with how I had completed it so..I'll rate my new walkthrough for A24 at Hard 1.25

Marks pics and solver steps for xyz-Wing and als(xz) by Ruud:

Walk-through by sudokuEd:

April '10 Walkthrough by Andrew:

Last edited by Ed on Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:22 am, edited 2 times in total.

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