![]() It would have been nice to have some patterns that are immediately recognizable. I thought, finally, I have arrived! One reason why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 is that there is no mention of the "finned" versions of this "fish" family. I skipped the introduction and started with Chapter 7, the X-wing family (a.k.a. After reading customer reviews, I settled on Gordon's book, Absolutely Nasty Sudoku Level 2 (by Longo), and a blank Sudoku book (by Clarke best purchase ever). Still, I immediately learned some basic techniques, the most helpful being the various "unique rectangles." I then decided to find a print book that had good explanations. The problem with online sources, even the best ones such as HoDoKu, is that they have poor and circular definitions (I am a mathematician with a Ph.D. I learned a few advanced techniques by using the "Hint" feature and looking up the names of the tricks online. There comes a point when finishing a puzzle under two minutes is not satisfactory, so I recently tried the "Expert" level of the Brainium app. I have figured out the elementary scanning and elimination techniques on my own and been playing "Hard" Sudoku for at least a decade. I'm always astounded at how Frank is able to find so many ways to make each of his puzzles unique and challenging. I have increased my skill significantly and find Sudoku Puzzle solving more satisfying than ever. This book is money well spent! It allows you to decide what puzzle techniques you wish to learn and which ones you don’t with room to grow when and if you're ready. I appreciate the way most publishers approach the size to keep the cost down. Keep in mind that to put 800 puzzles in a book with pages large enough to manage those of us challenged with penmanship issues would require an extremely large book and add significantly to the cost. I don’t have the best handwriting, yes even printing, so I need the larger size. I put several blank one’s on a clipboard and copy a puzzle from any size book so I can more easily write. I hand write the puzzle numbers to the blank grid and play from there. If you find the puzzles too small for your writing style, download one of the printable blank grids available on several websites and copy your puzzles to the larger letter size paper. But XY-Wings, X-Wings, Gordonian Rectangles, Swordfish and other identifiable solving techniques with specific methods for eliminating candidates without having to make assumptions, that works for me. I’m personally not a big fan of Grid Coloring & Long Forcing Chains, so I ignore them, for now. It all depends on how much effort you want to put into it. If you’re working toward being a Master Sudoku Puzzler, this book will put you well on your way. If you’re looking for just basic Sudoku Puzzle ability, this book will get the job done. But you can use some of the websites that are available to supplement your education. ![]() Don’t get in a hurry to advance or you will miss the genius of their approach and will not develop the skill you’re looking for.Īre all of your questions going to be answered in this book? Probably not. If you are more advanced, just start solving higher puzzle numbers until you find the difficulty you’re looking for and start working from there puzzle but puzzle. Each puzzle has its own personality that makes solving each one unique even if at the same skill level. Peter and Frank Longo put the puzzles in an order that allows you to gain experience and increase your ability in a gentle sloping manner. If you’re still learning basics, start at the beginning and work your way up. After the last chapter, you will find another 700 puzzles starting from easy to hard. It doesn’t address all the solving techniques apparently in the puzzles today, but it gets you well down the road.Īfter each chapter you will find 12 puzzles specific to the chapter lesson. Peter’s book, Solving Sudoku (Mensa Guide to Solving Sudoku is same book only published earlier), is written in a way to take you from the most basic puzzle to the most complex. Sam Aaron has a good book too, although he does make a couple of mistakes that took a bit for me to figure out. I’ve been solving Sudoku Puzzles for several years but became bored with the basic puzzles, so I started searching for a how to book. I don’t usually write reviews, but this book is so incredibly well written I had to take the time to write this.
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