Fun+set+but+on+the+harder+side.%0aCouldn't+proceed+much+in+either+of+the+Thermos.%0a%0aFavourites%3a%0aExtra+Region+6x6%0aConsecutive+Pairs+9x9%0aQuadruple+9x9%0a%0aThanks+Kumaresan!+%f0%9f%99%8f

Great+contest!+All+the+puzzle+were+fun+to+solve.+I+had+to+bifurcate+in+Consecutive+pairs+9x9.+Favourites+were+Thermo+6x6%2c+Quadruple+6x6+and+Consecutive+pairs+6x6.+Thanks!+

Fun+round!+My+favorites+were+the+Quadruples+and+Consecutive+Pairs.+Thanks!+%e2%9d%a4%ef%b8%8f

My+favourite+puzzle+is+Quadruple+Sudoku.+Some+puzzles+are+too+difficult+to+solve+so+that+I+used+brute+force+to+solve+them.+Anyway+most+of+the+puzzles+have+a+great+logic.

Very+tough+set+and+in+the+end+glad+to+have+scrambled+through+it+in+the+nick+of+time%2E+This+round+is+surely+a+wake+up+call+as+to+the+difficulty+of+SMs+this+year+which+was+already+indirectly+hinted+in+the+About+SM+page+%28which+I+had+completely+forgotten%29%2E%0D%0A%0D%0AI+had+a+very+strange+ride%2E+Power+failure+twice+during+the+contest%2C+assuming+that+I+have+broken+the+Thermo%2813%29+and+restarting+%28when+in+fact+I+was+on+the+correct+path%29%2E+The+funny+thing+in+Thermo+was+that+I+placed+4%265+in+R56C7+without+logic+%28no+idea+why+I+did+that%2C+perhaps+my+mind+imagined+a+Thermo+there%29+continued%2C+ended+with+6+on+R5C1+and+8+in+R6C1+%2ETowards+the+end%2C+I+saw+a+67+pencilmark+in+R9C1+and+thought+that+I+had+broken+the+sudoku+as+there+was+no+valid+digit+in+R4C1%2E++I+completely+forgot+that+9+can+be+in+R4C1+%2E+So+I+retraced+saw+that+I+had+placed+the+4+and+5+without+logic+%2C+swapped+them+continued+and+broke+the+sudoku+again+%F0%9F%A4%A3%2E+Had+to+restart%2E+Oh+%2E%2E%2EWell+%2E%2E%2E%0D%0A%0D%0AI+have+mixed+feelings+about+the+difficulty++and+thought+that+it+would+be+wise+to+see+how+further+rounds+of+SM+play+out+this+year+before+putting+forth+my+thoughts%2E%2E%0D%0AThanks+Kumaresan%2E+Favourites+are+Palindrome+%289x9%29+and+Quadruple%289x9%29

Interesting+and+difficult+set.+Scratched+my+head+so+much+while+solving%f0%9f%98%85%f0%9f%98%82.++Thank+you+Kumaresan+and+team+for+this+contest.%f0%9f%98%8a

Thank you Kumaresan Sir for a properly challenging set of sudokus. My first experience in a while with solving online, and I was clearly rusty. Favorites were Quadruple (Really satisfying solve) and Thermo 9x9's. I got stuck for long periods on the Quadruple and Diagonal, and before I knew it, completing the test was beyond me. I like the difficulty level, and the introduction of an extra variant.

Following multiple requests, Round 1 has been extended by 24 hours. There won't be any further extensions.

Interesting

In+the+PB%2c+the+numbering+for+the+Consecutive+Pairs+was+wrong.%0aI+guess+it+was+pasted+from+no.7-8.

Phew!!!!+A+tough+set+indeed.+Thanks+for+the+forewarning+in+the+introductory+page+about+the+difficulty+level.+Got+stuck+a+while+in+9%c3%979+diagonal+and+9%c3%979+thermo.+Thankyou+Kumaresan+for+a+tough+set+of+puzzles.+%f0%9f%91%8c%f0%9f%91%8d

%40tamz29+ya%2c+someone+pointed+it+out+above%2c+I'll+fix+it+after+the+contest+for+the+archives.+%f0%9f%91%8d

Great+Set+of+puzzles.+It+definitely+was+above+the+expected+difficulty.+Still+was+quite+enjoyable.+There+are+some+puzzles+that+I+had+to+bifurcate+to+solve+but+that's+on+me+not+properly+preparing.+Favorites+were+Quads+9x9%2c+Quads+6x6%2c+Consec+Pairs+9x9%2c+Thermo+6x6%2c+and+Extra+Region+6x6.%f0%9f%91%8c%f0%9f%91%8d

%f0%9f%91%8d+Good+game

Video on the Consecutive Pairs sudoku 9*9

https://youtu.be/5Tjxu_kDNr0

Thanks - it works

Walkthrough video for Thermo 9*9 is also available now. (by SudoKanard)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIxN83bI7Bc

%40kishy72+nice%0a%0a

please see this video thanks
https://youtu.be/lfTLt05K4Xc


Edited by WPJ 2022-03-04 7:47 PM

There's one thing I'd like to pre-emptively put in your mind, and other top Indian solvers. This is a bit of an expansion on the introduction page text. Try not to think of yourself and your level of solver. A lot of times in the past years I was seeing top Indian solvers say "too hard for SM" or "too hard for PR", and I didn't completely understand who they are speaking for.

If you are a beginner solver, or even someone who isn't what can be considered a "regular Indian team member" or someone aspiring to be that, I am very willing to listen to feedback on "how many easy puzzles were there that could occupy your time for 90 minutes without you needing to face something that is beyond you". That's what I want for that tier of solvers. For instance, I've received some feedback that some of the variant 6x6s were undervalued and not that easy, and I'll take that into consideration for the next rounds.

But if you are a "regular Indian team member", in my mind you should be welcoming tough Sudokus/puzzles, you should be welcoming a challenge where you aren't finishing a contest and have to choose what to do, or are barely finishing and need to be efficient - simply because that is what will more accurately test you to prepare for a WSC or WPC. This is also open for discussion but personally I think that is how top solvers (and those aspiring to be on the Indian team) should be approaching contests.

Of course you can still talk about how you think it was for beginners, my point is that shouldn't be your primary focus, and also that I'd like beginners to engage and speak for themselves.

SM Round 1 is over. Thanks to everyone who participated. We had 387 non-zero scores. We also had 91 non-zero Indian scores which is encouraging.

Congratulations to Tantan, Kota and Rohan for taking the top 3 spots. Rohan, of course, also took the top Indian spot. Congratulations to James and Nityant for their 2nd and 3rd place finishes respectively, it is very nice to see both of them progressing like this.

Thank you to Kumaresan for authoring this round!

Hi friends
Happy to see near to 400participants.
Yes, this year the level of difficulty of this Standard round is harder compare to past years.
Since the rounds are reduced to 4 and to accommodate maximum varients, admn already hinted it in the introduction page of this year contest.
Most of the solvers feel Thermo6x6 is on harder side. There is place holder technique and a Xwing to eliminate 3 from r3c3 is the breaking point of this puzzle.
Thanks Joo. M. Y and Kishore for published a video on Thermo 9x9 and Consecutive pairs 9x9 respectively.
Congratulations to the solvers reached top 3 position.
Thanks to everyone who are all actively participated in this contest.
Thanks to LMI for giving me an opportunity to author this round.
Kumaresan R
Author SM R1
Logicmastersindia

%5BQUOTE%5Dprasanna16391+%2D+2022%2D03%2D05++12%3A40+PM%0D%0A%0D%0A%5BQUOTE%5Dkishy72+%2D+2022%2D02%2D28++7%3A21+PM%0D%0A%0D%0AI+have+mixed+feelings+about+the+difficulty++and+thought+that+it+would+be+wise+to+see+how+further+rounds+of+SM+play+out+this+year+before+putting+forth+my+thoughts%2E%2E%0D%0AThanks+Kumaresan%2E+Favourites+are+Palindrome+%289x9%29+and+Quadruple%289x9%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s+one+thing+I%27d+like+to+pre%2Demptively+put+in+your+mind%2C+and+other+top+Indian+solvers%2E+This+is+a+bit+of+an+expansion+on+the+introduction+page+text%2E+Try+not+to+think+of+yourself+and+your+level+of+solver%2E+A+lot+of+times+in+the+past+years+I+was+seeing+top+Indian+solvers+say+%22too+hard+for+SM%22+or+%22too+hard+for+PR%22%2C+and+I+didn%27t+completely+understand+who+they+are+speaking+for%2E+%0D%0A%0D%0AIf+you+are+a+beginner+solver%2C+or+even+someone+who+isn%27t+what+can+be+considered+a+%22regular+Indian+team+member%22+or+someone+aspiring+to+be+that%2C+I+am+very+willing+to+listen+to+feedback+on+%22how+many+easy+puzzles+were+there+that+could+occupy+your+time+for+90+minutes+without+you+needing+to+face+something+that+is+beyond+you%22%2E+That%27s+what+I+want+for+that+tier+of+solvers%2E+For+instance%2C+I%27ve+received+some+feedback+that+some+of+the+variant+6x6s+were+undervalued+and+not+that+easy%2C+and+I%27ll+take+that+into+consideration+for+the+next+rounds%2E+%0D%0A%0D%0ABut+if+you+are+a+%22regular+Indian+team+member%22%2C+in+my+mind+you+should+be+welcoming+tough+Sudokus%2Fpuzzles%2C+you+should+be+welcoming+a+challenge+where+you+aren%27t+finishing+a+contest+and+have+to+choose+what+to+do%2C+or+are+barely+finishing+and+need+to+be+efficient+%2D+simply+because+that+is+what+will+more+accurately+test+you+to+prepare+for+a+WSC+or+WPC%2E+This+is+also+open+for+discussion+but+personally+I+think+that+is+how+top+solvers+%28and+those+aspiring+to+be+on+the+Indian+team%29+should+be+approaching+contests%2E+%0D%0A%0D%0AOf+course+you+can+still+talk+about+how+you+think+it+was+for+beginners%2C+my+point+is+that+shouldn%27t+be+your+primary+focus%2C+and+also+that+I%27d+like+beginners+to+engage+and+speak+for+themselves%2E%5B%2FQUOTE%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AI+do+enjoy+tougher+challenges+and+to+be+very+candid+after+all+these+years%2C+sudokus+which+offer+some+resistance+in+the+solve+path+seem+to+be+more+interesting+than+easier+ones+on+a+personal+level%2E+When+I+made+that+observation%2C+I+was+thinking+about+the+difficulty+this+year+vis%2D%C3%A0%2Dvis+previous+years+of+SM+which+seemed+to+hit+that+right+balance+of+difficulty+so+to+speak%2E+Having+said+that%2C+I+did+enjoy+R1+of+SM+this+year+not+one+bit+less+than+other+years+and+looking+forward+to+coming+rounds+%F0%9F%8C%88+%21

"Most of the solvers feel Thermo6x6 is on harder side. There is place holder technique and a Xwing to eliminate 3 from r3c3 is the breaking point of this puzzle."

Can someone do a quick video explaining how this logic works? My big gap in improving in sudoku solving is lack of ability to spot X/Y/XY wings, Swordfish, etc, so actually seeing a video on how this works would be great, as I, too, sadly had to bifurcate in column 3 after staring at the puzzle with a friend for an hour and it was not satisfying in the least, despite making a reasonable start (placing 5612 in last column, and subsequently 16 in 1st column and 1 in 2nd column).

Notwithstanding the above, the puzzle contest was overall excellent - really enjoyed the palindrome and especially the quadruple sudokus; I think quadruple, thermo and double variants are among my most favourite sudoku variants.

Thankyou Kumaresan R for a fantastic set of puzzles, and I look forward to more Sudoku Penpa puzzle contests in the future! :)

Edited by chocchip37 2022-03-13 8:59 AM

You can find a lot of videos explaining these techniques here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCen_KUSfhiNvdO42FZtg81A/playlists also includes some advanced techniques.

Edited by swaroop2011 2022-03-13 9:25 AM