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PDF

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

Theme: 2013 XMas Tree

Rules: Place a digit from 0 to 3 into each area so that no two areas that touch (even diagonally) share the same digit.

Answer String: Enter the row marked A from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the column marked B from top to bottom.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; ue tab to alternate between edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s and shading and number entry modes.)

Theme: Symmetry and Logic

Rules: Variation of standard Slitherlink rules. First, place the ten dominoes given below the grid into the gray areas, without overlapping, to form a valid Slitherlink puzzle; dominoes can be rotated. Solve the resulting Slitherlink following normal rules. (Note: The set of digits placed into the grid from the dominoes is unique, but the assignment of dominoes need not be unique.)

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 = 7:30, Master = 17:30, Expert = 35:00

Solution: PDF

(view image directly for a larger form)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing, a number entry mode, and shading for this variation.)

Theme: Symmetry and Logic

Rules: Variation of standard Fillomino rules. All polyominoes of same size besides 4 cannot touch. But all tetrominoes must be connected to form a valid LITS solution. All 4 clues have been replaced by tetromino letters.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. For the tetrominoes, instead of numbers use capital letters (L, I, T, S) in the appropriate cells. Start with the 10th column, followed by a comma, followed by the 14th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 12:30, Master = 18:00, Expert = 36:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between number entry and shading modes.)

Theme: WPC Practice

Rules: Enter digits 1 through 4 into some cells so that each row and column contains each digit exactly once. Also, along the snail (from the upper-left corner and spiraling to the center) digits must occur in 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-… order. Some clues are given in the grid in the form of lit digital segments. Each of these cells must contain a digit, and that digit must have that segment lit in the form shown below the puzzle.

Or see an example from the WPC instructions using 1 to 3 here.

Answer String: Enter the marked rows from left to right, separating the two rows by a comma. Use an X (capital letter) for each empty square.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Number entry mode and a shading mode to help track complete clues.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry, and Very Hard WPC Practice

Rules: Variation of Sudoku. Place integers from -4 to 4 into each cell so that each row, column, and region contains each integer from -4 to 4 exactly once. The numbers outside the grid represent the sum of all integers between that clue and the zero in that row/column. Some cells inside the grid already contain an integer but no sign is given. It is part of the puzzle to determine if these values are positive or negative. An example using -2 to 2 from the WPC instructions is here.

Answer String: Enter the numbers (ignoring sign) from left to right in the marked rows, separating each row with a comma (eg “123401234,431023412”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 16:00, Expert = 32:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: “The Star Battle for Christmas”

Rules: Standard Star Battle rules. Two stars per row, column, and region. Note: the shading is just to emphasize the theme and is not involved in the solve.

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 = 2:15, Master = 5:15, Expert = 10:30

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.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools using a composite mode where left click inside cell shades square, left click + drag draws line segment, right click inside cell adds dot, and right click on cell edge adds an x.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry

Rules: Place some blocks of three hexagons connected in a line (briquets) into the grid so that they do not overlap themselves or the numbered cells. For each numbered cell, the top clue indicates how many of the surrounding cells containing a briquet segment; the bottom clue indicates how many different briquets are in the surrounding cells. All cells that are not covered by briquets, including the numbered cells, must be part of a single connected group. Or see this example from the WPC instruction booklet.

Answer String: For each marked row, enter the length in cells of each group of connected cells that are part of briquets. Separate each row’s entry with a comma (eg “5,16,33,14”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between number entry and shading modes.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Rules: Hybrid of Easy as ABCD and Japanese Sums puzzle types. Fill some cells with digits 1-5 so that each row and column contains each digit from 1 to 5 exactly once as well as two empty cells. Numbers outside the grid indicate the sum of all digits in the first connected group in that direction as in a Japanese Sums puzzle. For example, the row X345X12 could have a 12 clue on the left or a 3 on the right. Or see here.

Answer String: Enter the marked rows from left to right, separating the two rows by a comma. Use an X (capital letter) for each empty square.

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Japanese Sums puzzles.

PDF

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

Theme: WPC Practice

Rules: Place a digit 1, 2, or 3 into each empty cell so that each digit appears exactly three times in each row and column. All cells are either white or gray. A digit in a white cell must share an edge with at least one cell containing the same digit. A digit in a gray cell cannot share an edge with any cell containing the same digit.

Answer String: Enter the digits from left to right in the marked rows, separating the rows with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 15:00, Expert = 30:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in a composite mode for line/edge drawing)

Theme: Grandmaster Puzzles (GMP in the shapes)

Rules: Divide each of the three shapes into four pentominoes so that all 12 pentominoes are present exactly once across the three shapes. An inventory of pentominoes is given below the puzzle; rotations and reflections of these shapes are allowed.

Answer String: Enter the capital letters for the pentominoes sitting in each cell along the indicated long row. Enter as a single string of 14 characters.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00

Solution: PDF