All the puzzles from the antisymmetry-themed variety week can be found in this PDF.

We’ve been engaging in some new sudoku projects over the last half year; specifically, Grandmaster Puzzles has been supplying hand-crafted sudoku variations to a new magazine called “Will Shortz’s Sudoku”. While the first issue just hit bookstores and newstands, we’ve now completed submissions for three issues. Our Tight Fit Sudoku, Thermo-Sudoku, Arrow Sudoku, Even/Odd Sudoku, Consecutive Sudoku, and Isodoku (nine puzzles from each genre per issue) sit alongside more typical sudoku offerings from Penny Publications.

This next week I wanted to bring together some of the “extra” submissions I’ve gotten in from our authors for that magazine, with two sudoku in each of these styles: Tight Fit, Thermo-Sudoku, and Arrow Sudoku

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Star Battle by Thomas Snyder.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Antisymmetry

Author/Opus: This is the 220th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the cave 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 = 3:00, Master = 5:45, Expert = 11:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Caves. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Cave Puzzles to get started on.

All the puzzles from last week’s Balance Loop/Fillomino mix can be found in this PDF.

Next week we’ll have a variety week, but with a common theme throughout all the puzzles. The exact schedule is this:
Monday: Masyu by Tom Collyer
Tuesday: Nanro by Grant Fikes
Wednesday: Tapa by Tapio Saarinen
Thursday: Cave by Thomas Snyder
Friday: Balance Loop by Prasanna Seshadri
Saturday: Statue Park by Palmer Mebane

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Skyscrapers by Thomas Snyder.

All the hexagonal puzzle variations from last week can be found in this PDF.

Next week will feature a combination of something old (Fillomino by Grant Fikes) and something new (Balance Loop by Prasanna Seshadri).

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Cave by Grant Fikes.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 219th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Variation of LITS. Shade exactly four cells in each outlined region to form an S, L, I, C, or Y tetrahex. When all regions have been shaded, the following conditions must be true:
1) All shaded cells will be connected through a network of adjacent shaded cells;
2) No three shaded cells will share a common vertex;
3) When two tetrahexes share an edge in adjacent regions, they must not be the same type (S, L, I, C, or Y), regardless of potential rotations or reflections.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:15, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more variations of LITS and this link for classic LITS. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest LITS to get started on.

All the puzzles from last week’s Number Placement mix can be found in this PDF.

Next week we’ll have a variety week, but with a twist. All the puzzles will be on hexagonal grids.
The exact schedule is this:
Monday: Hex Kakuro by Serkan Yürekli
Tuesday: Hex Tapa by Prasanna Seshadri
Wednesday: Hex Nanro by Prasanna Seshadri
Thursday: SLICY (aka Hex LITS) by Thomas Snyder
Friday: Hex Masyu by Serkan Yürekli
Saturday: Hex Kakuro by Serkan Yürekli

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Magic Fence by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Bull’s-Eye

Author/Opus: This is the 218th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Even/Odd Sudoku rules (i.e., cells with a square contain an even digit; cells with a circle contain an odd digit).

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:00, Master = 21:00, Expert = 42:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for more Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Even/Odd Sudoku to get started on. More Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Ring Cycle

Author/Opus: This is the 217th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Even/Odd Sudoku rules (i.e., cells with a square contain an even digit; cells with a circle contain an odd digit).

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Even/Odd Sudoku to get started on. More Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Boxed In

Author/Opus: This is the 216th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Even/Odd Sudoku rules (i.e., cells with a square contain an even digit; cells with a circle contain an odd digit).

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:20, Expert = 2:40

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Even/Odd Sudoku to get started on. More Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2.

All the puzzles from last week’s variety mix can be found in this PDF.

Next week we’ll be focusing on two different puzzles: Even/Odd Sudoku by Thomas Snyder and Top Heavy Number Place by Serkan Yürekli

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Fillomino by Grant Fikes.