OT: Sudoku Question (newbie)



B

BabyJane Hudson

Guest
Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?

Thanks,
Jane Hudson
 
BabyJane Hudson wrote:
> Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
> in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
> solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
> have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
> Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
> right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?
>
> Thanks,
> Jane Hudson

Was that fish or chicken Sudoku?
 
"BabyJane Hudson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
> in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
> solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
> have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
> Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
> right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?
>
Probably the best place to ask about this is in a group called rec.puzzles.
I would guess whoever your internet prover is carries that group. If not,
google groups carries that newsgroup.
> Thanks,
> Jane Hudson
 
BabyJane Hudson wrote:

> Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
> in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
> solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
> have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
> Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
> right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?

Start with a basic scan using doubles to try to give a few quick ones
off the start. Then work where you have the most stuff filled in.

For those who like to play, there's a fairly good website:

http://sudoku.com.au/

It has a pretty good app for playing online, they have daily puzzles of
various levels, plus an archive. I can do the "hard" always, usually
the "tough" ones as well. There's a message forum for each puzzle where
people share tips and solutions.



Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)
 
BabyJane Hudson wrote:

>Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
>in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
>solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
>have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
>Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
>right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?
>
>Thanks,
>Jane Hudson
>
>
Oh my dear, if only it were that simple! You have to jump all over the
place like a drunken grasshopper. It's a form of meditation - just sit
back and let your mind do the work on automatic pilot, like with the
cryptic crossword.

Are you really sure you want to do this? If so, have a look at this, and
then reconsider before it's too late!

http://www.sudoku.org.uk/

Christine
 
On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:59:47 -0500, BabyJane Hudson
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
>in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
>solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
>have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
>Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
>right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?

Use an Ouija board. Works every time for me. Must be my Ora.

-sw
 
"BabyJane Hudson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
> in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
> solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
> have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
> Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
> right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?

My husband is a Sudoku junkie and has mastered the basic levels of the game.
He has some great tips, which he's passed on to other family members. I
should have him post them here.

I've never tried the game, as I know I'd be hopelessly hooked if I did. I am
addicted to Bejeweled 2 (on http://www.shockwave.com), though...

Mary
 
On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:59:47 -0500, BabyJane Hudson
<[email protected]> connected the dots and wrote:

~Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle
and
~in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
~solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
~have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
~Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
~right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?
~
~Thanks,
~Jane Hudson

Look around for the easy ones (two digits and the third cube in the
row has only one open box in the empty row), then keep looking for
those. When they're gone, find boxes that could only be 2 possbile
digits, then keep solving.

Sometimes I'll guess, but that's not logic.

maxine in ri
 
On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 19:12:26 GMT, "MareCat"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>"BabyJane Hudson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
>> in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
>> solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
>> have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
>> Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
>> right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?
>
>My husband is a Sudoku junkie and has mastered the basic levels of the game.
>He has some great tips, which he's passed on to other family members. I
>should have him post them here.
>

>
>Mary

Mary,
Please have him post his tips here so that others can benefit from
his knowledge. It will be appreciated!

Thanks,
Babyjane Hudson
 
BabyJane Hudson wrote:

> Mary,
> Please have him post his tips here so that others can benefit from
> his knowledge. It will be appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
> Babyjane Hudson

Wouldn't a GAME message board be more appropriate? Why clog up a food
board with this ****?
 
BabyJane Hudson wrote:

> On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 19:12:26 GMT, "MareCat"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > My husband is a Sudoku junkie and has mastered the basic levels of
> > the game. He has some great tips, which he's passed on to other
> > family members. I should have him post them here.
> >
>
> >
> > Mary
>
> Mary,
> Please have him post his tips here so that others can benefit from
> his knowledge. It will be appreciated!


The biggest tip, besides the preliminary hunting for easy ones, is the
power of pairs. If you have written down the possibles (most people
write them tiny in pencil in the square) and you have a pair in a
block, row, or column, then you use that pair to eliminate those
numbers from the containing entity.




Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)
 
BabyJane Hudson wrote:

> Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
> in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
> solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
> have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
> Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
> right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?

You can do them online at this LA Times site:

http://games.latimes.com/
 
On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:27:22 -0500, Goomba38 <[email protected]>
wrote:

>BabyJane Hudson wrote:
>
>> Mary,
>> Please have him post his tips here so that others can benefit from
>> his knowledge. It will be appreciated!
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Babyjane Hudson
>
>Wouldn't a GAME message board be more appropriate? Why clog up a food
>board with this ****?

If you weren't interested, why would you read a post that was clearly
marked OT?

Your idiotic comment helping in "clogging" this NG, and to me, is, how
do you say, ****.

Babjane Hudson
 
In article <[email protected]>,
BabyJane Hudson <[email protected]> wrote:

> Tomorrow, our city paper will begin carrying a daily Sudoku puzzle and
> in today's paper had an article about it with a sample puzzle and
> solution next to it. I understand the basics, but to those of you who
> have mastered this game, what are some pointers in solving a puzzle?
> Should I work the left column from top to bottom, or top from left to
> right, or just the first top left 1x1 square?

I am a fan of Sudoku, but I wouldn't say I am a junky at it. Just plug
"Sudoku" into Google and you'll find tons of info on it as well as some
online games. I play a version that I downloaded from Gameshouse.com and
its really good! The version I play comes with all the hints I need
right in the help section.
 
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