SudoCue

SudoCue - Sudoku Special

 

SudoCue offers you a Sudoku Special puzzle. Each time a different variant will be featured. If you like to see more of this variant, use the contact form to tell me. With enough support, each of these variants can be turned into a weekly or daily feature.

Friday July 13, 2007. Black Friday

We were all shocked by a total forum blackout today. Ten years from now, addicts will still remember this day and ask each other: “Where were you when the forum went down on sudocue.net?”. They may even write a song about the event.

The following Taiken will make sure we never forget! You need some creative moves to solve this puzzle, but it does not require any trial & error.

Erm ... where do I write pencilmarks?

Black Friday Taiken

070049000000000400042800307305100000000030904020007003000080000000001000000300000
000480060007000000804006910000003607903060000500800090000030000000900000000004000
050000000000005000400300000013690000004803007000002310000000000000760000000400000
000000000000090000000000000200409007007506800050807010000000000000000000000000000
000000020000700000000005006000074690400309100087200000000000000000067000000002000
081300000092000000000000000205006000004019070006007300060840000000600000100000000
000008000000000000000200000214000800000001052000023000000030000000100000000800000
000100000000000000000002000005000987710300000000760000000080000000003000000004000
000001780000000690000000000000400806090710400007600500000024030000006000000000008
000200000000003000000070000900067010000000004100048070000090000000006000000700000
000509000000080000000263000124000538000000000975000416000721000000050000000906000
000009000000100000000060000050430006200000000060710003000080000000500000000001000
700000000000600000060340000006002900002039010508001000000000000053000000021500000
000400000000300000000010000000043000000009026593000400000500000000000000000001000
000002000000005000000090000000270000690400000007000132000001000000000000000800000
000000007000008000000047010004800500090210400000900103000000000000000830000006740
000600000000450000000000000000007860006205007027180000500900000000003000090000000
000000000000000000000000000010704090006109300800203004000000000000040000000000000
000008000000092000000000000053200000700405800000079620000007008000800000000000050
000100000000003000000040000060002009000070502907300000059600207000000100070051000
000008000000400000000070000400200050803010000000004201104002580006000000000530010

April 24, 2007. Queens’s Day Special Clueless X

Each April 30, here in Holland we celebrate an ancient tradition: Queens’s Day. Sort of Independance Day without the “in” part. That day, the Queen and her family go visit and pretend to like their subjects who pretend to like them back. Orange is the color of choice on Queen’s Day.

The following puzzle is dedicated to our beloved Queen. It is Big, Orange and Clueless. All constituent Sudokus, including the 22nd Clueless Sudoku in the blue cells, require digits 1 through 9 in both diagonals.

Queens Day Special

000000040000020605094006000000000003005000207002130060000201000000800000000000000
010000000506040000000800410100000000603000900090056200000502000000004000000000000
000090000000000000000060000000000000702000005000000806000006000000000000000079000
000000000000000000000040000000000000800000007003000200000000000000000000000000000
000030000000000000000010000000000000400000506903000000000600000000000000000150000
000000000004000000005094000000005360060009000009000800090070000400003000050940000
000000000000000000000100000001000700000008001000010000000700000000000000000040000
000000000000000000000004000008000400900800000000090000000006000000000000000070000
000000000000000500000510800023900000000100050009000700000020080000600007000091030
000090000000000000000001000000000000004000000000000000000006000000000000000030000
000000000000000000000905000005000600000000000004000900000509000000000000000000000
000020000000000000000300000000000000000000300000000000000700000000000000000060000
040860000500002000060010000001000400030004000000007830006058000009000000000000000
000060000000000000000300000000010000000007004004000600000700000000000000000000000
000050000000000000000002000000060000800300000003000100000008000000000000000000000
000039020000500003000080070005000700000800040064300000000460200000000300000000000
000051000000000000000007000000000107306000004000000000000030000000000000000070000
000000000000000000000000000003000400600000007000000000000020000000000000000000000
000290000000000000000600000502000000100000504000000000000080000000000000000030000
000000000000600000000502000001870020003000806000000005034005000000020904000000050
000000000000004000000706000030081200406000100200000000000500490709040000050000000

April 8, 2007. Easter-X

The Easter Bunnies hid a couple of X in this Easter Special.

Easter-X

April 4, 2007. Mystery Music Killer

A Killer that needs some research done before you can even attempt to solve it. Warning: No compilations were used in the creation of this puzzle.

Mystery Music Killer


A: Michael Bublé - I've Got You Under My Skin
B: Jamiroquai - Mr.Moon + Space Cowboy
C: Christina Aguilera - Still Dirrty
D: Norah Jones - Broken + Little Room
E: Sinéad O'Connor - Thank You for Hearing Me
F: Fiona Apple - Pale September (x 2)
G: Depeche Mode - Goodnight Lovers
H: Justin Timberlake - Right for Me + Still on My Brain
I: Smashing Pumpkins - Age of Innocence
J: Inspiral Carpets - Sackville
K: Oasis - Morning Glory
L: Heather Nova - Verona
M: Snow Patrol - Headlights on Dark Roads
N: Eels - Ant Farm + Hospital Food
O: Skunk Anansie - I'm Not Afraid
P: Prodigy - Climbatize + Mindfields
Q: John Legend - Another Again
R: Mika - Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
S: Massive Attack - Mezzanine + Exchange
T: Everything But the Girl - The Only Living Boy in New York
U: India.Arie - Simple + Nature
V: Rolling Stones - Infamy
W: Blur - This Is a Low
X: Kula Shaker - Tattva + Smart Dogs
Y: Arctic Monkeys - When the Sun Goes Down + From the Ritz to the Rubble
Z: Moloko -Keep Stepping
$: Maria Mena - Calm under the Waves
&: Radiohead - Let Down
#: Katie Melua - Blues In the Night

March 17, 2007. Clueless-Sumo-X

This puzzle has several X-Wings that you may need to complete it.

Get going!

030650000005007000600100000460000000500000030070000400000000000000800000000000000
000060000000302000030000020002000800000000000001000400000000000000000000000000000
000069070000500300000002009000000097090000003002000060000000000000001000000000000
000000000000300000000000000000700036000000074000030008000010000000003000000000000
000000000000006000000000000810009000490000000300040000000060000000500000000000000
040070000060009000810000000480000000000000000670000000720000000030001000090020000
000000000000000000000000000009000700000000000003000800000000000000000000000000000
000080090000900050000000028000000089000000000000000031000000075000200010000050060
000000000000009000000050000000070002000000017000800056000000000000600000000000000
000000000000600000000040000100050000760000000280004000000000000000002000000000000
000000000000300000000000000010000500300000080850000000600700000005009000040680000
000000000000000000000000000007000100000000000002000600020000010000507000000010000
000000000000007000000000000002000060070000008000000027000001009000200700000078030

February 14, 2007. Clueless-Shaolin-X

Another Clueless-Shaolin-X. Even the center Sudoku is Clueless. This is a Valentine-Special...

What are you waiting for? A hint?

073508010000019000108000090007001000000004100290080000000000000002000000400000000
700000000000009103000060007000097000350100904900000000000000000000002000000400000
000000009501800000400060000000750000306009025000000003000000000000200000000005000
060105240000430000080000703000200800008500000000070052000000000000000500000000001
000001000000000000000804000000000070000000000009000000000070000000040000000020000
000000000000000000000010000509000401000000000040000080000000000000000000000030000
000500000000000000000602000090000000000000000000000700000040000000070000000050000
000610000005000000060000000000050000000008000000000008070000000100000000502070000
000000000000900000000000000040000500009000000000090030000000000000020000000000000
000000000000004000000000000004000050000000600090030000000000000000040000000000000
000019000000000800000000030000020000000700000200000000000000050000000003000090702
000700000000000000000001000000000020000000030000000040000002000000000000000300000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000001000000000000000900000020000000070000000050000000000200000000000000000005000
902080000500000000030000000000000007000008000000070000090000000005000000000790000
000000000000090000000000000000050060009000000060000200000000000000900000000000000
000000000000010000000000000070030000000000200006000070000000000000003000000000000
000070506000000003000000080700000000000800000000040000000000070000000800000083000
000030000000060000000020000007000000000000000000000050000603000000000000000004000
000010000000000000000000000040000090000000000509000601000070000000000000000000000
000010000000060000000030000000000400000000000040000000000605000000000000000400000
600000000003000000000000000580020000000005600004001000401000090000032000029107060
000200000000007000000000000200000000360700105000086000000070008000004306900000000
000007000000200000000000000000000003703008056000730000100070000504600000000000005
000000003000000100000000000000090078009600000000700900090000506000930000040801320 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

February 6, 2007. Clueless-Shaolin-X

This is a monster that you will only find on this website, because nobody else has the guts to make such puzzles.

Be warned. Be scared. Be prepared to take on this Clueless-Shaolin-X. 26 interlinked puzzles, number 26 being the combination of the blue boxes. Diagonals also need digits 1 through 9 in all 26 constituent puzzles. And of course, all overlapping regions are clueless...

What are you waiting for? A hint?

730150000000009000809400000008000000007200400045000001000380000503000000010000000
000500000080010003000000400031000600000000930900000002000100000000000000000600000
000006000600080040007000000004000950051000000700000002000005000000000000000002000
000028049000900000000006308000000100006002800400000250000041000000000705000000030
000000000000500000000000000710000000000000580000000000000108000000305000000000000
000000000000000000000000000002000500003000900000000000000050000000148000000000000
000000000000007000000000000000000019032000000000000000000602000000503000000000000
000100000000340000040509000002000000009400020060000089020010000100000000000000000
000100000000094000000000000000000000007005000950000000000000000000030000000809000
000002000000530000000000000000000000000100400000000032000000000000070000000206000
000009000000031000000208030000000400040007300590000020000010090000000003000000000
000000000000008000000000000000000000030000000000000000000000000000002000000000000
000000000000302000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000903000000000000
000000000000700000000000000000000000000000030000000000000000000000400000000000000
000000000700000000030060000020000018007900040004000000080601000000420000000500000
000208000000010000000000000450000000002006000000000000000000000000021000000900000
000408000000030000000000000000000049000200500000000000000000000000380000000001000
000000000000000005000070020420000090080007200000000500000203040000054000000001000
000000000000402000000905000000000000000000830670000000000000000000800000000000000
000000000000791000000080000000000000004000200001000300000000000000000000000000000
000000000000702000000906000000000000095000000000000029000000000000007000000000000
040000000608000000000420000057000006001700800003000000506100000000005000830640000
000200000000000000000300000400000001000000590056000200000000900080090003000700000
000008000000000000000009000100000005085000000003000460004000000900040010000001000
000000010000000408000097000100000680004009300000000100000001209000900000000072063

January 27, 2007. Killer-X

Here is my fourth Killer-X. There are 5 cages with diagonal connections, which completely cover both diagonals. Not an easy Killer.

Killer-X #4

To play this puzzle using SumoCue, download and open this file.

December 16, 2006. Killer-X

Here is my third Killer-X. A combination of Killer and regular Sudoku techniques is required, unless you manage to find a shortcut that I have missed. As usual, the forum welcomes your walkthrough.

Killer-X #3

To play this puzzle using SumoCue, download and open this file.

December 1, 2006. Another first: the Clueless Sumo

Last week I've been perfecting my new program called GattaiMaker. I've already posted several large overlapping puzzles in different Sudoku forums, but the program allows me to build very complex puzzles, far beyond the ones you have seen so far. The Windmill is only a minor variant compared to this Clueless Sumo.

This puzzle is a Sumo combined with a Clueless. There are 13 overlapping Sudokus in Sumo formation. The overlapping boxes are clueless. There is a 14th Sudoku formed by the blue cells. This Sudoku is also completely clueless. The resulting puzzle has 25 empty boxes. It can be solved with basic techniques: singles, locked candidates and subsets.

Clueless-Sumo #1

001000000300700004740089001080000000000000040007000023900020000802000000100037000
000000000920040086087302450800000005700000003006000800000030000000000000000000000
000000100200008009600390082000000090070000000930000500000010004000000701000760005
000170000000020000000406000000002007004700081000950020000000000000280000000090000
000031000000080000000605000400800000390002800080093000000000000000014000000020000
180003000065200000030000000000000000000000410000000000090000000014700000870001000
000000000000010000000908000300000008000000000500000009000209000000080000000000000
000100037000007140000000080000000000031000000000000000000000070000005390000900026
000040000000360000000000000000620050003800091000001002000902000000030000000510000
000060000000013000000000000050092000260005800900100000000907000000020000000084000
700089000502000000300010000006000094000000050090000000650073002200900003007000000
000000000000000000000080000002000500800000001300000007051702380470050012000000000
000850009000000602000070008740000200020000000000000010400390065300008001000000400

November 28, 2006. Introducing the Kazaguruma (Windmill)

Now that the Samurai contest is going, I am honored to introduce to you a new type of overlapping puzzle. This puzzle has 5 overlapping sudokus, like a Samurai, but the overlap is 2 boxes in stead of one. Because the shape reminded me of a windmill, and because I live in Holland, I named this variant Kazaguruma, the Japanese word for windmill. This puzzle can be solved with relatively easy techniques, but you can also use the twin nonets technique to speed things up. You know what to do with those numbers below the puzzle.

Kazaguruma #1

090400870100000009048070200020016000601900084007000600000600000003090100000000000
000090020000002308080130400008010006030009700000007000010500807000040002000070010
600000008090100030000000000000706010000000000010304000000000000030001040400000003
040070000100090000209003010000800000004900030900030400003029040705300000020050000
000000000001040200000003000006000300310004905000930010004090150100000009085001060

November 23, 2006. Asterisk Sudoku

An interesting variant. The blue cells must also contain digits 1 through 9. This variant has been introduced by Peter Sudoku. Brace yourself before you attempt to solve this Asterisk. It requires some unusual solving steps using the extra constraint.

Asterisk Sudoku 1

500000009070030040000409000008704100010000060007602900000103000020040050800000006

November 17, 2006. My First Samurai

I have changed the program that I use to make Clueless puzzles. It can now also make Samurai puzzles. Here is the first result.

Update: You can now join the Samurai Contest. Use this puzzle for training.

Samurai #1

302000704000080000600503009008000400020407030006000100900201000000060000805000000
803000107000060000400802003002000800080901050005000300000105006000080000000000209
000000000000030000000906000002000600090304080008000300000209000000050000000000000
702000000000050000500102000007000100060405070005000600900308007000090000304000902
000000905000010000000608007002000100030201050004000200300407009000060000209000704

November 10, 2006. Mystery Decompression Sudoku

Here is a new type of puzzle, inspired by a post on the Sudoku Programmers forum. The following line represents a Sudoku. The digits are the given numbers and the letters A, B, C and D replace the empty cells. Each letter represents a decompression instruction like “insert 2 empty cells”. The letters have no specific order. That would be too easy. However, to help you on your way, I will give you a hint: The given numbers form a symmetrical pattern.

Thanks to ocean who discovered an error in this string, but found the solution anyway. The error has been fixed.

A9CA37BD4AC1AC1C28BC68A9BC7DC1BCA7A64BA23C6B5AC2BC83AC9

Here is the decompressed Sudoku. The codes were: A=2 empty cells, B=remainder of row empty, C=1 empty cell, D=4 empty cells.

Decompressed Sudoku

009000370000040001000102800068009000070000010000700640002306000500020000083000900

October 27, 2006. Killer-X

Here is my second Killer-X. SumoCue cannot help you solve this killer completely, but I have verified that a solution can be found with a combination of Killer and regular Sudoku techniques. Please post your walkthroughs on the forum.

Killer-X #2

To play this puzzle using SumoCue, download and open this file.

October 13, 2006. Mystery Letter Sudoku

Many people have solved this puzzle by now, thanks to a big hint by Motris. He happens to be a chemist.

This is a little one-off gimmick. To figure out the clues, you need to find a way to convert the letters into numbers. People who enjoyed my Celebrity Killer may think this is similar, but not so. Use the forum if you want to share your insights with fellow addicts. Once you know how to convert the letters into numbers, the Sudoku can be solved with moderate techniques. If nobody has found an answer in a week, I will post a small hint. Good luck with this one!

Mystery Letter Sudoku

October 12, 2006. Sukaku

I have a new program that can generate a very interesting variant of Sudoku. It is not new, but I’ve given it a new name.

Suuji Kakure
Suuji-Kakure

This translates into: “The digits are hidden”. Following an ancient Japanese tradition, I will call it Sukaku.

Complete the puzzle in such a way that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains digits 1 through 9. Sounds familiar? In a Sukaku, there are no digits placed in the grid. Instead I will give you a grid with possibilities. Because there are no given numbers, the puzzle can be more difficult than the hardest Sudoku you've ever seen. This puzzle is not too difficult. I found some real baddies, which cannot be solved by some of the best solvers, which I will publish at a later date. The solution is below the puzzle in tiny text.

Sukaku #1

846923157327581946915746832579138264284657319163492785492315678738264591651879423

If you want to use SudoCue to help you solve this puzzle, you need version 2.0.0.5 or higher. Earlier versions cannot handle grids without any clues. The following grid can be copied to the clipboard. You can then paste it into SudoCue.

.---------------------------.---------------------------.---------------------------.
| 148      2467     3467    | 3569     23479    13      | 123569   13589    179     |
| 1236     12456789 1379    | 345      148      12589   | 1235689  234589   12468   |
| 3679     125      1459    | 1245789  4589     469     | 5678     237      258     |
:---------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------:
| 1245     2579     1249    | 12567    3567     13568   | 1236     13456789 1467    |
| 245      2568     34      | 3456     45789    247     | 13       135      23489   |
| 138      1368     13479   | 12345679 45689    126     | 1234789  14678    569     |
:---------------------------+---------------------------+---------------------------:
| 49       12469    1248    | 234      1234578  356     | 24569    2678     12458   |
| 346789   348      389     | 234569   567      469     | 156      1379     126     |
| 125689   23579    13456   | 38       12357    379     | 1248     238      23      |
'---------------------------'---------------------------'---------------------------'

October 5, 2006. Killer-X

The new Special is a Killer-X with a dazzling cage pattern. The are no single innies or outies. There are no pairs of innies or outies. There are plenty of triple innies and outies. 3 is the magic number. Do not forget the diagonals. They may help.

Killer-X #1

To play this puzzle using SumoCue, download and open this file.

September 28, 2006. Crossword Killer 2

Dear diary. I have created a second Crossword Killer. No need to explain the rules again to those poor addicts. The 9 letter word should not be too difficult to guess, but if they cannot find it, they’d better not attempt to solve the puzzle. Although the set of letters were tempting me, I resisted using unseemly words in the puzzle.

Crossword Killer #2

To play this puzzle using SumoCue, download and open this file.

September 15, 2006. Crossword Killer 1

The variant is a Crossword Killer. This puzzle is a mix of Killer Sudoku and Word Finder. Only a part of the 9x9 grid is covered with cages. The numbers in these cages must add up to the given sum. The cells which are not covered by cages must contain valid English words. For instance, there is a horizontal word of 4 letters in row 1, sharing the first letter with a vertical word of 8 letters in column 2. The normal Sudoku rules also apply, where you must use the number assigned to each letter. Without the Killer part, you cannot find the words. Without the words, you cannot solve the Killer part. The interaction between these 2 parts makes it one of the most challenging Sudoku variants.

Crossword Killer #1

To play this puzzle using SumoCue, download and open this file.

September 8, 2006. 12x12 Sudoku DG

The variant for September 8, 2006 is a 12x12 Sudoku with Disjoint Groups. The given numbers have horizontal and vertical symmetry, which fits nicely with this format. You need more than just singles to solve it. The Disjoint Groups constraint may not be familiar to you. Every cell that has the same relative position in each 3x4 box must contain a different number. This extra constraint helps you solve the puzzle, but it is very hard to check, certainly in such a large puzzle.

  B 
EF D
    
 FK 
    
    
 G  
I CB
    
IK  
H   
    
    
 JB 
H  D
  DL
   F
    
    
A   
CE  
A  F
 HJ 
    
    
   E
  BH
    
DC A
  H 
    
    
 IC 
    
K LG
 F  

The following line is a coded string for the puzzle. Below that is the solution in tiny text:

..B..FK..G..EF.D....I.CB............IK........DLH....JB....F....H..D........A..F....A....HJ....ECE........BH............DC.A....K.LG..H..IC..F..

LIBCDFKEHGAJEFKDJGAHILCBJHAGICLBEDFKIKCBEAFGJHDLHADLCJBKGIEFGJEFHLIDABKCKBLHAEGFCJIDADFIBHJCLKGECEGJLKDIFABHFLJKGDEABCHIDCIAFBHJKELGBGHEKICLDFJA

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