Archive for the ‘Puzzle’ Category:

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #145 – Battleships

Battleships by Thomas Snyder

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: Even Versus Odd

Rules: Standard Battleships rules. Use the indicated fleet.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a ship segment appears. If the row is empty, enter 0. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #144 – Sudoku

Sudoku by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: Virginia is for Sudoku Lovers (Note: This puzzle was the final puzzle for this year’s Arlington Puzzle Festival. Congratulations to Erik Agard, Carolyn Offutt, and Jim Spaulding for their 1st/2nd/3rd performance in the tournament.)

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 = 2:15, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

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.

Detuned Broadcast #13: Masyu

Masyu by Tom Collyer

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Hidden

Rules: Standard Masyu rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of the horizontal loop segments from left to right in the marked rows, starting at the top. If the loop only has vertical segments in the marked row, enter 0. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:00, Expert = 2:00

Solution: PDF

From the Foxger’s Den #70: Cross the Streams

Cross The Streams by Grant Fikes

PDF

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

Theme: Easy Logic

Rules: Standard Cross the Streams rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments from top to bottom for the marked columns, going in order from A to B to C to D and separating each entry with a comma.

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

Solution: PDF

This is a Melon puzzle. (21 – Neighbors)

Neighbors by Palmer Mebane

PDF

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

Theme: WPC Practice

Rules: Place a digit 1, 2, or 3 into each empty cell so that each digit appears exactly three times in each row and column. All cells are either white or gray. A digit in a white cell must share an edge with at least one cell containing the same digit. A digit in a gray cell cannot share an edge with any cell containing the same digit.

Answer String: Enter the digits from left to right in the marked rows, separating the rows with a comma.

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

Solution: PDF

The Puzzle Robot #22 – Pentomino Puddles

Pentomino Puddles by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in a composite mode for line/edge drawing)

Theme: Grandmaster Puzzles (GMP in the shapes)

Rules: Divide each of the three shapes into four pentominoes so that all 12 pentominoes are present exactly once across the three shapes. An inventory of pentominoes is given below the puzzle; rotations and reflections of these shapes are allowed.

Answer String: Enter the capital letters for the pentominoes sitting in each cell along the indicated long row. Enter as a single string of 14 characters.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00

Solution: PDF

The Puzzle Robot #21 – Trid

Trid by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

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

Theme: Logical

Rules: Place a digit from 1-7 into each circle so that no digit repeats within any straight line. The clues given inside some triangles represent the sum of the digits in the triangle’s three vertices. Or see here.

Answer String: Enter the digits in the marked lines in the direction of the arrows, separating the two lines with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #143 – Sudoku

Sudoku by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: High and Low (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 2nd column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th column from top to bottom.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

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.

From the Foxger’s Den #69: Letter Pairs

Editorial Note: “Double Word Puzzle Score?” Inspired to write his own letter pairs after solving Palmer’s (see previous post), Grant contributed this very fun submission which we are also publishing today for a rare double puzzle day.

Letter Pairs by Grant Fikes

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode to mark off the clues.)

Theme: Months

Rules: Place the 12 words into the grid, one letter per cell, so they can be read from left to right or from top to bottom, without crossing or overlapping each other. A dot between two cells indicates that both cells must contain the same letter. All possible dots are given. Or see this example from the WPC instructions.

Answer String: For each column from left to right, enter the number of unused cells in that column (eg “3510563449”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

This is a Melon puzzle. (20 – Letter Pairs)

Letter Pairs by Palmer Mebane

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode to mark off the clues.)

Theme: One-Point Letters

Rules: Place the 9 words into the grid, one letter per cell, so they can be read from left to right or from top to bottom, without crossing or overlapping each other. A dot between two cells indicates that both cells must contain the same letter. All possible dots are given. Or see this example from the WPC instructions.

Answer String: For each column from left to right, enter the number of unused cells in that column (eg “3510563449”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

Solution: PDF