Linked In Mini Sudoku

[pinkagape]

Tom and Neil:

You’re often much much faster than me, like half my time, on mini sudoku. Do you have a quick way of entering the numbers, or are you twice as fast as me and spotting the missing numbers?

[DavidC]

Great question - I'm looking forward to the answer too!

[Nilz]

My instinct was to say that, yes I'm possibly faster at entering the numbers, but I guess I'm probably also a bit faster at spotting the logic. Hard to say which is the greater factor without watching your attempts. Presumably typing speed is the slightly bigger factor, it's not like I'm that much faster than you at sudoku normally?

I don't think I've got any special techniques apart from utilising both hands! Well, thumbs...

I did learn the other day that Tom solves the sudoku specifically (not usually the other puzzles, I think) on a laptop. That, apparently, does much a huge difference to entering speed, being able to use a mouse and keyboard. So I don't feel so bad about always being behind him now!

[pinkagape]

I was curious about device. Laptop is worth a consideration.

I’m finding these 6x6 sudoku interesting because there always feels like a similar filling pattern after the first few digits, so I feel like I’m getting better at them. I can believe that you’ve cracked the speed of the generic filling and can do that faster than me, but yes, my reason for the post was that we're often a similar speed at sudoku in competition, so being twice as fast on these puzzles felt like I was missing something.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[pinkagape]

If I do switch to laptop for sudoku, I’d be tempted to try crossclimb there too, as I find my device lags on that one and the typing might be faster too.

Oh - I found Reunion on your YouTube channel the other day and am enjoying that too. Thank you.

[Nilz]

Yes for the second half of the solve, entering speed is by far the main driver, there's not a lot to think about usually.

I think you're right that Crossclimb is likely to be the only other puzzle where a laptop would help, I'll be interested to see how much your times improve if you do make that switch.
For Zip, in particular, laptop is probably actually a disadvantage (unless it's touchscreen, I suppose).

And I'm glad someone has found something on my channel useful or interesting, thanks!

[pinkagape]

I used a laptop today. You beat me, but it felt way faster on the wrap up, so I think I would have lost by more if I hadn't had a laptop. it just took me a while to get started. I think I'll stick with the laptop for a few tries and see if I can get a good rhythm going.

[detuned]

Sorry, been taking a hiatus from the forum for a bit, though Neil did mention there was a thread talking about this.

For Queens / Zip / Tango, I think it's much of a muchness on phone or mouse/keyboard.

For 6x6 Mini / Crossclimb, keyboard and mouse is definitely much quicker. I doubt I could do less than 20s on the mini on phone - but on laptop hoping to come close to 10s. Let's see. The interface is a little bit annoying when it pulses to finish a box - my best is currently 13 but annoyingly I know someone who has 12,

For pinpoint there's no timer

Beyond that, there's definitely a bit of a technique in doing very easy classics fast. Usually I focus on doing entire boxes at a time where possible - and failing that, getting all instances of one digit. Feels like at least one of those things is always true. I should add that my times are usually pretty competitive - I think I have a winning record against most (if not all) of my connections, which includes a top 10 solver, and also includes Thomas who sets the damn puzzles! This suggests probably it's the solving interface as much as solving ability...

[DavidC]

Really interesting - thanks everyone

[pinkagape]

I've been using the laptop for sudoku and crossclimb for a few days now. I've closed the gap a little with the laptop, but you're still both much faster with the sudoku - I think doing these daily will be good for my speed in general. Crossclimb has sorted out my problems entirely - it doesn't crash any more and I can type faster.

Really interesting the speed issues here. It makes me glad that the GP rounds are long enough that printer differences should broadly cancel out.

[detuned]

The GP has a separate issue with people using iPads… it’s basically as good as pencil/paper to solve, you get much better erasing/undo, and you get no print time. I’d say it’s worth 3-5 mins over doing it the old fashioned way. It’s not huge, but equally it’s not nothing - if you wanted to take things seriously that’s what you’d do.

I have sporadically mentioned this to Wei-hwa a couple of times, he seemed either to have not realised this or to not be bothered by it.

[detuned]

Ps I’ve now seen Freddie’s times and I retract any comment I made earlier about me being competitive

[Puzzle_Maestro]

I'll have to start using a laptop for the mini sudoku and the crossclimb now

[pinkagape]

When I click too fast on Tango, the screen zooms in and I have to zoom back out again. Am I missing something there Freddie? Feels like you’re clicking very fast on this.

[Puzzle_Maestro]

I've never had that issue, I imagine it's device-dependent (I'm using safari on iOS 26.0.1). There might be a way to disable it in settings?

[detuned]

I find that happens a lot on puzzle duel Adam, haven’t found any sort of a solution though… the interface is too rubbish and the puzzles a bit too variable for me to care that much though.

Couple of other thoughts on linked in:

I think zip might be slightly better on phone - I had a good clean run this morning in a way that never quite happens when I’m dragging with a mouse.

On queens, it’s been pointed out you can tell who is cheating by using the auto x feature (I don’t use this as I don’t want to get lazy re solving star battle on paper). Basically their solve doesn’t show up as “flawless” on the leaderboard, which I think makes a big difference. For the easy puzzles I think the auto x basically turns queens into a reaction test à la akari. I think this mostly explains why non puzzle people are way up the leaderboard on this one, including in some cases beyond Freddie!