... by: Ilmars
PS.For the puzzle with 31 clues - 22/21/7
For the puzzle with 30 clues - 19/19/13
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Just for fun and kudos, I am holding a competition for the 'easiest Sudoku puzzle'. Many people like to try their hand at creating Sudoku puzzles - and it's a fun process. But sometimes when you are searching for a difficult puzzle a dead easy one pops out. Now, instead of throwing it away, perhaps it can find a little glory on this page.
The rules are simple: The puzzle must have
1) a single solution and
2) a maximum of 32 clues
3) beat the Sudoku Solver's 'Easiest Sudoku" - which scores 8. The grading must occur before you press "Take Step".
To be the current winner your puzzle must demonstrate a smaller grade (although I'd be happy to list equal winners). UPDATE: . Since 2 is concievably the lowest score, new winners will have to have less clues that than the current winner.
I'm very pleased to start this competition with an entry from Eric Cole in Oregon, USA, which scores 7. I have recieved excellent contributions from Will Gibson, David Filmer and Mats Anderbok. You can load their puzzles by clicking on them:
Joint Winner 15th June 2010, (Score 2, 31 clues), David Filmer
2...5..48
5713.....
...96..7.
...2381..
86.1....9
7......52
489..7...
.3.64.2..
..5......
Joint Winner 7th May 2010, (Score 3, 31 clues), Ilmars Cirulis
6.....9.1
5286....3
...547..2
914...6..
.6.2.8...
.7...9..5
......187
..3.5..4.
29.8.....
Winner 25th October 2009, (Score 3, 31 clues), David Filmer
8...62.5.
539.8.7..
....3.14.
621.....3
.7....4..
..5....9.
...9..872
248..1...
3...5.6..
Winner 10th October 2009, (Score 4), Mats Anderbok
4..2..95.
83..6.7..
.6.1....2
7.5..8.2.
...432...
.....9168
6.....391
24.5...8.
.1..7....
Honourable Mention: 21st February 2011, (Score 7), Klaus Brenner
.....9...
.5...317.
.98..6.23
.....49.7
4..571..2
7.38.....
53.9..71.
.241...5.
...3.....Winner 5th June 2009, (Score 7), Will Gibson
7......98
.9162..74
.4..3....
.3..9....
.123.456.
....6..2.
....7..4.
37..4561.
85......9Winner 29th May 2009, (Score 8), Tobias Santschi
...967..1
.4.3...8.
.2.....7.
173....9.
...8.35.6
5...1....
..4..51..
9.5...2.7
83.621..4
Winner 18th May 2009, (Score 7), Will Gibson
1234.....5..8..26.8..7..91.4371...................6489.12..3..7.86..5..2.....7896First Winner (Score 9), Eric Cole , 6th May 2009
3..967..1
.4.3.2.8.
.2.....7.
.7.....9.
...873...
5...1...3
..47.51..
9.5...2.7
8..621..4Send your entries to me via the Feedback form.
Best of luck!
Andrew Stuart
Comments
Comments - Talk Friday 5-Nov-2010For the puzzle with 31 clues - 22/21/7 For the puzzle with 30 clues - 19/19/13 Friday 5-Nov-2010... by: Ilmars--- At first, something for fun.The puzzle 014000000009700605080002730205001004070050000600397008000680310097400080000005029 (with 32 clues) is solved in three rounds by solver - with number of solved cells in each 22/23/4. Can someone find a puzzle with 32 clues which can be solved in two rounds? --- Next... How exactly are calculated the simplicity (grade) of such simple puzzles which can be solved only by solved cells? I feel such lack of knowledge not good for searching of easiest puzzles and also not good for confidence about precisity of grader. I feeling confused. --- Finally, the grader got flu or something similar. Now the easiest puzzles have grade no 1, but 13 or similar. I hope that it is change only in number, not in diference between two puzzles (i mean, one puzzle is harder than another both with old grader and the "new"). Also because I found puzzle with 30 clues and "new" grade 11 - which is better than puzzle of David. :) But it is more for fun, not for founding really easiest puzzle - yes, because I'm confused about calculation of grade. --- PS. I will post also puzzles for 31 and 30 clues which have fewest rounds (solving by solver) and bigger number of cells in first rounds. Again for fun - who can make better? :) -- 31 clues -- 014000000009700605080002730205001074000000000600397008000680310097400080000005029 -- 30 clues -- 014500000009700605080002730205001004000000000600397008000680310007400080003000029 Saturday 21-Aug-2010... by: David Filmer MA (Cantab) david@flockman.comWedding 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) Saturday 26-Sep-2009... by: David FilmerIn 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 |
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