Easy? [Answered]

[Marcus]

Is somebody watching the difficulty level? Please don't take this as a complaint, but the last two "easy" puzzles I tried were pretty darn tough.
It could be just that I'm getting worse

[lancehoch]

I have been noticing some of the puzzles seem a little strange as well. The first few hard puzzles that I saw were harder than the very hard puzzle that I set my best time on. Also, yes, some of the "easy" puzzles took a little more to work through than I thought an easy puzzle should.

[Caedda]

I've noticed a gradient within the difficulties, and it definitely depends on where you look to start on how quickly the puzzle goes down for you. What seems to be consistent as you go up in difficulty is that you have to use more elimination and advanced techniques to fill in the puzzle.

[lancehoch]

I would agree that the more advanced levels use more advanced techniques, but still I have seen some easy puzzles that were not so easy.

[wcaclimbing]

I would agree that the more advanced levels use more advanced techniques, but still I have seen some easy puzzles that were not so easy.

I agree.
I remember an easy puzzle from a few days ago (can't find the game number) that could easily pass for a Very Hard, I think...

And then I had this one last night. Medium level: Game 69303

Give that one a try. I have finished almost all my Medium Puzzles in under 10 minutes. This just didn't feel like a Medium puzzle....

[lancehoch]

And then I had this one last night. Medium level: Game 69303

That one wasn't terrible. It was a little tougher than the others, but nothing extreme. You had to use one of the unique rectangle techniques that strmckr posted in the Strategy forum, but I think that was it.

[strmckr]

Game 69303

Code: Select all

.---------------------.-----------------.------------------------.
| 1269  4      126    | 7    123    5   | 2369     8       1239  |
| 8     2579   12567  | 23   123    29  | 2345679  124569  12379 |
| 3     2579   1257   | 4    8      6   | 2579     1259    1279  |
:---------------------+-----------------+------------------------:
| 4     2358   9      | 238  2357   1   | 257      25      6     |
| 125   6      1258   | 28   2457   247 | 24579    3       279   |
| 7     235    235    | 9    23456  24  | 1        245     8     |
:---------------------+-----------------+------------------------:
| 256   2357   23567  | 1    9      8   | 236      26      4     |
| 269   23789  234678 | 26   2467   247 | 23689    1269    5     |
| 269   1      2468   | 5    246    3   | 2689     7       29    |
'---------------------'-----------------'------------------------'

i too have seen a few very hard puzzles that are all singles as well.

this puzzle is all singles nothing advanced is used.
{doesnt mean they cant}

pls note phase 2 & 9:
1 move only.

makes it a bit harder for some people to spot a singular move.

but not much harder.

{notes i apply all at once then check next subset level}

and list both the naked and hidden singles if they can be found by either technique.

solving path:
applicable at the start: {phase 1}
0: naked
4: hidden: R2C6 = 9 ; R6C5,R8C4 = 6 ; R8C8 = 1;

{phase 2}
0: naked
1: hidden: R3C8=1

{phase 3}
0: naked
2: hidden: R1C1,R8C2=9;

{phase 4}
1 naked: R8C1 = 2;
2 hidden: R4C2 = 8; R5C1 = 1;

{phase 5}
1 naked: R9C1 = 6;
3 hidden: R7C1 = 5; R9C5 = 2; R5C4 = 8;

{phase 6}
1 naked: R9C= 9
2 hidden: R2C4 = 2; R9C3 = 4;

{phase 7}
2 naked: R9C7=8; R4C4=3;
4 hidden: R9C7, R8C3=8; R4C4=3; R5C7 =9;

{phase 8}
1 naked: R8C7 = 3
3 Hidden: R8C7 = 3; R6C8, R2c7 = 4;

{phase 9}
1 naked: R6C6 = 2;
0 Hidden:

{phase 10}
0 naked:
2 hidden: R3C2, R5C3 = 2;

{phase 11}
1 naked: R6C9 = 7;
2 hidden: R5C5 = 5; R1C9=2;

{phase 12}
4 naked : R1C7 = 6; R3C9 = 1; R4C5=7; R5C6=4;
7 hidden singles: R4C5, R8C6,R3C7 =7; R5C6, R8C5=4; R1C5,R2C9=3;

{phase 13}
5 naked: R1C3, R2C5, R3C9=1 ; R2C8 =5; R7C7=2;
8 Hidden: R1C3, R2C5, R3C9=1 ; R3C3,R2C8,R4C7 =5; R2C3,R7C8=6;

{phase 14}
3 naked: R2C2=7; R4C8 =2; R6C3 = 3;
4 Hidden: R2C2, R7C3=7; R4C8 =2; R6C2=5;

{Phase 15}
Last: R7C2 = 3
Solved.

[wcaclimbing]

Wow.
Thanks for the explanation.

[strmckr]

your welcome