XV*Magic 9
(Published on 1. March 2025, 08:32 by NurglesGift)
Normal sudoku rules apply.
Cells connected by an X must sum to 10.
Cells connected by an V must sum to 5.
All X's and V's are given.
There is a 3x3 magic square somewhere in the grid.
(A magic square is a 3x3 square with the digits 1-9 where all rows, columns and diagonals have the same sum)
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Feel free to recommend this puzzle to anyone.
Feel free to take special rules for your own puzzle.
Feel free to give feedback.
Bless you!
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Solution code: give the digits of column 4 (top to bottom)
Comments
on 3. March 2025, 23:14 by JohnBoggs
@NurglesGift
Ah, I must have missed that from the previous puzzle. That hint is very useful, I will give it a try on the next one! Thank you.
on 2. March 2025, 17:30 by alexsmart
Surprised by the 3* rating here. Not particularly challenging if you have been following along in the series.
on 2. March 2025, 08:15 by NurglesGift
Thank you everyone.
@JohnBoggs I wrote this on the last puzzle
(Magic Square Spoiler)
Well you can find many places that explain Magic squares. but to make it simple. 5 must always be in the middle, the 4 corners must always be even. from that the puzzle will give you a 2-4 pair and a 9 in the middle of them.
if you try to rotate/mirror the magic square you will run into negative constraint somewhere else in the puzzle
no guessing/bifurcation is needed to find a unique solution
on 2. March 2025, 03:58 by JohnBoggs
I've asked previously on Nurgles' XV Magic, sometimes there are cases where the magic square just appears while solving normally, so I color the code to the All X's/V's constraint, and I am left with bifornicating (entering 1,4,6,9 and swapping with 2,3,7,8). Am I missing something? Or do these puzzles have 4 solutions?
Not to say its not a fun puzzle, would just love to know how to improve my solving!
on 1. March 2025, 20:04 by wuc
Awesome. All the details about magic squares are required here. Therefore 3* for me. Great fun thx.
on 1. March 2025, 20:04 by wuc
Awesome. All the details about magic squares are required here. Theregor 3* for me. Great fun thx.
on 1. March 2025, 11:56 by drbs
I love these puzzles.
on 1. March 2025, 11:19 by AnebodaSlatorp
Thank you
on 1. March 2025, 09:44 by Marigold
As good as usual
