Comments on Puzzle #21311: For Jota...
By Tom King (sgusa)
peek at solution solve puzzle
quality: 
difficulty: 
solvability: moderate lookahead
peek at solution solve puzzle
quality: difficulty: solvability: moderate lookahead
Puzzle Description:
Hugo Chavez with his pistols.... Sell oil to us and get our gas prices under $4/gallon (hit it yesterday in Washington at $4.05).
#1: Jota (jota) on Mar 10, 2013
WOW! Thanks Tom! Good one!#2: Tom O'Connell (sensei69) on May 24, 2013
Finally, I solved this!#3: Web Paint-By-Number Robot (webpbn) on Jun 14, 2013
Found to be solvable with moderate lookahead by gator.#4: Gator (gator) on Jun 14, 2013 [HINT]
All steps are not likely required, but this is how I did it. Line logic between steps...#5: Tom King (sgusa) on Sep 24, 2013
As there is no line logic at the start, edge logic with the 9 clue in column 1 will completely place it.
Edge logic with the 10 clue in column 20 makes R18C20-R20C20 dots.
Edge logic with the 2 clue in row 20 makes R20C13-14 dots. IEL with the 3 clue in column 13 makes R18C13 and R19C13 dots. IEL with the 6 clue in column 14 makes R19C14 a dot.
Two-way logic around R7C13 will make R8C12 always black.
If you try to place the 6 clue in column 14 as high as it will go (starting at R9C14), then R12C13 and R15C13 (from the 2nd move ahead) would be dots. This makes column 13 invalid as you would not be able to place the 3 clue. So R15C14 must be black.
Looking at the 4 clue in column 19, no matter how it is placed the 2 clue in column 18 will result from that placement. That lets us dot R4C18-R11C18. (And R16C18 and R19C18 happen to also also be dots no matter how the 4 clue is placed.)
If the 3 clue in row 15 is placed at R15C9-11, this makes R9C9 part of the 3 clue in column 9. Looking two moves ahead, column 10 becomes invalid (from R11C10 and R15C10 being black). So R15C9-11 are dots. The same situation occurs if either R13C10 or R14C10 are made black. So these also have to be dots. Line logic to finish.
Very difficult but satisfying solve!
Thanks, Gator! I am always confused by the difficulty rating of puzzles. When I made it, I thought it was tougher than average... Tom#6: Norma Dee (norm0908) on Sep 25, 2013
Tom King! Where have you been? We missed you.#7: Tom King (sgusa) on Sep 25, 2013
Thanks, Norma. Spending time doing things that needed to be done. I also couldn't log into puzzles for a couple of weeks and hit the back burner.... Tom
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