dailysudoku.com

[keith]

All,

I have evolved my grid to this:

http://www.mediafire.com/?p9jxjggiwom

I have found it very useful to solve those very difficult puzzles.

Top left: The sudoku grid. I usually write the initial clues with a color pen. OR: If you are in the final stages of a puzzle, write in only the candidates of the unsolved cells. The solved cells are not relevant.

Bottom left:

123
456
789

I always write this in the margin of any puzzle I do, then I black out the number when it is solved in all boxes. Very useful in the final stages of solving a puzzle.

Solved / Unsolved

At some point, you give up on basics and decide you need to do coloring or look for chains. Fill in the circles for boxes in which the candidate is solved or unsolved. This is a great way to decide on candidates for coloring or chains. When I get to a crunch point, I fill in the diagram for the unsolved. I do not keep track of the solved as I go, but you might want to do so.

Right half:

These are stencils for coloring or looking at patterns. Pick a candidate. In one of the stencils, black out each dot where that candidate occurs.

Your empty rectangles, X-wings, skyscrapers, etc., will be very obvious!

I have found this template very useful to solve puzzles that, a few days ago, I would have gone to the computer to solve. I am now thinking about how to use the coloring stencils for Medusa coloring or XY-chains.

Best wishes,

Keith

[keith]

Here is an example:

http://www.mediafire.com/?3g1cdyzyq2q

It is the Free Press puzzle of 14 March, 2008: