PDF

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

Theme: L’s Big and Small

Rules: Combined Deficit and Surplus Sudoku rules, with some regions with fewer numbers (no repeats but one number missing) and others with more numbers (1-8 plus one repeat) than expected in a Sudoku. Use numbers from 1-8.

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:30, Master = 7:00, Expert = 14:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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: Just in TIME? A hard Slitherlink puzzle from US Puzzle Team member Thomas Snyder, one of the “Answer Men” profiled in this week’s issue (subscription required).

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 = 3:15, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

Note: Advice on solving this puzzle has now been posted in “Ask Dr. Sudoku #9”

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Double Diagonals

Rules: Standard Surplus Sudoku rules, with numbers from 1-8.

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:45, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

Solution: PDF

PDF

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: All for One and One for All

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 = 3:00, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Not Your Standard 6×6 Sudoku! An homage to my favorite (10×10) puzzle from the original “Udoku” set of Deficit Sudoku by Wei-Hwa Huang.

Rules: Standard Deficit Sudoku rules, with numbers from 1-7.

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 1st column from top to bottom.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:00, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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: Parquet

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 = 0:45, Master = 1:15, Expert = 2:30

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between number placement, ship placement, and shading modes. The shading mode in gray, which numbers can be written on top of, may work better than default ship placement.)

Theme: Twister

Rules: Standard Battleship Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row from left to right.

Time Standard: Battleship Sudoku Grandmaster = 6:30, Master = 10:30, Expert = 21:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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: The Bermuda Quadrangle? The missing radar clues will complicate the solve.

Rules: Standard Battleships rules.

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 Standard: Battleships Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 7:00, Expert = 14:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Advice on solving this puzzle has now been posted in “Ask Dr. Sudoku #8“

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between number placement, ship placement, and shading modes. The shading mode in gray, which numbers can be written on top of, may work better than default ship placement.)

Theme: Four Islands

Rules: Standard Battleship Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 8th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th column from top to bottom.

Time Standard: Battleship Sudoku Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Advice on solving this puzzle has now been posted in “Ask Dr. Sudoku #8“

PDF

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: Just Try Two Find Us

Rules: Standard Battleships rules.

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 Standard: Battleships Grandmaster = 1:45, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

Solution: PDF