Dutch Flat Mates: Split Ends
(Published on 11. March 2026, 11:00 by marty_sears)
Rules:
Normal sudoku rules apply.
Every 5 in the grid must have a 1 directly above it or a 9 directly below it. It may have both, but it doesn't need both.
Each horizontal blonde line sums to a 2 digit number. These two digits are at the start and end of its row, in some order.
Each vertical brunette line also sums to a 2 digit number. These two digits are at the top and bottom of its column, in some order.
This ruleset is based on my original puzzle Split Ends
Solution code: Column 7 reading downwards
Comments
on 19. April 2026, 19:06 by yusuf17
What a great puzzle.
on 25. March 2026, 01:51 by Drawoon
The breakin was brutal for me. It seemed impossible. I couldn't find the fault in my logic until I solved the previous Split Ends puzzle and read the hidden comments there.
After that bit of frustration, the rest of the puzzle was great :)
on 24. March 2026, 01:51 by virus_dave
Another beauty from the master. Another break-in that's clearly impossible until it suddenly isn't ...
on 14. March 2026, 02:53 by MorsBe
Can't remember the last time I've seen a puzzle with over 100 solves still sitting at a 99% rating, but this one certainly deserves it.
on 13. March 2026, 13:09 by davidz32z
Yes! I'm unreasonably excited that my previous comment led to a new puzzle and such a delightful one at that :)
Dutch flatmates fit with the split line rule surprisingly well, this puzzle was good fun all the way through
Marty: yes thankyou David, I was already going to make a DFM version of the rule anyway, but was glad when you mentioned that idea that I hadn't thought of. It fit so nicely into this and interacted with the DFM ruleset very nicely indeed, leading to this exploring the Split Ends logic in quite different ways from the first one.
on 13. March 2026, 06:16 by Lyouke
I’m never going to beat the “forgets about DFM” allegations.
on 13. March 2026, 03:19 by vorash00
Completely forgot it was a Dutch flat mates puzzle was solving the split lines got stuck couldn’t see where to look. Went to work, on my break opened it and saw the puzzle title and went “oh the Dutch flat mates rule” I became unstuck very quickly and polished it off smoothly thereafter.
on 12. March 2026, 03:35 by Atticus837
Solves really nicely when you remember all the rules...
on 12. March 2026, 02:54 by Angara
Very nice set! But i forgot about 159 rule and get stucked for 20 minutes
on 11. March 2026, 14:46 by eladv
This is amazingly smooth. Just a beauty.
on 11. March 2026, 14:20 by Sedum
Thanks for setting this - very fun
on 11. March 2026, 11:34 by marcmees
Definitely misled me, using different techniques than in the original puzzle. Thanks
on 11. March 2026, 11:15 by Flinty
Smooth as butter... assuming butter really is the 'go-to' for smooth. Thank you for returning to this series with this beauty. :)
