Yes, I'm really pleased with how issue 10 turned out! Even I can scarcely believe it has over 60 different types of puzzle in, counting each different Sudoku variant and size combination as different - which indeed they are. Even if you lump all the Sudoku variants together there are still a huge number of types in there! It's now up on Lulu and its going through the approval and then waiting-by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
I forgot to say that there was also a problem with the Castle Wall example solution on page 50 in yesterday's version of Sudoku Xtra. I hadn't actually made a mistake but for some reason I don't fully understand it wasn't displaying properly in Acrobat when I exported the PDF (my proofing printout was correct, but I printed it from the DTP software). I've redrawn it and now it's working fine, soby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
If you downloaded Sudoku Xtra 10 prior to about 12pm UK-time today (i.e. 7am EST) then you might like to download it again - the bottom row of the second Hanjie on page 22 was mostly obscured (oops). Thanks very much to Grant Fikes for spotting this so quickly! I haven't done the printed versions yet so it won't affect those.by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Haha, yes I know the solutions aren't always needed but it's an important part of my checking process and sometimes I need to change the puzzles when I come to do the solutions for whatever reason so I can't distribute the main body until I've done the back part too. (don't worry, I know you were joking!). I also realised this time for example that all of the Sudoku 10x10 puzzles were identicalby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
And uploading now. It will be on the download page in less than 60 seconds.by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Issue 10 is now complete - or at least all of the puzzle content is in, editorial written, decorative bits done... but I still need to lay out the solutions and do some final re-checking which I know better than to rush! I'm out tomorrow but might just get it out late tomorrow night, else I guarantee it will be online on Sunday!by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Sudoku Xtra 10 is available now! To celebrate the 10th issue I've featured a range of 10-themed puzzles in the main section, including some with 10-shaped givens, 10 sides, 10-related layouts or 10-based values in the puzzles (for example a powers of 10 +/- Killer Sudoku!). Meanwhile the Community Puzzles section just continues to get better and better thanks to the incredible skill and geby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Sorry to hear that! I just delivered all of the content for issue 55, so now to completing Sudoku Xtra 10!by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Well obviously not everyone consults the solutions when solving tough puzzles, but if you look at the puzzlemix stats you can see that the majority of people do. Particularly on tougher Hanjies. People place stuff they think is right, but sometimes make a mistake and they pick those up by checking the solutions as they go. Perhaps it is the case on the tough intricate Hanjies that Puzzler puby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
This bank holiday weekend there will be a few pages of my puzzles in the Sunday Telegraph's Seven magazine (the supplement which includes the weekly TV guide), so if you're in the UK then you might like to pick up a copy. Unfortunately I imagine this supplement will not be supplied with any overseas editions of the newspaper. If you enjoy them then I'd encourage you to email or write in and saby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Beyond Sudoku is a Puzzler publication, appearing every other month in WHS only or by subscription. Of course it's not a patch on Sudoku Pro or Sudoku Xtra!by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Some of the puzzles are challenging, it's true, Christine! But most of them aren't bad at all: 1) Battleships - easy 2) Sudoku - moderate; not a hard Sudoku 3) Count me in - VERY hard if you ask me! 4) Islands - very easy 5) Groundhog day - very easy; just a case of taking the time 6) Hex equation - everyone seems to have found this hard. I think it's just a case of being organised - I'dby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Ah, I was waiting for the results to see if you'd competed Dave! Well if it makes you feel better I forgot entirely too until late on Friday night when I got an alarm I'd set on my mobile phone. Personally I think it would be great if reminders were sent by email the day before. Sure they shouldn't be "needed", but are we really testing someone's diary skills or their puzzle solvinby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
I hope you're enjoying the mags Jeff - you have enough there to keep you going for a year at least I'm sure, if you try them all! My feeling is that Hitori is not a vastly popular puzzle, but just yesterday I had an email asking for more of them on PuzzleMix (and had other recent requests) so it's not as unpopular as you (and indeed I!) might imagine... Garethby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
That is clearly self-published, so I presume you mean you've seen it on the WHS website? I'd be astonished if it was in-store - but fascinated to hear too! However you're in the US aren't you Jeff, so unless you're on holiday I imagine you mean the website. The WHS website has no connection with the WHS stores, so far as I can see. Indeed in the past it used to literally be run by Amazon Iby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Hi Christine, The direct link is http://wpc.puzzles.com/uspc11/ You need to register but it's free and instant and I'm sure you don't need to fill in all the details if you're not interested in being selected for the US team! The UK team are also using the US test to select members.by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
A good set of puzzles, well worth a look, if you didn't take part.by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Just a quick reminder to anyone keen on taking part (or just fancies trying out what is bound to be an interesting set of puzzles) that the US, UK and some other countries' world puzzle championship qualifications take place tomorrow, Saturday 21st August. For details see www.ukpuzzles.org if you're in the UK, or wpc.puzzles.com in the US.by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Hitori is a funny sort of puzzle - it is definitely more limited than some other types because there is so much visual 'noise'. Hanjie is one of those puzzles that divides people - there are many people who REALLY love it; it is by far the most popular puzzle on puzzlemix, by an order of magnitude! Although to be fair it is less frequent which does account for some of the extra hits on each puzzby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Awesome logic... I feel entirely dumb for not noticing that! More particularly, though, I failed to remember that the 'non-consecutive' rule applied at all. I also didn't apply the 'even-pair' anti-rule either! I think it's the mix of types that makes it hard to keep track of all the subtleties, or at least that's my excuse and I am clinging on to it!by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Christine, I found the same thing too - I couldn't do the bottom puzzle in the first round at all, and I spent as long on that first round as the next three rounds put together. I definitely found the first round harder than the following three, although I didn't try the fifth round so in fact that was probably the hardest of all. Of course it's also probably to some extent I spent the first rby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Well I had a go just now, since they were David's puzzles and they looked so inviting! And they were - the first three rounds are 6x6 which personally I found really enjoyable. The logic for me is much more pleasurable to spot at a smaller size - less searching, more thinking. Then there are two rounds of 9x9 puzzles, which for the first round of those at least I actually solved at the same speedby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Well I'm pleased to say issue 9 is now finally here! And I put in (I think) most of the things requested. I've put a +/- Killer in although I mixed it up with a new set of numbers, just so you can throw out all those old lists. It's 1 3 5 7 9 -2 -4 -6 -8 this time - it works pretty well I think! This issue runs to 61 content pages, which is just insane!by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
I'm delighted to announce that issue 9 of Sudoku Xtra is now out and available for download! The pre-printed version from Lulu is your best choice if you want a pre-printed version, unless you're in the US in which case the Amazon.com version is best (if you get free super-saver shipping with it). Issue 9 is packed with a wider range of Japanese puzzles and Sudoku variants than any other magaby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
If you're talking about Sudoku Minus, then only Dan at Clarity makes those so far as I know - there've been two in Sudoku Xtra, and the most recent one in issue 8 had a +6 and +5 in. I asked him to make one with a +6 in so there would be at least one "obvious" clue! (9-1-2, of course). Issue 9 has a Sudoku Times from Dan in, and with 8 separate community section contributors it'sby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
If you liked Sudoku Pro before then you will still like it - in fact you should like it even more because it now has a slightly wider variety of puzzles. So if you know you like it then it's a safe bet. It also costs less and you don't need to print it yourself (or pay extra for a pre-printed version). By contrast Sudoku Xtra is definitely a more 'specialist' title - there are many more puzzlesby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
For the second and third puzzles you can't complete the Slitherlink without working back and forth with the Sudoku part of the puzzle - there's no unique solution if you completely ignore the Sudoku part.by gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
I don't want to steal Dave's fire but I can give you a few quick hints about his Slithery Sum Sudoku puzzles! The one I put first is in my opinion the easiest because for this one you can solve the entire Slitherlink first before starting the Sudoku part, which simplifies the logic somewhat. Then the way to progress is to think about the 'biggest' and 'smallest' parts of the numbers first. So forby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
Yes, that shiny paper period was awful. Accolade told me that the printers had messed up and ordered the wrong paper but for some reason I was never told they had to stick with it for the next few issues while they used it all up. Apparently it really damaged the sales too, which is why it carried those "New Improved Paper!" stickers for a while after. Sounds unlikely to me - I imagiby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
I'm very excited to have David on board in a greatly expanded role, not just as a contributor of fantastic puzzles but also as the editor and coordinator of the whole Community Puzzles section, drawing on his wide range of puzzle and design talents. I've seen just a tiny bit of what he's got ready for issue 9 already and I have to say I'm really excited! There are some real heavy-hitting puzzleby gareth - Sudoku Xtra Discussion Forum
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