The Puzzle Robot #9 – Tapa
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.)
Theme: 4×4 Clueless Square
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 entry from the next with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 3:45, Expert = 7:30
Solution: PDF
One way or another I managed to be stuck on the left hand side for a significant amount of time.
The logic on the left (assuming you’ve done the bottom corners first) is that the ‘bottom’ strand has to squeeze between the 4 and the 13 to connect to the rest.
Nice theme Serkan, you’ve inspired me to look at the 5×5 options: that can be interesting too. 🙂
🙂 I didn’t try before getting the 4×4 or 5×5 emptiness. But I would like to get involved in “how to get bigger emptiness in Tapa competition” James 🙂
4×4 clueless areas in the centre are common. 8 of my recent tapas have them, and one of those has 3 empty areas of that size across the main diagonal(2×2 corners overlapping).
5×5 and larger could be a thing to explore.
Tapa with 5×5 holes are quite doable too. This one, for example:
http://anuragthefirst.blogspot.in/2013/09/puzzle-261-tapa.html
The current posted form of that puzzle has 14 solutions. Only in the one where the 6 on the left side avoids the top and top-left squares is the middle uniquely specified. The other 13 potential solutions avoid the right and top-right squares and have too much flexibility in the 5×5 group. So with another clue on the outside edge you can fulfill the 5×5 challenge. Or you can just turn that 6 into a 5 on the left. That seems easiest. But yes, with tweaks, you’ve shown a big middle group with the Tapa extending into the group is quite possible.
Thanks.