[This puzzle comes from the 2022 US Sudoku Grand Prix round. This puzzle is the last of three classic Sudoku that did not have a visual theme, however (spoiler for hidden theme and solving path) the digit eight is still a key part of the theme. This is a “just one cell” type Sudoku, one of my trademarks, where the first move is very limited and I’m 99% sure your first digit placement will be an eight in box 8 even if you’ll find it by thinking of other numbers first.]

PDF

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

Theme: Hidden Theme

Author/Opus: This is the 435th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Estimated Difficulty: 3 stars

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 our e-store, including in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

[This puzzle comes from the 2022 US Sudoku Grand Prix round. This puzzle is the second of three classic Sudoku that did not have a visual theme, however (spoiler for hidden theme and solving path) the digit eight is still a key part of the theme, one of three isolated digits in their rows/columns that are part of several X-wing patterns in the grid; in this case the eight is not as key initially as the other numbers but it still highlights a way to look at the grid and make progress.]

PDF

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

Theme: Hidden Theme

Author/Opus: This is the 434th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Estimated Difficulty: 3 stars

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 our e-store, including in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

[This puzzle comes from the 2022 US Sudoku Grand Prix round. This puzzle is the first of three classic Sudoku that did not have a visual theme, however (spoiler for hidden theme and solving path) the digit eight is still a key part of the theme, one of a pair of digits that sets up a lot of pointing pairs in the grid at the start. You can get the center number — an eight — by following just the one number through four symmetric pointing pairs.]

PDF

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

Theme: Hidden Theme

Author/Opus: This is the 433rd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Estimated Difficulty: 2.5 stars

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 our e-store, including in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

[This puzzle comes from the 2022 US Sudoku Grand Prix round. This puzzle continues the “eight” theming by combining a visual theme (two clear eights in the grid) with an unusual parity-based split of the digits that sets up different kinds of deductions to get odds on the right side of the grid and evens on the left side.]

PDF

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

Theme: Odd and Even

Author/Opus: This is the 432nd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Estimated Difficulty: 2.5 stars

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 our e-store, including in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

[This puzzle comes from the 2022 US Sudoku Grand Prix round written entirely by me. This puzzle demonstrates another visual approach to an “eight” theme. While there are no 8s in the grid, all the givens appear in clear two by four block groups which is a pattern that sets up some nice if easy geometric deductions.]

PDF

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

Theme: Two by Fours

Author/Opus: This is the 431st puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Estimated Difficulty: 2 stars

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 our e-store, including in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

[This puzzle comes from the 2022 Sudoku Grand Prix round written by me, which was the eighth round that ran in early August including 8/8. The round used a theme of “eight” across all the puzzles. This easy classic Sudoku has a strong visual theme with just three given digits, two eights in the corners and a big “eight” made out of other numbers only.]

PDF

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

Theme: Three Eights

Author/Opus: This is the 430th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Estimated Difficulty: 2 stars

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 our e-store, including in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Continuing another long-running tradition, we have a new Kurotto puzzle from Prasanna Seshadri marking his 32nd birthday.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

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

Theme: 32 on 3/2/23

Author/Opus: This is the 250th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Kurotto rules. Also, numbers outside the grid show the number of separate shaded cells visible in that direction. A segment of length N in a given direction is taken as a building of height N. Buildings of height N block the view of all buildings behind them of equal or lesser height.

See also this example:

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 18:00, Expert = 36:00

Solution: To be added by next Sunday.

Note: Follow this link for classic Kurotto puzzles and this link for variations on Kurotto puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Kurotto to get started on. More Kurotto puzzles can be found in the ebook Kurotto by Prasanna Seshadri.

See these earlier posts 1, 2, and 3 for the other Microsoft Puzzle Hunt challenges

Puzzle PDF

Author/Opus: This is the 433rd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Hints:
1. How do I get started? Pbafvqre gur fvatyr pryy ahzorerq fdhnerf dhvgr pnershyyl gb uryc svther bhg jung xvaq bs chmmyr guvf vf.
2. How do I solve this? Guvf vf n UVQNGB chmmyr jvgu ahzrevpny pbafgenvagf nf va n GbzGbz/Pnyphqbxh npebff pryyf. Sbe rknzcyr, gur 8÷ pntr pbagnvaf n 3 naq 24 (nf 24/3 = 8).
3. How do I get a final answer? Gur sbhe ? fdhnerf pbagnva gur inyhrf 46, 73, 85, naq 97 va fbzr beqre. Ohg gurfr inyhrf jba’g or nf vzcbegnag gb svavfu gur chmmyr nf gur cngu gb trg guebhtu gurz.

Solution: PDF

Answer String: Enter the final answer (a word or phrase) in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS without spaces to confirm. There may be intermediate answer phrases that are not the final answer; our answer checker is not able to send the message “Keep going” like the Microsoft Hunt solving software does so if you do not see what you expect, treat it like “Keep going” and potentially send an email to us or watch out for hints.

See these earlier posts 1, 2 for the other Microsoft Puzzle Hunt challenges

Puzzle PDF

Author/Opus: This is the 432nd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Hints (in rot13):
1. How do I get started? Gurfr ner bcrengvbayrff GbzGbz/XraXra chmmyrf, rnpu jvgu n havdhr vagrtre frg gnxvat svir inyhrf sebz 1-25 naq ab inyhr funerq npebff tevqf.
2. I’m stumped. How do I break into the puzzles? Znal pyhrf ner cynlshyyl qrprcgvir. 49 qbrf ybbx yvxr 7 gvzrf 7 gvzrf 1. Ohg vg pna nyfb or bgure fhzf yvxr 2K cyhf 2K cyhf L. Nyy guerr 49 pntrf va gurfr nafjref unir n ercrngrq ahzore. Vg znl nyfb uryc gb xabj gur bcrengvbaf sebz yrsg gb evtug va gur frpbaq ebjf ner {+, +, ×}, {+, ×, +}, {+, ×, -}, {-, +, ×}, naq {÷, +, -} va fbzr beqrevat bs gur tevqf.
3. How do I get a final answer? Juvyr gur tevqf ner tvira va {1,?,?,?,?} gb {5,?,?,?,?} beqre — jryy {1,7,8,14,17} gb {5,9,10,13,22} beqre — fbzrguvat ryfr va gur tevqf jvyy freir nf n orggre jnl gb svaq n bar-gb-svir beqrevat urer. Ybbx ng gur fnzr cbfvgvbaf jura ernqvat npebff tevqf ng gur raq gb trg n urycshy vafgehpgvba.

Solution: PDF

Answer String: Enter the final answer (a word or phrase) in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS without spaces to confirm. There may be intermediate answer phrases that are not the final answer; our answer checker is not able to send the message “Keep going” like the Microsoft Hunt solving software does so if you do not see what you expect, treat it like “Keep going” and potentially send an email to us or watch out for hints.

Puzzle PDF

Author/Opus: This is the 431st puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Hints: (in rot13):
1. What are these strange puzzle types? Gurl’er glcrf bs ybtvp chmmyrf. Vs lbh frnepu sbe gurve anzrf ba guvf fvgr, gurer ner qrfpevcgvbaf, ubj gb fbyir thvqrf, naq rira ivqrbf.
2. How do I get started? Frira chmmyr glcrf jvgu whfg fvk tevqf? Lbh’yy svefg jnag gb svther bhg ubj rnpu tevq pna havdhryl fbyir nf whfg bar bs gubfr chmmyr glcrf, naq guebhtu fbyivat gur chmmyr vqragvsl gur ? inyhrf juvpu, va nyy pnfrf, ner abg arrqrq gb svaq gur fbyhgvba rkprcg sbe gur snpg gurl ner n pyhr pryy naq va fbzr fglyrf pnaabg or funqrq bire be orybat jvgu nabgure pyhr va na vfynaq/erpgnatyr.
3. How do I figure out which puzzle is which type? Gur tevqf jvgu gur srjrfg pyhrf ner Ahevxnor naq Fuvxnxh naq gur tevq jvgu gur zbfg pyhrf vf n Svyybzvab. Gur erznvavat guerr ner fcyvg npebff Pnir, Xhebznfh, naq Xhebggb. N xrl ybtvpny qrqhpgvba sbe Pnir vf gung lbh pna arire svyy va n purpxreobneq yvxr 2k2 cnggrea bs oynpx naq juvgr fdhnerf (be ryfr lbh jvyy ivbyngr gur pbaarpgvivgl ehyrf). Fb sbphf ba fbzr bs gur 2 pyhrf jvgu qvntbanyyl nqwnprag arvtuobef gb vqragvsl juvpu chmmyr zhfg or gur Pnir.
4. Which puzzle is which type? Sebz hccre yrsg gb ybjre evtug, gur chmmyr glcrf ner: Ahevxnor, Xhebggb; Xhebznfh, Pnir; Svyybzvab; Fuvxnxh.
5. How do I solve the bottom one on the left? Gur obggbz bar ba gur yrsg vf n Svyybzvab chmmyr. Vg znl or n irel uneq chmmyr gb fbyir hagvy lbh erpbtavmr gur tvira pyhrf nyernql nppbhag sbe ng yrnfg 30 (fvk svirf) + 30 (svir fvkrf) + 21 (guerr friraf) pryyf jbegu bs cbylbzvab tebhcf.
6. How do I get a final answer? Gur dhrfgvba znexf va gur qvssrerag tevqf jvyy fgnaq sbe {1,1,6}, {1,2,3,4}, {2,2,3,4}, {2,3,3,5}, {3,3,4,6}, naq {5,6,6,7} juvpu znl uryc vs lbh unir whfg n pbhcyr yrsg hafbyirq. Hfr gurfr inyhrf gb perngr gur 7gu zvffvat chmmyr, gura fbyir vg.

Solution: PDF

Answer String: Enter the final answer (a word or phrase) in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS without spaces to confirm. There may be intermediate answer phrases that are not the final answer; our answer checker is not able to send the message “Keep going” like the Microsoft Hunt solving software does so if you do not see what you expect, treat it like “Keep going” and potentially send an email to us or watch out for hints.

[Note: The remaining two Microsoft Puzzle Hunt puzzles will be released on upcoming future Sundays (starting Jan 29) since these are involved puzzles to solve and harder than our usual weekday content.]