PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Four-leaf Clover (Note: This puzzle was one of the qualifying round puzzles from this year’s Arlington Puzzle Festival)

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 5:15, Expert = 10:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Logical

Rules: Standard LITS 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 = 1:15, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00

Solution: PDF

Last week’s puzzles are grouped together in this PDF.

We’ve been having some harder puzzles recently, particularly as the number of new types (including WPC practice puzzles) has been high. This week will probably be no different and has certainly tested as having harder than usual puzzles on many of the days. Here are the puzzles you can expect from Monday to Saturday this week (highlight to view):
Monday – LITS by Grant Fikes
Tuesday – Sudoku by Thomas Snyder
Wednesday – Pentomino Coral Variation by Palmer Mebane
Thursday – Tren by Serkan Yürekli
Friday – Graffiti (Loop) by Serkan Yürekli
Saturday – Pentomino Coral Variation by Palmer Mebane

(View image directly for larger form.)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use Tab to alternate between number entry and shading)

Theme: String Lengths

Rules: Variation of Nurikabe and Scrabble/Criss-Cross puzzles.

Place the 12 number strings into the grid, reading from left to right or from top to bottom, so they are all connected criss-cross style and also form a valid Nurikabe ocean. No unlisted string can appear anywhere, not even two-character ones, and the strings do not occupy any 2×2 area. The remaining white cells are part of islands as in a Nurikabe puzzle. Each island is represented by one number in the grid which equals its size in cells.

Or see this example from the 22nd WPC instruction booklet.

Answer String: For each column from left to right, enter the total count of zeroes from the entered strings. Enter the result as a single string (eg “401120…”)

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:00, Master = 15:00, Expert = 30:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Nothing Important

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using digits from 1-6.

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:15, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic TomTom. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest TomTom to get started on.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: GM Puzzles

Rules: Standard Statue Park 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 = 4:00, Master = 6:00, Expert = 12:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a letter entry mode.)

Theme: Logical

Rules: Variation of Fillomino rules where regions with the same shape must avoid each other instead of regions with the same size (all regions in a pentominous puzzle are pentominoes).

Specifically, divide the grid into 20 pentominoes so that no two pentominoes of the same shape (including rotations/reflections) share an edge. A cell with a letter in it must be part of the pentomino shape normally associated with that letter as given below the grid. Not all pentomino shapes need appear.

Answer String: Enter the letter associated with the pentomino occupying each cell in the two marked rows from left to right, separating the rows with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS!

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools using a composite mode where left click inside cell shades square, left click + drag draws line segment, right click inside cell adds dot, and right click on cell edge adds an x; an additional shading mode is available by hitting the tab button if that is preferred.)

Theme: Hidden

Rules: Blacken some cells and then draw a single non-intersecting loop through all remaining white cells. Outside clues indicate the size of all groups of blackened cells in that row or column in order. There must be at least one white cell between each of these groups. When no clues are given, any number of cells may be shaded in that row/column. Or see here.

Answer String: For each column from left to right, enter the number of turns the loop makes. Enter your result as a single string (eg “202204…”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:45, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Logical (Note: This puzzle was one of the qualifying round puzzles from this year’s Arlington Puzzle Festival)

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Last week’s puzzles are grouped together in this PDF.

Here are the puzzles you can expect from Monday to Saturday this week (highlight to view):
Monday – Sudoku by Thomas Snyder
Tuesday – Loop Variation by Serkan Yürekli
Wednesday – Fillomino Variation (Pentominous) by Grant Fikes
Thursday – Statue Park by Palmer Mebane
Friday – TomTom by Tom Collyer
Saturday – Nurikabe + Word Variation by Palmer Mebane