or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Start Small – find your way to fill in those bigger squares.
Rules: Standard Tile Sudoku rules.
Answer String: Enter the 5th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Walls
Rules: Standard Consecutive Sudoku rules.
Answer String: Enter the 2nd column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th column from top to bottom.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Diagonals
Rules: Standard Tile Sudoku rules.
Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 12th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Double Vision
Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)
Theme: Two Rings
Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules.
Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal loop segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:00, Master = 12:00, Expert = 24:00
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Spiral
Rules: Variation of TomTom rules, using digits from 1-6. In this variation, equations start at the cell marked by the arrow and proceed cell by cell performing operations in the order they are encountered to equal the value indicated in the last cell. In other words, A+BxC = 18 could be A=5, B=1, C=3 as 5+1 = 6 and 6×3 = 18.
Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Three-leaf clover (there is not much luck to be had by guessing here….)
Rules: Standard Thermo-Sudoku rules.
Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:30, Master = 11:00, Expert = 22:00
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for more Thermo-Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Thermo-Sudoku to get started on. More Thermo-Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Ray Gun
Rules: Standard Star Battle rules.
Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a star appears. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:00, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for other classic Star Battles and this link for Star Battle variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Star Battles to get started on. More Star Battle puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in the book Star Battle by JinHoo Ahn, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.
I knew when constructing puzzles for this past week that it would end up pretty tough across the board. I had certain themes in mind and when constructing for a particular goal you cannot always tailor the timing precisely. I believe — except for Monday’s puzzle — everything was rated for at least 5 minutes. It is probably asking too much to expect a full week to “feel perfectly balanced” when there are six different styles being presented.
So, while it may be impossible to avoid “hard” weeks in the future, this did seem an apt time to return to discussing some of these puzzles. I got a specific request to describe Saturday’s Battleships in logical terms, so that is what I’ll cover today.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)
Theme: X Marks the Spot
Rules: Standard Battleships rules. Notice the larger than usual fleet beneath the puzzle.
Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a ship segment appears. If the row is empty, enter 0. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:45, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00
Solution: PDF