Crossword Puzzles Solving Tips

In order to solve crossword puzzles, you need to begin by taking steps to prepare yourself. A couple of handy items to have are a dictionary and thesaurus, so that you will not get hung up by confusing words and phrases. Other necessities are a good, sharp pencil or two, and an eraser. You will also want to be sitting at a table or desk in a well lit area.

Start by reading over all the clues.This will give you a good idea about which ones are easy, and which ones may give you some problems. It can also help you to mark the clues according to difficulty, by making a check mark by clues you can solve easily, and circling the difficult clues you may need to research in order to solve. You may want to take a break and rest your mind regularly, especially if you are solving one of the larger puzzles.   

When solving crosswords, you will give yourself a head start on the harder, longer words, and eliminate a majority of the puzzle.  by filling in all the easy clues first. You can break the puzzle into blocks, across and down, until you reach the end of the clue list. Sometimes there may be a clue that could have two or more solutions. You can write all of the possible answers down alongside their respective clues until you fill in enough squares to exclude the words that do not fit.

Once you finish with all the easy clues, start on the longer words. Use a dictionary or thesaurus if you encounter a word with which you are unfamiliar. You could also refer to a Bible or an encyclopedia, if the clue will refers to a Biblical quote, or to a specific location or an event in history. Work through these clues in the same way you did with the easy clues, block by block.  

As more words get filled in, the puzzle will get easier to solve, especially since some of the squares will be filled in when solving previous clues.

A lot of times, the harder clues will be a play on words that are related to the theme of the crossword puzzle, so you may have to take the theme of the puzzle into consideration in order to solve it. After that, you may be able to solve the crossword by process of elimination and by using some simple logic.  

On occasion, the puzzle author may use some little tricks, like using numbers or symbols to complete parts of  words or phrases. Solving a puzzle like this will require a little creativity on your part. For instance, a puzzle may have the word "arrow" in each theme related clue, and that may indicate a need to put an actual arrow where these clues intersect. Sometimes, you may have to replace a word with a number.

By using these simple tips, you should find that solving crossword puzzles is not as hard as you thought. Keep solving crosswords, so you will get that great feeling of accomplishment relieve some of the stress of your day, and also exercise your mind.

How Solving Sudoku Can Be Done in Six Easy Steps

The object of the game is to complete the grid with the numbers one through nine, using each number only once in its designated square. The puzzles come in varying levels of difficultly starting with easy and ending in torturous. In order to solve the puzzle properly, the player must use logic, deductive reasoning, and intense analysis.

The major rule in solving Sudoku is this: the player must fill in each cell of the 9 x 9 grid with the numbers from one through nine using each of the numbers only once in every row, every column, and in every cell of each 3 x 3 grid. The quickest way to solve the game is to look for the possible numbers that can go in each row or column. The player needs to examine what numbers could possibly work in each location (it's a methodical process). Once a number is placed in its box, no other box in that row, column, or block can use that number. While a player is learning the ropes, a record can be kept of what's a possible number(s) for that box by writing in very small print in the box. Eventually the solution will start to become evident.

A player should follow these steps to solve a Sudoku puzzle grid: (1) Write all the possible numbers that can be used in each row, column, or block in small print in the corner of the grid squares which are causing the most difficulty. (2) Add all the possible numbers to the grid one-by-one. (3) Be aware at all times that a number is to be used only once in the same row, column, or 9 x 9 blocks. (4) There is always the chance that circumstances will dictate that there is more than a single choice for one block. Don't panic. Go on back to steps two and four again (always use a pencil and eraser in the beginning). (5) Keeping in mind step three, remove all the numbers that cannot possibly go in the cell. This may be a bit confusing so be aware of each number being used. For example, if two cells already have two or six and both should be in the cell, other empty cells in the row or column should not contain either of these two numbers. (6) Finally, always check the results. When all of the numbers of each row, column, or block are totaled (added), the sum (total) must be forty-five. This is a great check.

Although the six steps may seem to be difficult to follow, read each step and try to analyze what it is trying to convey. It really is not as difficult as it may seem. When solving Sudoku, patience and persistence are required, along with careful thinking. Remember that most important tip: have fun with it!