... by: Ilmars

PS.

For the puzzle with 31 clues - 22/21/7
For the puzzle with 30 clues - 19/19/13

... 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

... 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