NotWise

The puzzle starts easily bu then poses some challenges. In addition to basic methods, I used an XWing, an XYWing, and a Simple Color Chain (in that order) to get to the solution. Other combinations are also possible.

Is there interest in more advanced #Sudoku? This one should challenge most people. There's no sense in timing this puzzle, graded at 7.2 on SudokuWiki's scale to 10. I'll add information in the alt text.

Nice puzzle. I solved in 26:22.

I finished R433 in 12:57.

No technique more difficult than a double. Finished in 18:31.

I haven't replied with a puzzle for a while. I've been working on my ability to produce harder puzzles.

This isn't a hard puzzle. It should be slightly more difficult than R431. It started quickly then took some time to clean up.

Done in 13:50.

I did it in a little under fifteen minutes.

I've taken to putting the "Hard" puzzles through a solver before I spend time on them. The solver at sudoduwiki.org graded it as 8.3 on a scale to 10 and used techniques that are out of my reach right now.

Main Page - SudokuWiki.org Strategies for Sudoku, Sudoku X, Killer Sudoku and Jigsaw Sudoku - and the home of logical puzzle maker Andrew Stuart

The solver at sudokuwiki.org rated it as "tough." Their solver used a method I'm not familiar with.

I couldn't replicate my solution, so no doubt I made a lucky mistake.

I solved in 13:19. I wonder if I made a fortuitous mistake somewhere that made it work.

Done in 14:42

I did it in 15:30.

That's a difficult puzzle, and without resorting to extreme technique.

Solution requires singles, blocking and pointing pairs, and doubles.

This one is similar to the NYT "Hard" #Sudoku in difficulty. It was a slow starter and took me about 25 minutes.

Couldn't finish it without guesswork. SudokuWiki graded it as very hard.

Done in 10:30.

15:04 for me. The cats left me alone.

It solves with singles, blocking pairs and pointing pairs--net technically challenging, but it took me a while to get going.

Here's one. It took me 26:25, but it shouldn't be that hard. I took twenty minutes doing not much, and solved it in six.

Difficulty should be similar to the New York Times "Hard" Sudoku. I don't remember exactly what it took me--about a half hour.

That was a quick one. If you need another to fill some time, try this. #Sudoku

The only techniques needed to solve this puzzle are singles, double, and pointing and blocking pairs. The difficulty should be similar to the New York TImes "Medium" puzzle. I solved it in 23 minutes.

Here's another one for late-night puzzling. As before, details in the alt text.

That was a change of pace. Solved in 10:22. I think it qualified as "Hard" because the solution needed one "expert" method.

That's not a bad idea. If you regularly solve puzzles from one source then the level usually constrains what you need to do to solve a puzzle. If you aren't familiar with the source, then you're left fishing for the methods you need to use.

It needs no technique more advanced than singles, doubles, and pointing and blocking pairs. It took me 45 minutes.

Try this one in your spare time. It's one I generated. Some details in the alt text.

I tried twice and failed both times, then fed it through the solver at SudokuWiki.org. Solving the puzzle deductively requires a couple pretty advanced methods.

"Medium" level Sudoku. Solutions requires only singles, doubles, block pairs and pointing pairs.

Here's a challenge. I produced this #Sudoku myself. I solved it in thirty five minutes. You should beat my time.

This could be my favorite photo of Louise.

Did 402 in 10:51. Didn't do the other.

Late in the day with lots of distractions. 28 minutes.

eleven minutes.

There's a big step in the difficulty between the last two "Medium" puzzled (393, 394) and the two "Hard" puzzles (395, 396).

I spent an hour and twenty minutes on each of the "Hard" puzzles before I finished them with trial-and-error.

No hints. Like you, I can't expect to get things done very quickly if I'm tired. Sometimes puzzles that stump me late in the day look like a piece of cake in the morning.