I have won several times over the past year and I do not think I have ever solved the puzzle in under xxxx minuts. My typical win times are xxxx-xxxx min. frequently I take xxxx-xxxx min but I don't think I have ever won with a time over xxxx min. Usually if I take over xxxx min I just complete the puzzle and don't hit submitt. (Message edited by Admin because it contained info that may be misused for the Contest.)

if you solve all puzzels in 1 or 2 min either youre world champ material (congrats!) or faking. no wonder they rerfuse to mention time clocked by winners.

i solve the puzzle every time less than 1 or 2mintues.so why i mnot win.please tell me whats the reason behind this

We wish to clarify that the selection of the winner is not random; the prize is awarded to the participant who is closest in time, to the ideal time allotted to a given puzzle, automatically by our system, based on its difficulty level.

Hope this clarifies.

I am glad to see that the selection is random and not just the fastest since it is possible to cheat by many ways. This is the fairest way to pick the winner since those that have to cheat dont have any advantage over the rest of us.
I would still like to see a list of the top 20 fastest times since I still try to better my time and I have a "clutter" problem in my email.
Thanks and keep the puzzles coming.

Hi,

Thank you for mail.

Slow or fast in answering is not the criteria for winning. But winner of the day is automatically selected by the system, from one among all the participants with correct entries that matches with the correct solution already fed into it.

This also may be noted that for some Sudoku Puzzles, there may be more than one correct solutions, but only the correct solution that matches with the entries already fed into the system is taken as correct in considering the winner.

Hope this clarifies.

Wish you all success in future contests.

I may have to tend to others while working on the sudoku. My time would always be long. But I enjoy doing them anyway. So, if you must time them, it's ok with me.

There is one easy way to stop the cheating is to disqualify redos. Once you click on the puzzle of the day, the server tracks the name and the time it was first clicked. If you click on the puzzle a second time, you can work it, but it wont qualify.

It would be nice to give some of us who are a little slower than others a chance to win also.

Until one of you all made a comment that you could redo the puzzle, I had no idea you could and thereby cheat. I wish there was a way to stop it but even if there is no way, it would be nice to see how quickly it does take. Is there any way it can be done? I am also reading about how to increase my speed (and how to better play sudoku) and the hints are working. I believe I see better since I started reading the two books from here. I hope this new "vision" I have stays and improves. Are there any others who are not doing these in under 2 minutes? I'm guessing so.

If folks are going to "cheat," they are going to "cheat." And if the sponser changes the way they monitor for "cheating," the "cheater" will find another way to "cheat." There is not much the sponser can do about it. But, like the last two posts; I too, would like to see some number of the top times. Additionally, it would be nice to see
1) average and mean solving times
2) number of attempts and number of correct completions
3) A curve showing Number of correct completions versus solving time in 1/4 minute increments.

If folks are going to "cheat," they are going to "cheat." And if the sponser changes the way they monitor for "cheating," the "cheater" will find another way to "cheat." There is not much the sponser can do about it. But, like the last two posts; I too, would like to see some number of the top times. Additionally, it would be nice to see
1) average and mean solving times
2) number of attempts and number of correct completions
3) A curve showing Number of correct completions versus solving time in 1/4 minute increments.

I also think it would be nice to see at least the top 20 or 30 times. I keep picking up little helps to speed up my solving time from your book but I still dont know how well I do compared to others. You dont have to list names, just times (except for the winner of course). There is plenty of room at the bottom of the solved puzzle page. Maybe - if we all channel - it shall come to pass.?

to see how long the puzzle does take to complete. Can our blogmaster do something like that? Perhaps not everyone who enters but perhaps the top 20? It would give a better idea on how fast the speediest are and will give the rest of us a log showing how much faster we get with practice. What do you think??

True, I think considering the names of all those who have completed the puzzle within a timelimit and then selecting the winner by draw would be a better idea!!!

Because you can start each puzzle over again if you make a mistake, someone could copy the puzzle on paper, solve it, and then type in the answer. After a few tries, you could figure out the minimum time limit and hit enter just over that time and be the fastest. I think a random drawing of the winning answers would be more fair or not allowing anyone to redo a puzzle after starting it.

I am not a quick solver and if there are people who can solve any puzzle in under 2 minutes then I am in a league way over my head. For example, today's puzzle (not terribly difficult, but still...) it took me nearly 8 minutes to solve it. I had no idea there were such geniuses who can do it in under 2 minutes. What is the secret? I have purchased the how to solve sudoku and am working on speeding up but I'm rather doubtful that I will ever see a 2 minute puzzle without using pencil and marks (remembering everything takes time as one ages). Oh well, I guess I will enter for the fun as it is obvious I won't be winning any time soon with 2 minute solvers on board. It's my envy speaking and I want to know HOW to solve in under 2 minutes. All suggestions appreciated. :)

the sponsor or admin of the puzzle of the day.tell me what should be the minimum timing to solve the puzzle.because i m very fast solver i gernally solve the puzzles in less than 2mintues

Interesting Sudoku Browser

...Since you're expoected to solve 'in situ' (in this site itself), the sponsors expect you to solve them without the use of any external aids, which is clear in the 'Terms'.

Thanks for asking, btw.

Can we solve the sudoku using the pencilmarking in this website?

i did not check the message board.

...in the Message Board, and you'll know who won on 17th. :~)

did we get the winner for the june 17. i almost forgot to check, now it is not there in hall of fame link.

Hi,

We have sent you the details thru mail
separately and also you can see the info. in your private messages folder.
And, if you need any further clarification regarding this, please
contact us thru 'private messages'.
Thanks.

oh i won prize of 17.
i want to know how to receive the prize?????

i think there was only 1 solution for june 19'th puzzle. i made a mistake and came to a situation for 2 solution....

I can really only find 1 solution, but I do not want to be too cocky and if there is a second solution, I would like to learn how to find it, because then obviously I am missing something here.
M. van Dinther

At the outset, we wish to clarify that on June 13, the server was down for most of the day, and we had also announced earlier that there would be no daily puzzle contest on that date.

After shifting to a new server, we are fixing the teething difficulties (that can be expected).

As the selection of the winner of the puzzle of the day contest is completely automated, we are unable to do anything about the issue of non-selection of a winner for June 17. However, as you must have observed, although the winner's name for June 18 was not announced initially, subsequently, it has been displayed in the Hall of Fame on the site. This delay is due to the differences in the features between the 2 servers.

Hence, just wait for a couple of days. If during this interim, the computer does not select the winner, we will take a decision and manually intervene to determine the winner for June 17.

As far as the posting of rankings of contestants is concerned, this issue has already been discussed and laid to rest, earlier.

Without commenting on whether there could be two solutions for the puzzle on June 19, we wish to assure you all that the computer will take the existence of multiple solutions into account while selecting the winner.

looks like you can have 2 solution for june 19'th puzzle lets see if they find any winner for this day...

It is surprize why mod did not reply for last few mails about no winner for june 17'th. Admin please do something with wonderful background software otherwise it is like lottery system depends on your luck ..., if you are lucky software will pick u otherwise no win or some random win....

My solution was correct also what is going on? This is not the first time this has been happen on several occasions now.

Ave, Eva!
3:02 is a fabulous time.
Looks like there's "no solution" for 6/18 too. I guess it's just for fun now...

my answer is also correct and i solved in 3 minutes 2 seconds. which is pretty good for me. i was thinking of winning it.but how come no winner...??

Might as well pile on. I submitted my correct solution for 6/17 in about 6.5 minutes, which is good for me. I sent an email to the help desk but no response so far.

I find it difficult to learn, that no correct solutions were submitted on June 17, 2006, while my solution had no errors.
What criteria do you use ?

As have at least 3 others, I also submitted a correct solution on 6/17/06. What is your criteria for selection? What is the latest time the puzzles can be submitted? There must be some logical reason, unless you ran out of money to pay winners!

I have also submitted correctly and possibly very quickly.Such declaration is disheartening.
Pradip.(E-mail: prakumu@yahoo.co.in)

my solution is correct and i had pretty good time too...i do not know but since we moved to new server there is some problem with the background software....

I have checked my solution with the one posted and I found that I have got the puzzle correct. Howe come then there is no winner for 17th?

This is same request i posted sometime back. just wanted to ask one more time if the ranking of the day can be posted. and at the end of the month we see month ranking..... it will give people more competitive spirit even though they do not win puzzle of the day...
This is not asking posting the winning time since admin already told us that they can not post the time...
but i do not see any harm posting the ranking...

to admin: i want to see my mistake in sudoku. how to???

To: Luckysky12v.
You can check the time zones in the web. See "timeanddate.com".
When Tokyo's markets open at 7:30 am, is 7:30 pm in N. York. I guess it will be 6:30 am in Saigon.
Hope this will help you.... But what has this have to do with solving Sudokus?.

Winner was selected for 15th June 2006, but because of some technical error, it was shown like that. Now, you
can check for the winner's name.
Thanks.

i argee with eva. my solution is correct but not win???

Why there is no winner for some days..
i see that my solution is correct then why there is no winner....

i'm in viet nam. and the time in my country different from it in your country.
so, i want to know: if it were 12h EST, what time would it be in viet nam?

I agree with the present concept. but i still stick to my original request of posting winning time. it gives me competitive spirit. if i do not know how i am doing compare to other people i never know where to improve, i just know that i am not doing great to win. but how much this can only be figured if we have winning time posted.

if winning time is not posted can we post the ranking. like who came first and what is my ranking for the day. so atleast i know where do i stand and how to improve.

I do.
I have never encountered a problem to enter a Sudoku solution. When I miss a day, it has been due to my personal schedule.
Excellent site to learn, practice and excel.