dailysudoku.com

fluffycoffee · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Detroit, MI

Right,
Hello everyone.
I have been bitten by the Sudoku bug. It happened only 3 weeks ago during a trip abroad, and now I can't get enough. If I try hard, I can limit myself to a daily puzzle, but once I start it, I cannot admit defeat. Hence this post. I confess to probably jumping in over my head with "hard" and "very hard" levels, but my nature is to finish what I have started. Okay, okay... I will try and back up to "medium levels" until I earn my Sudoku legs, but for now, I shout HELP on the Wed 5-Apr-2006 Daily - Hard.
Now I know I am not far along, but here is my way too early stumper.

9 x 3 8 7 2 6 x x
x x x 9 x 5 x 2 x
x x x 4 x 1 9 x 8

x x 9 1 5 7 x x x
x x 5 3 2 4 1 x x
x x x 6 9 8 7 x x

3 x 1 7 x x x x x
x 9 x 2 x x x x x
x x 7 5 1 x 8 x 4

The hint (which I hated asking for by the way, Grrrr) said "5" in r8c1. But how can this be? I have it pegged for either a 4,5,6,8 AND I see r7c2 as a potential 5 as well... 2,4,5,6,8 in fact.

Feel free to tell me to pack it up and get back to the "mediums" where I belong, but as I said, I cant stop what I have started. Yes, I will practice more.

Additionally, after looking through this forum briefly, I encountered buzz words like "hidden singles" and "something or other pairs"... do I need a Sudou for dummies manual, please tell me it isn't so.
I am hoping that if I can learn a trick or two with the your help, I can work this through with practice and logic.

SOS and thank you.
fluffycoffee.

Steve R · Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 7:01 pm Post subject: 5 April hard

Hello fluffycoffee.

Bad luck! You have stumbled on a pair.

Scan the seventh row for cells which might admit a 4 or an 8. Only two cells will serve so r7c2 and r7c5 are occupied by 4 and 8 in one or the other order.

As r7c2 does not contain 5, just one cell remains open to 5 in box 7.

Good luck with the rest!

Steve

Korky · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 13 Location: Sheffield, UK

Hello,
Try the following:
First work out what 2 numbers must be in r9c1 and r9c2, then what 2 numbers must be in r8c8 and r8c9. This will enable you to place a number in r8c6.

Just to reassure you, I have solved every hard and very hard puzzle on this site without the use of elaborate techniques. You do need to know about pairs, though.
Good luck!

fluffycoffee · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Detroit, MI

Steve and Korky,
Ta, Cheers and a gool 'ole yank Thanks for taking the time to reply to a beginner post. The light bulb went on like I flipped the xx myself, but acknowledgement goes to the UK. I worked my way through the rest of the puzzle and look forward to the next. I'll keep reading the forum to pick up little kibbles when I can. Thanks again.
Your grateful Detroiter, fluffycoffee.