Timing TBLR Sudoku, 1/29/10-2/11/10

I’ve modified my strategy to scan the rows, columns and 3 X 3 boxes to see if there are any with six or more numbers in them. If there aren’t any, then I just start my usual scan. Drew Brees said that the Saints took what the Colts gave them. It’s generally a good thing to take what the puzzle gives you.

For those who are just tuning in, this is one of a series of posts where I show how long it takes for me to do a Sudoku puzzle with the additional restriction of having to fill in the numbers in top-to-bottom, left-to-right order. Hence the name TBLR Sudoku.

Here are the times from the past two weeks.

2/11/10 – 4-Star Sudoku in the Star-Tribune, done filling in the numbers top-to-bottom, left-to-right, in 46:06, nowhere near my personal best, but any completion is good.
2/10/10 – 3-Star, Fail. I got some numbers switched around in my mind.
2/09/10 – 2-Star, 35:29
2/08/10 – 1-Star, 26:07
2/07/10 – Didn’t do the puzzle, was preoccupied with the Super Bowl
2/06/10 – 6-Star, completed the puzzle but didn’t time it. It just didn’t seem right to tell a hungry child “Can’t you see I’m working on this puzzle, and timing it?”
2/05/10 – 5-Star, Fail. It had something to do with getting alternative possibilities mixed up in my head.
2/04/10 – 4-Star, Fail. My previous fail before this one was on January 15, so I had a nice run of puzzle success.
2/03/10 – 3-Star, 1:09:20. At many times the opportunity to just make a choice and see if it works presented itself, but I resisted temptation.
2/02/10 – 2-Star, 29:57
2/01/10 – Didn’t do the puzzle, not really sure why. I believe I did it, but somehow didn’t record my time.
1/31/10 – 5-Star, 57:21
1/30/10 – 6-Star, 1:05:00
1/29/10 – 5-Star, 51:50

There were no new personal bests this week, so the personal bests are unchanged from the last post.

1-Star: 18:13, 11/23/09
2-Star: 20:24, 1/12/10
3-Star: 31:46, 1/20/10
4-Star: 33:37, 1/28/10
5-Star: 39:58, 12/11/09
6-Star: 53:38, 1/23/10

I’m hoping that someone will read these posts, and realize that I’m occasionally capable of a certain degree of concentration.

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