... by: David Filmer MA (Cantab) david@flockman.com

Wedding Sudoku: Grade 1 and only 30 clues!

Hello Andrew and fellow Sudoku creators.

It's my 55th Wedding Anniversary and a wet Saturday morning, so I am submitting one of several Sudokus I did that beat previous winners as under: -

..6..87.4
518.2....
....395..
..5...8.6
9.4.1...3
.7.4.2.1.
....97.6.
.8.......
4375.....

This can also be set out as follows:

..6..87.4518.2........395....5...8.69.4.1...3.7.4.2.1.....97.6..8.......4375.....

I have been working with Mats Anderbok (also a previous winner) on a simple method of solving gentle sudokus using a strategy advocated by the late Michael Mepham. Instead of normal computer methods, this works like a human where one cell is solved AND ENTERED at a time. I worked out the logic and Mats made an excellent job of the programming in just 2 days! An advantage is that no "Candidate numbers" are entered: the correct solution is entered directly.

The following print out shows how, and the order in which, each of the 51 blank cells is solved

KEY

[31,1] to [81,1]
"[31-81" shows the first/last cell solved : ",1]" shows the grade to date

SS1 (Subset) Total 6. SS1=Col 1-3: 3=Col 7-9: 4=Row A-C: 6=Row G-J

V0-V3: No of times a number occurs in a subset.V3=3:V2=2:V1=1:V0=0

You will see from the following, that the Grade on this method is also 1.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[31,1] SS1 V2: A intercept, B2 occupied: SOLUTION: 4 (C2)
[32,1] SS1 V2: J intercept, H2 occupied: SOLUTION: 5 (G2)
[33,1] SS1 V2: A intercept, B1 occupied: SOLUTION: 7 (C1)
[34,1] SS1 V2: D intercept, E1 occupied: SOLUTION: 8 (F1)
[35,1] SS1 V1: E,F intercept, D3 occupied: SOLUTION: 1 (D1)
[36,1] SS1 V1: C intercept, A3,B1,B3 occupied: SOLUTION: 3 (A1)
[37,1] SS1 V1: E,1 intercept, D3 occupied: SOLUTION: 3 (F3)
[38,1] SS1 V1: D intercept, E1,F1,F2 occupied: SOLUTION: 6 (E2)
[39,1] SS1 V1: G,2 intercept, J1 occupied: SOLUTION: 6 (H1)
[40,1] SS1 V1: C intercept, A3,B2,B3 occupied: SOLUTION: 9 (A2)
[41,1] SS1 V1: G,2 intercept, J3 occupied: SOLUTION: 9 (H3)
[42,1] SS1 V0: B intercept, A1,A2,A3,C1,C2 filled: SOLUTION: 2 (C3)
[43,1] SS1 V0: F,3 intercept, D1,E1,E2 occupied: SOLUTION: 2 (D2)
[44,1] SS1 V0: 2,3 intercept, H1,J1 occupied: SOLUTION: 2 (G1)
[45,1] SS1 V2: No intercept, H3,J3 occupied: SOLUTION: 1 (G3)
[46,1] SS2 V2: G intercept, J4 occupied: SOLUTION: 2 (H4)
[47,1] SS2 V2: E intercept, F4 occupied: SOLUTION: 9 (D4)
[48,1] SS2 V1: E,F intercept, D4 occupied: SOLUTION: 3 (D6)
[49,1] SS2 V1: J,6 intercept, H4 occupied: SOLUTION: 3 (G4)
[50,1] SS2 V1: A,C intercept, B5 occupied: SOLUTION: 4 (B6)
[51,1] SS2 V1: J,6 intercept, G5 occupied: SOLUTION: 4 (H5)
[52,1] SS2 V1: B,C intercept, A6 occupied: SOLUTION: 5 (A5)
[53,1] SS2 V1: D,5 intercept, F6 occupied: SOLUTION: 5 (E6)
[54,1] SS2 V1: A,C intercept, B5 occupied: SOLUTION: 7 (B4)
[55,1] SS2 V1: F,4 intercept, E5 occupied: SOLUTION: 7 (D5)
[56,1] SS2 V1: D,F intercept, E5 occupied: SOLUTION: 8 (E4)
[57,1] SS2 V1: H,4 intercept, G5 occupied: SOLUTION: 8 (J5)
[58,1] SS2 V0: D,E intercept, F4,F6 occupied: SOLUTION: 6 (F5)
[59,1] SS2 V0: A,5 intercept, B4,B6,C6 occupied: SOLUTION: 6 (C4)
[60,1] SS2 V0: G,H,4,5 intercept: SOLUTION: 6 (J6)
[61,1] SS2 V1: B intercept, A6,C4,C6 occupied: SOLUTION: 1 (A4)
[62,1] SS2 V1: G,4 intercept, J6 occupied: SOLUTION: 1 (H6)
[63,1] SS3 V2: A,C intercept: SOLUTION: 6 (B7)
[64,1] SS3 V1: A,B intercept, C7 occupied: SOLUTION: 1 (C9)
[65,1] SS3 V1: G,H,9 intercept: SOLUTION: 1 (J7)
[66,1] SS3 V1: A,C intercept, B7 occupied: SOLUTION: 3 (B8)
[67,1] SS3 V1: G,J,8 intercept: SOLUTION: 3 (H7)
[68,1] SS3 V1: E,F intercept, D7 occupied: SOLUTION: 4 (D8)
[69,1] SS3 V1: H,J,8 intercept: SOLUTION: 4 (G7)
[70,1] SS3 V1: D,E intercept, F8 occupied: SOLUTION: 5 (F9)
[71,1] SS3 V1: G,J,9 intercept: SOLUTION: 5 (H8)
[72,1] SS3 V1: D,F intercept, E9 occupied: SOLUTION: 7 (E8)
[73,1] SS3 V1: G,J,8 intercept: SOLUTION: 7 (H9)
[74,1] SS3 V1: A,B intercept, C9 occupied: SOLUTION: 8 (C8)
[75,1] SS3 V1: H,J,8 intercept: SOLUTION: 8 (G9)
[76,1] SS3 V0: B,C intercept, A7,A9 occupied: SOLUTION: 2 (A8)
[77,1] SS3 V0: D,F,8 intercept, E9 occupied: SOLUTION: 2 (E7)
[78,1] SS3 V0: G,H,7,8 intercept: SOLUTION: 2 (J9)
[79,1] SS3 V0: A,C intercept, B7,B8 occupied: SOLUTION: 9 (B9)
[80,1] SS3 V0: D,E,9 intercept, F8 occupied: SOLUTION: 9 (F7)
[81,1] SS3 V0: G,H,7,9 intercept: SOLUTION: 9 (J8)

... by: David Filmer

In your introduction to this competition you say "I'd be happy to list equal winners".
May I therefore submit the following, which also has a grade of 3.
.1.34.56.....2..14.675.........5...767.41.3.583...9........8....91.7..4225....9.6
Will Gibson's entry solves in 4 rounds when you click on "Take Step". In turn, the 4 steps solve 14, 11, 18 and 6 cells.
If you do the same for my entry, the 4 steps solve 14, 22, 12 and 1 cell in turn, so in that respect, I think that mine is easier although the grade is the same. I have produced a Sudoku which grades 2, but it has 33 clues, so breaks the rules. I am still struggling to find a Grade 2 Sudoku with 32 clues!
David Filmer