Valerie from Central Texas

Hi SCOURGE 2 BUNNIES.
I will be than pleased if You have give me a chance to know Your name (real Name) may be becuase Iam from Eastern Country I have no idea about real names ,also It takes me 1/2 an Hour to check mt Atlas and maps of Countries around the world looking of s2b which You are from without any answer. Any way.

Congratulation to have your own page,I am very pleased to be the first One visiting You having with me these very beautiful flowers hope you enjoy it.
You are to your own page.
You are to my own page.
You are to visit my 'Egyptian Guest House' any and every time you wish to enjoy my photos of Egypt and to hear the Egyptian music and songs.

Scourge2bunnies - Just dropping in to say Hi - Mary

Hi Val,regarding your query about yesterday's tough :When you make b5=3,there seems to be no contradiction in any of the cells you list.The middle three boxes are then filled with 1s,3s,7, and 8s without contradiction.(A contradiction only arises later when more cells are filled in other parts of the puzzle).My proof showed that whether e7=2 or 4, a short sequence makes e6=3.BTW:You and Sotir both said basic techniques to UP 43.I found it quite hard to get there.All the best, Alfred.

Hi Alfred! As I understand it from Mr. Stephens' book, an XY-Wing occurs when 3 boxes each contain pairs of the numbers X, Y, and Z in the arrangement XY, XZ, YZ. In this case, any value of Z that is related to both XZ and YZ may be deleted without needing to show a contradiction first. Mr. Stephens states that "whichever value goes into the XY square, one of the other squares will have to hold the Z value. The Z candidate can therefore be removed from any squares that are related to *both* the XY and XZ squares." p.109, "Mastering Sudoku."

This XY-Wing is simply a shortcut to get where you went without needing to prove a contradiction first.

As for basic techniquest to 43 solved, I just stared and stared at it, and re-did the possibilities until it worked out. If you tell me where you got stuck, I'll go back through my steps and figure out how to un-stick you. It wasn't easy for me, either!!!! :-)

Alfred--I just went back through and re-solved 9/21 tough up to 43 squares. There are definitely a few hot spots where I got stuck, even though I was doing it for the second time.

The thing that got me over the worst hump was finding a 46 hidden pair in row5 that removed 8 from 4H, thus allowing 5G&H to claim 8 for row 5. This removed 8 from 5D&F, which was a big help!

VAL

I've done more research and realized that my XY-Wing is wrong!! *cries* Thank you, Alfred, for pointing this out and encouraging me to look deeper. The book doesn't describe how the pairs must be arranged regarding areas, but I learned that my XY-Wing would have had to have 2 pairs in the same box to be valid. If the 3 pairs are in different boxes, XZ and YZ must be related to XY by a row and a column (one each), forming a triangle. I guess it's back to the drawing board. Thanks again, Alfred!

Hi Valerie,thanks for your detailed email.I must admit I'm not much into the X-Y wing bit.When someone posts a solution using this method, I get the gist of it,and see where the contradiction occurs,but I can't use it myself.Bit like someone who can understand a language,but has trouble speaking it.I usually look for sequences that lead either to a contradiction, or a confirmation.Like in chess, where I look first at forcing moves,like checks and captures, which are easier to calculate.Regards,Alfred.

Hi again Valerie,regarding today's tough:I think you are referring to the g column (not h).Being used to an 8x8 chessboard,I often make that mistake too.I am not familiar with the method you mention,but to pin down a number in the g column,you must refer to cells elsewhere in the puzzle,somewhere in the proof.I have posted a proof today,bit similar to Sotir's,but less technical.See you, Alfred.

Valerie,sorry to through a spanner in the works,but I think you need to check your calculations.You say "This left me with 1/4 and 2/5 as the only viable possibilities for g7 and g5.",yet you go on to prove g7=4 (other than 2/5).To my understanding,there is a quadruple in column g : g4=2/5;g5=2/4/5;g7=1/4 and g8=1/2.The only way this can be resolved is to go outside column g.Hope this makes sense. See you,Alfred.

Just dropping in to wish you a Happy Birthday - enjoy your day, Mary

Valerie!
Looks like you are a serious puzzler
Hope your day is all you wish it to be

Hi Valerie - to you! I hope you have a great day!

Valerie, have a wonderfully sudoku day

Valerie make it a day to remember.

Happy birthday Valerie, have a wonderful day celebrating.

Happy two-day site birthday Valerie! Enjoy!

Valerie, have a wonderful day

Valerie! Hope you have a fabulous day!

Hey, Valerie.
Happy Advancing in age.

What part of Central Texas are you in. I am a little town, near Waco. Actually, I do not know where I am. Address says Riesel. But I get the pleasure of paying both Falls and McC. taxes.
It is nice, knowing someone else is around here.

Many happy returns Valerie. Hope this coming year is full of joy.

Valerie,have a wonderful day full of surprises.