PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between two ship / shape placement modes and a shading mode. In battleship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: Squares

Author/Opus: This is the 23rd puzzle from our newest contributing puzzlemaster Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Standard Battleships rules. Use the indicated fleet. Ships can be rotated and reflected.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:45, Master = 10:15, Expert = 20:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for classic Battleships and this link for Battleships variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Battleships to get started on. More Battleships puzzles can be found in Battleships and Variations, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the composite Yajilin mode where left click marks cells, right click marks dots in cells or X’s on edges, left click+drag draws lines.)

Theme: Antonyms

Author/Opus: This is the 22nd puzzle from our newest contributing puzzlemaster Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules. Also, exactly one copy of each letter given in the grid must be shaded; other copies of that letter, if present, must be left unshaded.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 8:15, Expert = 16:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for classic Tapa and this link for Tapa variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tapa puzzles to get started on. More Tapa puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in Tapa and Variations 1 and 2, and in our beginner-friendly books Intro to GMPuzzles and Starter Pack 2: Tapa, all by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

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

Theme: Triominoes

Author/Opus: This is the 21st puzzle from our newest contributing puzzlemaster Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Standard Kakuro rules. Also, if a gray circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers in those cells must be consecutive. (Note: not all gray circles are given; adjacent cells without a circle may contain either consecutive numbers or nonconsecutive numbers.)

Difficulty: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 7:15, Expert = 14:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for classic Kakuro and this link for Kakuro variations. More Kakuro puzzles can be found in Kakuro and Variations by Serkan Yürekli and in The Art of Puzzles 2.

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: River

Author/Opus: This is the 20th puzzle from our newest contributing puzzlemaster Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Standard Cave rules. Also, the arrow clues indicate all the directions (up, down, left, and right) where the nearest shaded cells are located when looking from that square. Arrow clues cannot be shaded.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for classic Caves and this link for Cave variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Cave Puzzles to get started on. More Cave puzzles can be found in Roger Barkan’s Colossal Cave Collection, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

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

Theme: Geometric Shapes

Author/Opus: This is the 19th puzzle from our newest contributing puzzlemaster Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Difficulty: 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:45, Master = 2:15, Expert = 4:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

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.

Today we are quite excited to welcome Takeya Saikachi, one of the founding authors of the Toketa series of puzzle books amongst other contributions, to the Grandmaster Puzzles team as a contributing puzzlemaster. Takeya will be the author of our upcoming Starter Pack 4: Slitherlink book, coming out in about a week.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s on edges)

Theme: Two Sides

Author/Opus: This is the 18th puzzle from our newest contributing puzzlemaster Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Variation of Tapa: Form a single non-intersecting loop. Clues inside the grid represent the number of neighboring cells visited by the loop; if there is more than one number in a cell, each number should be represented with a separate loop segment. There is no 2×2 rule of Tapa in this puzzle.

See also this example:

Difficulty: 1.5 stars

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

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other Tapa-Like Loop puzzles. More Tapa-Like Loop puzzles can be found in the Tapa-Like Loop Collection by Prasanna Seshadri.

Since 2021, we have posted some extra difficult Sunday Stumpers, about once a month. These will be quite tough puzzles, but with a logical path to be found (and solution videos to help). This eighth Sunday Stumper of 2022 is a Shape Sudoku by Salih Alan with a “Multiplication” theme in each of the shapes; while it might be a touch easier at 4.5 stars than some of our other stumpers, we expect you’ll still enjoy figuring out the intended solving path.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku number entry mode and a shading mode to manage the shape inventory.)

Theme: Multiplication

Author/Opus: This is the 16th puzzle from guest contributor Salih Alan.

Rules: Standard Shape Sudoku rules.

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:00, Master = 15:00, Expert = 30:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other Shape Sudoku. More Shape Sudoku are in Masterpiece Sudoku Mix 8.

Our past week of Sudoku puzzles and variations is gathered together in this PDF and the solutions are in this PDF. You can find more Sudoku puzzles in our e-store, and in particular if you enjoyed the classic or Shape Sudoku from this week, those two genres will be part of our next two Masterpiece Sudoku Mixes being released in August.

We will have a special Sunday Stumper puzzle coming out shortly for more Sudoku, and also check out the US round for the Sudoku Grand Prix next weekend for several more sudoku puzzles from me.

The daily solution videos are on the posts and linked below:

This coming week is a special week for us as we’ll be welcoming a new puzzle grandmaster with a variety mix week of puzzles. Who will the new contributing puzzlemaster be? Come here tomorrow to find out.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku number entry mode and a shading mode to manage the shape inventory.)

Theme: Offset Frame

Author/Opus: This is the 418th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Shape Sudoku rules.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:30, Master = 13:00, Expert = 26:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other Shape Sudoku. More Shape Sudoku are in Masterpiece Sudoku Mix 8.

This variation from Dr. Sudoku will appear on the 8th round of the Sudoku Grand Prix opening August 5th and running through August 8th. This puzzle was created as the “example” puzzle for the style, and is a representative puzzle (in difficulty and style) to help prepare for the competition.

PDF

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

Theme: Boxes

Author/Opus: This is the 417th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, some numbers are given on the edges between two adjacent cells. Treating those cells as a two-digit number (reading left to right or top to bottom), the two-digit number must be a multiple of the clue. (For example, near a 7 clue, the two digits can be 14, 21, 28, 35, ….)

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:30, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

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