Following on from Nikkii's request for help with Tiger in the Woods puzzles, I thought I would add my own request for help with the Krypto Kakuro puzzles. How is everyone getting on with them? These intrigue me, but as yet I have failed to solve a single one. I can get as far as working out which letters represent the 1s and 2s, but after that draw a blank. I've had a quick look at the 'Walk Through' of a puzzle on the Krazydad site but this looked a little daunting. Is there anything obvious I ought to be seeing to make them a little easier, or do I need to print off that walk through and get stuck in?!!!

Hi Christine,

Thanks for getting me interested in yet another puzzle type!

I'll give you some clues to get you started on the first puzzle.

Obviously C=1, and given a 4-digit sum is "IE", I must be 2 (it can't be 3 since E can't be zero).

We are given F+B = E, and both F and B are more than 2, so E must be at least 7. But it can't be more than 7 because the top row sums to CE so E=7 (and the top row pair of digits is 89 or 98).

Since E=7, B and F must be 3 and 4. We can work out which is which by looking at the bottom row, where we have B+H = CF.

If B=3 and F=4, then 3+H = 14, which doesn't work (H=11).

So B=4 and F=3, and then 4+H = 13 and so we have also got H=9.

Now's a good time to draw up the grid and fill in the known digit values - using basic Kakuro methods you should be able to work out the rest.


Cheers

Jim

I found it easier to draw the grid on a blank piece of paper in which I put digit values as they became known.

A hiint for puzzle 2. The letters for values 1 and 2 are obvious, but also you can immediately determine which letter must be 0 (zero) by a process of elimination.

Hi Jim

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply. I was able to follow your instructions and reasoning without too much difficulty (sometimes I need the obvious pointing out (like the F + B added together can't be more than 7 because of the CE clue) . I filled in all the known numbers onto the grid alongside the letters, so by process of elimination worked out that the D must be 5 and the J must be 8. (I hope!!) Which left just A and G to be 0 and 6 (didn't seem to matter which on this grid as it was now completed).

I've been back to the Krazydad site and printed off the Walk Through to peruse at leisure. Also the first book of 8 puzzles - they include a grid with letter clues in and below a blank grid to fill in the numbers as well which should make life a little simpler. I also copied the chart on which to eliminate possibilities as you go along so am ready to go off and attempt a few more now.

Thanks once again for the assistance - I don't think I would have persevered without it

Just a note Christine to say that I really struggled with Krypto Kakuro to start with but as is so often the case once you have cracked the first one or two the rest become easier.

JIm is very hepful with his solving advice isn't he! I really admire these people who can write this information in a clear and simple way-I wouldn't know where to start!

Thanks Nikki, I was a Univeristy maths tutor in a previous life, to be useful I had to be able to explain things

Christine, well done! Now look again at the grid. A can't be 0? Why not? Look at the only "sum" with an A in it.

Got that, thank you Jim! Good to have a university maths tutor on board! I will know where to come for any help! Maths never came easy to me at school (also in a previous life!!) - I've always been more on the language and literature side, although strangely enough I've no interest in word or crossword puzzles now, and it's only in the past few years that I have become fascinated with number puzzles and, like yourself and Nikki, have become somewhat of an addict! I love trying out all the new puzzles, some with more success than others.

Anyway, I'm pleased to report I have managed to crack another two of the Krypto Kakuro puzzles so am slowly getting there.

Other than number and logic puzzles, I also like English Cryptic Crosswords (I like to do the ones in the Guardian). They seem to exercise a part of the brain that number puzzles don't, or at least that's my theory!

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Nikki
Just a note Christine to say that I really struggled with Krypto Kakuro to start with but as is so often the case once you have cracked the first one or two the rest become easier.

JIm is very hepful with his solving advice isn't he! I really admire these people who can write this information in a clear and simple way-I wouldn't know where to start!

I agree with you there Nikki. I am pleased to say that thanks to your encouragement and Jim's advice I'm now getting quite reasonable at these! I've printed quite a few off now from the Krazydad site and it really helps to have the blank grid provided to fill in the numbers, and also a chart to cross out numbers as they can be eliminated. I haven't managed to solve each and every one I've printed but am definitely getting more done now than in the beginning and am starting to work out a few solving strategies for myself. They're keeping me busy until the next issue of Xtra comes out (which will be well worth the wait, I know!)

Oh well done Christine, that's great! Now issue 13 is out it might be a good idea to choose another puzzle type that you struggle with and ask Jim for some more help. I would not be any help, as I can solve the puzzles [except for the dreaded Tiger in the Woods of course!] but like I said before I don't think I could put the solving strategies in writing.

I learned how to solve some of the puzzles from the Masterclass section Gareth used to do in SudokuPro which was really helpful. If enough people are finding a particular puzzle type difficult I wonder if Gareth might consider bringing that back.