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gohast · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Dublin, Ireland

I've just started back into trying the VH puzzles. I've been reading the discussion threads here on each puzzle as a guide and have got a bit confused. X wing, XY wing and XYZ wing are ok, as are Unique Rectangles but I've seen reference to Skyscrapers and APE's recently. Question

How many techniques do I have to know to do the VH's?

TIA - Graham

BTW for anyone thinking of trying VH's I found the explanations at
http://www.brainbashers.com/sudokuhelp.asp
really clear.

Marty R. · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:10 am Post subject:

Graham,

The VH puzzles are all supposed to be solvable with X, XY and XYZ-Wings. However, people use a variety of techniques for various reasons. One reason might be that they like to look for other techniques to use, another might be that the sequence in which they look for techniques can turn up things other than the required ones. Thus, many of the threads talk about numerous techniques for the same puzzle.

Good luck as you return to the world of the VHs. Don't hesitate to make a comment or ask a question, the more the merrier.

Marty

gohast · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Thanks Marty. I understand that other people use more advanced techniques, just wondering how many I had to know to do them. It is starting to come together, at last........ Smile

storm_norm · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 1741

IMHO... if you go back through the archives of VH puzzles, I felt there was a subtle increase in difficulty at some point

for example, in some of the earliest posts there was only talk about naked pairs and hidden pairs , triples, etc for VH

then it started to change to discussions on wings. to me, this suggests a subtle change, not much of a change, but just enough to warrant my interest in other techniques and thus my total addiction.

gohast · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Dublin, Ireland

I agree. At one point I could do the VH puzzles 75% of the time. Then that changed, I couldn't do them at all. Not having time to follow up the Wings etc. I stopped doing them. A week off in lovely peacful Sligo, laptop, wifi and lots of coffee are the answer. Laughing

keith · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:56 pm Post subject:

May 2, 2006 was the first "Very Hard" that required a wing. It could also be solved by Unique Rectangles. Here is the discussion:

http://www.dailysudoku.co.uk/sudoku/forums/viewtopic.php?t=722

Keith

keith · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject:

gohast · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Hi Keith

I am studying to get my wings Laughing

Why do you despise the X variety?

Graham

Marty R. · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:17 am Post subject:

I don't like looking for X-Wings, it seems more tedious than looking for other patterns. But I love them when I find them.

keith · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:05 am Post subject:

gohast · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Yes, X wings are easy to understand but hard to spot.