PDF

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: Fields

Author/Opus: This is the 475th puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Aqre rules: Shade some cells so that all shaded cells form one connected group. Regions with numbers must contain the indicated count of shaded cells, and it is allowed to shade over the numbered cells. There may not exist a run of four or more consecutive shaded or unshaded cells horizontally or vertically anywhere in the grid.

Difficulty: 1.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:45, Expert = 3:30

Solution: PDF and solving animation.

Note: Follow this link for more Aqre puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Aqre to get started on. More Aqre puzzles can be found in these books in our e-store.

Note 2: Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our week-0-discussion thread on the GMPuzzles Discord. If you are not yet part of this Discord community, use this link.

The Season 4 preview week starts with this “warm-up” Aqre puzzle by Murat Can Tonta with a Rectangles theme. The warm-up puzzles have blue stars at the top and use the same 1-5 star system as other puzzles on the site. Most warm-up puzzles will be 1 to 1.5 stars with a couple 2 star examples here and there.

PDF

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: Rectangles

Author/Opus: This is the 290th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Aqre rules: Shade some cells so that all shaded cells form one connected group. Regions with numbers must contain the indicated count of shaded cells, and it is allowed to shade over the numbered cells. There may not exist a run of four or more consecutive shaded or unshaded cells horizontally or vertically anywhere in the grid.

Difficulty: 1 star

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:20, Master = 0:30, Expert = 1:00

Solution: PDF and solving animation.

Note: Follow this link for more Aqre puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Aqre to get started on. More Aqre puzzles can be found in these books in our e-store.

Note 2: Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our week-0-discussion thread on the GMPuzzles Discord. If you are not yet part of this Discord community, use this link.

We’re back for a fourth season of our elegant hand-crafted logic puzzles on Grandmaster Puzzles. This next week will be a free preview of what a subscription week is like. From Monday to Saturday there will be 2 daily puzzles, starting with a warm-up puzzle on the easier end and then a regular puzzle (scaling difficulty through the week). During the season itself, the warm-up puzzle will be free for everyone but the regular puzzle will be for subscribers only.

Subscribers will also get access to a Sunday Surprise every week, things like larger puzzles, extra hard stumpers, puzzle hunt puzzles, experiments with new genres, contests, and more. All puzzles have digital solving options and PDF files, as well as solution animations to help you understand steps where you might get stuck.

The schedule for the free preview week is:
Monday: Aqre
Tuesday: Math Path
Wednesday: Yajilin
Thursday: Star Battle
Friday: Fillomino (Non-consecutive)
Saturday: Consecutive Pairs Sudoku
Sunday: Masyu (giant but gentle)

Starting next Monday, the main puzzles will be for subscribers only. Subscriptions to Season 4 are $12 (only $4 per month) for about 100 puzzles.

We also have a special deal for people who purchase before the end of September: Get up to $4 off any other book/subscription on the GMPuzzles store by adding that item to the same cart when you purchase Season 4. This is a great way to pick up another GMPuzzles book, like our Starter Pack for Star Battle, or to catch up on prior subscriptions where you’ll be able to get access to all puzzles and blog posts right away.