Printer friendly copy of thread

Date : Weekend of 20th and 21st March 2010
Authors - Gotroch (Jakub Hrazdira) and Cauchy (Maruska Benediktova)
Testers - Cauchy (Maruska Benediktova) and Gotroch (Jakub Hrazdira)
Number of Rounds - 2
Type of Sudokus
(Round 1 - Classic sudokus and Standard sudoku variants)
(Round 2 - Sudoku Variants)
Mock length - Will be announced later (maybe 2x60mins)
Time - 24 hours

They had also created Mock10 last year. Here are the links.
Round1
Round2

Please make sure the rounds are truly independent this time. It's much easier to find two one-hour time periods than one 2hour+break period for taking the mock. I may even take round 2 first, depending on what's in it.

This is going to be one exciting Mock... I have always looked forward to the puzzles created by Gotroch and Cauchy.... why does weekend have to be so far... lol

Round 1 (~45 min) [debmohanty adds : Round1 timing is now changed to 60 minutes]

1-4 Classic Sudoku Relay
Transfer one 3x3 box from puzzle 1 to puzzle 2
Transfer one column from puzzle 2 to puzzle 3
Transfer one row from puzzle 3 to puzzle 4

5-9 Match Maker
Five sudokus grids + five instructions (Diagonal, Antiknight, Untouch, Nonconsecutive, Quadro)
You have to assign each of the instructions to the right sudoku grid and then solve..
(see http://www.forsmarts.com/pdf/onlinesudoku2010-instructions.pdf for example)

Round 2 (~60 min)

1 Arrow Sudoku (ex. http://motris.livejournal.com/92412.html)

2 Pandigital Sudoku
For each group of shaded cells use this rule: First two rows of add up to the number formed on the third row.
(ex. http://www.sachsentext.de/en/sumbox1.htm)

3 Fortress Sudoku (http://www.sachsentext.de/en/fortress_sudoku2.htm)

4 Not Four in a Row Sudoku
There cannot be 4 Odd or 4 Even digits in a line of four consecutive cells (row, column, diagonal)

5 Outside Killer
Numbers outside the rows/columns indicates that there is at least one couple of consecutive cells in that row/column which sum is equal to this number

6 No Operations Mathdoku
Each outlined group of cells contains a clue with a number. This number represents these cells mathematical operation ( + - x / ) result.

7 Loop Sudoku
Standard sudoku rules, but digits 0-8 are used.
There is one continuous loop inside the sudoku grid.
All digits 0,1,2,3 are used as clues for Loop puzzle (these digits gives the number of cell sides used for loop - See loop puzzle here http://www.kwontomloop.com/tutorial.php?step=1)
All digits 8 are allways inside the loop.

Round 1 looks very interesting. The relay and The Matchmaker looks like they will be fun to solve :)

There are two puzzles in round 2 which I would like to add to my collection of sudokus mixed with logic Puzzles .... No Four in a Row Sudoku and Loop Sudoku.

Should be a fun mock. Looking forward to participate after testing for one and creating the next :)

As expected.... a very interesting mock.... Round 1 looks fun as Amit said.... Round 2 will need a lot of research work to be done.... :D

just wanted to know that in matchmaker , will seperate instructions for seperate grid be given or will we have to determine which instruction belongs to which grid

@ Akash

You will have to determine which instruction belongs to which grid and then apply that instruction and solve....

@ GOtroch

I had a quick question on Outside Killer. Will the consectuive cells be marked in the puzzle or we have to find out which are the cells?? and do the consecutive numbers have to be in one single stretch or it can be different cells. For example if the outside number is 10 then can we have the grid as 1,2,5,3,4 where 1 and 2 are consecutive and so are 3 and 4. These four numbers add to 10 but are separated by a 5 in between. So is this scenario allowed or all the consecutive numbers have to be together??

On the no operations mathdoku, is there any example we can look at? Maybe some variation on Fed??

Rishi

purifire - 2010-03-18 12:56 PM

@ GOtroch

I had a quick question on Outside Killer. Will the consectuive cells be marked in the puzzle or we have to find out which are the cells?? and do the consecutive numbers have to be in one single stretch or it can be different cells. For example if the outside number is 10 then can we have the grid as 1,2,5,3,4 where 1 and 2 are consecutive and so are 3 and 4. These four numbers add to 10 but are separated by a 5 in between. So is this scenario allowed or all the consecutive numbers have to be together??

On the no operations mathdoku, is there any example we can look at? Maybe some variation on Fed??

Rishi

Sorry, there should be neighboring cells

5 Outside Killer
Numbers outside the rows/columns indicates that there is at least one couple of NEIGBORING cells in that row/column which sum is equal to this number

So, for example, if there is number 16 outside one row, then there have to be digits 7 and 9 as neighbors in that row

Yes, there is No Operations Mathdoku on the FED site created by oddest http://www.fed-sudoku.eu/sudokuplay/0177.swf
Also I think there are some examples on Snyder's blog http://www.stanford.edu/~tsnyder/kenken.htm

Thanks Gotroch... One last question... Can there be more than one instance of such sums...

For example 10 is outisde... I can have 4 and 6 as one adjoining pair and also 3 & 7 again in the same row?

i think it is clear in the instruction " at least one couple of consecutive cells in that row/column which sum is equal to this number"

so you can 4&6 as one adjoining pair, and also 3&7 as another in the same row/column

But will these single/multiple "killer cells" be marked?? that is my question :D

purifire - 2010-03-18 5:20 PM

But will these single/multiple "killer cells" be marked?? that is my question :D

No, cells will not be marked.
Because If I mark all these cells, then puzzle becomes standard killer sudoku. :)

Gotroch..Thanks for clarifying... but then all sorts of different questions are coming ot my head...lol

lolz you better get some sleep before the competition.... your head sure seems to be spinning at the moment :P :D

No Time to sleep buddy... :D

Office ....practice.... preparation for mock 19 ..... married life (not necessarily in the same order ) hell... 24 hrs is too less in a day...lol

purifire - 2010-03-19 2:02 PM

No Time to sleep buddy... :D

Office ....practice.... preparation for mock 19 ..... married life (not necessarily in the same order ) hell... 24 hrs is too less in a day...lol

Could also you guard my two boys ( two little angels;) ...) this weekend so that I can make the tournament quietly ???? :laugh:

valsudo - 2010-03-19 4:17 PM

Could also you guard my two boys ( two little angels;) ...) this weekend so that I can make the tournament quietly ???? :laugh:

Send them over!!!! The more the merrier :D

could we have some practice puzzles to solve online?

We have finished Instruction Booklet for Mock Test 17 and sent to Deb.
Booklet file is also attached in this post.

Edited by Gotroch 2010-03-19 8:18 PM

Attachments
----------------

SudokuMockTest17IB.pdf (54KB - 6 downloads)

Renamed the attached file.

It is also uploaded at mock17 page

@ Gotroch
Pan Digital: Apply standard sudoku rules for the digits 1 to 9. For each group of shaded areas use this
rule: First two rows of add up to the number formed on the third row. In these areas
numbers can be repeated.

What does the last line mean..............In these areas
numbers can be repeated.
Since if the numbers are repeated then the standard sudoku rules do not apply............please clarify

Edited by neerajmehrotra 2010-03-19 11:18 PM

They can't be repeated in the booklet example, as the shaded 3x3 areas in example perfetcly cover standard sudoku 3x3 boxes.
In competetive puzzle, placement of these areas will be different so it will allow repeating of digits.

Outside Killer in the IB........Is the solution unique

I am getting two solutions for the puzzle in the IB.....R5C2 can be both 4 and 5 with R6C2 and similarly R5C7 can be both 4 and 5 with R6C7............can somebody throw some light on this

neerajmehrotra - 2010-03-20 12:50 AM

Outside Killer in the IB........Is the solution unique

I am getting two solutions for the puzzle in the IB.....R5C2 can be both 4 and 5 with R6C2 and similarly R5C7 can be both 4 and 5 with R6C7............can somebody throw some light on this

I have checked the example and it is OK, so you probably made some mistake somewhere.
Check attached solution:

thanx a lot.............yep i was committing a mistake...........thanx again

The Outside Killer in the IB has a unique solution.
I am pasting the solution here so that you can verify where you made a mistake.

The clue with the 14 on the left was simply awesome :)

Too late in solving and posting the solution :)

stiill many thanx..................I too was able to solve it...........was doing a silly mistake AS USUAL

Hello,

I am confused with regards to the Relay in section 1 of the Instruction booklet. I solved the first puzzle, but then none of the 3x3 blocks fit in the second puzzle. Can you please clarify what it is I am supposed to do exactly? Thanks! A cursory examination of submitting a row from puzzle 3 into 4 also shows that none are possible, even before I solve. Confused...

jwilsonian - 2010-03-20 3:42 AM

Hello,

I am confused with regards to the Relay in section 1 of the Instruction booklet. I solved the first puzzle, but then none of the 3x3 blocks fit in the second puzzle. Can you please clarify what it is I am supposed to do exactly? Thanks! A cursory examination of submitting a row from puzzle 3 into 4 also shows that none are possible, even before I solve. Confused...

You can change position of the transfered element. So for example You can transfer top left corner 3x3 block from one puzzle to bottom right corner (or any of possible nine positions) of second puzzle

Edited by Gotroch 2010-03-20 3:58 AM

Ah, excellent. Thank you for your response. That makes things a lot easier...

Please note : As per the IB, [red]Round1 and Round2 both are of 60 minutes[/red] now.

i have a question in " no four in a row " sudoku. does diagonal imply in the main diagonal or any 4 diagonally adjacent cells ?

akash.doulani - 2010-03-20 11:57 AM

i have a question in " no four in a row " sudoku. does diagonal imply in the main diagonal or any 4 diagonally adjacent cells ?

In any 4 diagonally adjacent cells (in any diagonal direction by the given cell).

This is getting interesting and confusing at the same time :D .... Its high time I checked the IB out...

The puzzle booklets are available to download at the mock page

Seems like its going to be an interesting Mock Test :)

it feels like the good old days of our childhood when we eagerly waited for sundays.

can i know my score?

jcvb - 2010-03-21 8:00 AM can i know my score?

520
Relay2 is wrong

nice set of puzzles..............although I could not do well

can i know my score?

Here are the solutions

Was a really good Mock test.

Made a mistake by starting with the Relay in the 1st round, took really long to complete it :|

Round 2 was nice as well. Found Arrow Sudoku a little tough, wasted a lot of time on it. Fortress and No Four in a Row were good puzzles :)

In all, a very good Mock Test!
Thanks to Gotroch and Cauchy.

Ohh forgot about Outside Killer!
That was a nice puzzle too...

Congratulations to janoslaw, jaku111 and Rohan Rao topping the table. Hope everyone enjoyed the mock.

And thanks to cauchy and gotroch for yet another nice mock.

Please rate the Sudokus if you have not done so yet

Congratulation to the winners and thanks to all participants.
Special thanks to Deb, for preparing the site despite we delivered our puzzles in last minutes.
Our puzzles are usually hard and probably should be little easier in this Mock, but we hope you found them interesting.

Gotroch & cauchy

Was not in the good solving zone today :{ Kept making mistakes repeatedly on each puzzle.

In the first round I solved two of the puzzles from Matchmaker, then I had identified a third puzzle correctly to be a Diagonal Sudoku but broke it twice and decided that my assumption that it is Diagonal was wrong and moved on to the relay.
In the relay I had not expected the puzzle to require backward compatibility with the second puzzle, I used uniqueness and messed it up.

In round 2 I really wanted to crack the Loop Sudoku, but could not move it even a bit, will have another attempt on this one later.
Then I went back and solved puzzles which are in my comfort zone , the outside killer and arrow sudoku in an attempt to salvage some pride. :P
Made a last minute dash to solve Fortress Sudoku, but couldn't beat the clock.

Matchmaker is a really awesome puzzle type and it was well executed in this particular mock. This has inspired some new puzzle creation ideas in me :)
Relay was good with the 1,2,3,4 theme. I solved it after the test and was a nice solve. Matching the row and column constraints is much easier then matching the box constraint.

Overall it was a well executed mock test. Thanks to Gotroch and Cauchy for creating such wonderful puzzles.

Had a disaster in round 1 and solved all of one puzzle (though the puzzles themselves were great when I came back to them later). Round 2 puzzles were excellent, especially the loop puzzle. I definitely suggest everyone to look through that puzzle (as only 4 people solved it).

Wish me luck next Sunday :)

Edited by cnarrikkattu 2010-03-22 2:56 AM

Great set of puzzles ... thoroughly enjoyed solving... Was in my own sweet world... forgot to click "submit" on 1 puzzle each in both rounds :D

I found the relay puzzles in round 1 very interesting....

Match maker was good too..

When I look in hind sight Puzzles were good enough to be completed in the stipulated time... :)

Overall Thanks to Gotroch and Cauchy for this wonderful Mock... and all the best to all the Czech players for their national championship this coming weekend.. .:)

Rishi

To add to that all the best to the US participants for their National Championship too :)

@Gotroch

Very nice puzzles. Liked MatchMakers, more bacause I'm good in these ;-)
I solved the relay later and I'm happy I didn't start with that during the mock ;-)

In Round 2, I liked Pandigital and No Op Math. Arrow was a tough one! No comments on Loop :D

All in all,
Nice mock, Cauchy and Gotroch! :-)

Gotroch, I think the difficulty of puzzles was pretty good. It wasn't my day - big headache=big mistakes - but if I had been in the "good solving zone" it would have been a very interesting challenge to try to do the whole set (perhaps not the loop :bleh:).

Nice puzzles again, thanks to you two. :)

It seems like I am getting addicted to mocks..............eagerly wait for weekends..............