Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #66 – Tapa (Pentomino)
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the composite Yajilin mode where left click marks cells, right click marks dots in cells or X’s on edges, left click+drag draws lines.)
This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Pentapa
Rules: Standard Tapa rules. Also, the Tapa wall in this puzzle is made using one of each pentomino given below the grid with no overlaps. Rotations and reflections are allowed. (Note: There is no P pentomino here because it would violate Tapa rules).
Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:30, Master = 11:00, Expert = 22:00
Solution: PDF
11:48. *Maybe* would have beaten Master time if I had realized I had already placed the W piece, but that probably would have only saved me 15 seconds or so. Nice logic, though I had to bifurcate progressively around the 4 to get unstuck at one point.
A very nice puzzle. After a few false starts I got the feel of the puzzle that I can do the rest of it reasonably quickly.
The pentominoes work nicely with Tapa. I especially like how the top right corner and the bottom fill in.
I wonder if a slightly different variation in which you *allowed* the P pentomino, and that was the only place where the 2×2 rule was violated, would make an interesting puzzle.
So if i read the rules right there would be totally 55 shaded squares in the grid and these can be sliced into the respective pentominoes given?
Yes. Not only that, as in the domino puzzle, you will have to use the fact that the squares form pentominos during the solve, and swap back and forth between pentomino rules and tapa rules.
08:52.
Wonderfully done, although because of speedsolving I didn’t really think for the final four pentominoes; when I got that it fits I immediately went through it and stopped the clock. It takes some bifurcation around the 5-1 clue, but I think that’s when the pentomino rule shines. (The 4 and the ending are the next two places where the pentomino rule also applies nicely.)
close to 30 mins.
Thought i was doomed again when i got stuck just before placing the M shaped and the long vertical pentominos.
Then suddenly got that ‘Doctor’s spirit into me moment’and asked myself where can the long vertical pentomino go and there were only 2 places that it could go viz the top right and bottom middle.I visualised in the bottom middle and could not get it to work .There was one unconnected square.So I placed it in the to top right and immediately got the M shaped pentomino placed as a result and then the Plus shaped ,L shaped and Z shaped came in a jiffy!.
Lovely puzzle.But until the very last pentomino was placed i was always doubtful whether a certain pentomino could be thought as another pentomino and that would in turn give rise to different arrangement of pentominoes.
How about others?Were you guys always confident as to which pentomino it would be or it was slightly shaky?