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When I solved a sample online game on www.sudoku-usa.net, I found it easier to solve for all the numbers. The remaining open cells had to be stars. Likewise if you find a row, column, or 4x3 box already has three stars, then the empty cells have to be digits. I did find that the stars added a degree of difficulty in that you can't use the scanning method in relationship to each other. A star in a row and column doesn't eliminate the possibility that the intersecting cell isn't a star. It may be. The puzzle has shaded areas such as red stripes and a blue field. These are just cosmetic. They do not have any bearing on solving the puzzle. Matt Mayfield the creator of this Sudoku 12x12 puzzle, called Stars & Stripes Sudoku, has written an interactive online game of the same name. The game comes in four difficulty levels. You will need to download and install a Microsoft plugin called Silverlight. It is Microsoft's version of Flash. You can download the plugin at www.microsoft.com/SILVERLIGHT/ or www.sudoku-usa.net. Prefer a paper puzzle? Matt has also written a book with 100 of his Stars & Stripes Sudoku 12x12 puzzles. It is available at
my Amazon store
(It's on page 4.) or at
Amazon. Give it a try! Return to Sudoku Puzzle Books.
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