Listener 4049: The Domino Effect by Googly

[turnerjmw]

The dreaded numbers. Googly was last seen in November 2006 with Solve Two, Get One Free.

I enjoyed this. Not too much heavy duty calculator work, and it all fell smoothly into place. Cheers, Googly

[kwyjibo]

This just seemed to be trial and error rather than logic. I still don't understand why The Listener persists with number puzzles.

[perseverer]

I think that's a bit unfair. As has been said, you have to admire the skill of the setter in ensuring there is a unique solution. A good proportion of the values could be worked out by logic, and some guesswork about what the missing words might be paid dividends. Where trial and error is required, a simple spreadsheet helps, though purists might quibble.

I was looking forward to knocking all the domioes down!

[starwalker]

... and suddenly all becomes clear. (kick, kick)

[Clamzy]

I wouldn't quibble with those who use spreadsheets (whatever they may be), but for me it would spoil the fun. I did enjoy this one which proved a sterner test than the May number puzzle. Thanks to Googly
I wonder if it would have been possible to arrange the 28 dominoes within a 9 x 9 square such that they were connected as in the actual game?.
I was somewhat dismayed to read the post by Cruciverbals last Friday at 16.59 (Question 802031). I would hate to have to revert to waiting three weeks to discuss something published in a National Newspaper and on-line. Lets hope that Answerbank continues.

[robinruth]

Kwijibo, for us there was a lot of trial and error but the error chains soon led nowhere and the trials were usually only a question of evaluating five to ten numbers. It was hard logic that won over in the end. Though I find these almost impossibly difficult, it seems only fair that the mathematically unchallenged should have their day four times a year. I am sure they need to reduce the number of people at that mythical annual dinner in the Listener Valhalla.

[jamesah]

Not making much progress with this! If it isn't giving too much away could someone confirm that one of the letters is equal to 1? That would encourage me to carry on.

[perseverer]

jamesah - yes!

[kwyjibo]

I take all that on board and I do (usually) end up enjoying the numbers games. I made a stupid assumption early on that led me up the garden path and I nearly abandoned it at the thought of starting over again, so maybe that's why I didnt like this one as much as others. I also thought that it should have represented a completed game but having said that I admire the amount of work that must go into setting this type of puzzle.

[growf]

Is there a typo on the online edition?

33A reads COAL + CARP - CARD - COP and is three digits
23D reads COAL + CARP - CARD and is four digits

That's impossible if there are no zero-lead grid entries!

[growf]

Ignore me. Brainfail.

[rabet]

No it is'nt.

[rabet]

isn't

[Silentether]

Very confused by the whole thing now! Have worked out most values but some letters that appear only once or twice seem almost impossible to pin down (especially I/Q). This leads me to think I've gone wrong, but then all answers have intersected perfectly so far. Missing clues not making much sense either. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[jamesah]

Thanks, Perseverer. I'm making some progress but seem to have gone wrong somewhere.

[Clamzy]

Silentether. There are some (such as IQ) better left until the end when the dominoes resolve any anomolies - there must be 25 cells containing 7,8 or 9.
In Google images there is a set of 28 dominoes which you can print off and which exactly fit the cells from the on-line version of the grid.
Hope this helps

[shelouse]

For the strugglers, when you have a good part of the grid filled it helps to draw up a separate grid and black out the non-dominoes. Then keep a carfeul check of how many of the other numbers you have - remember that there is 8 of each of 1-6 in a set. And then start to mark out the outlines of each domino ...... this helps to resolve some of the remaining clues where the possibilities for any given letter are rather too many to work out by trial and eror.

[Silentether]

Thank you Clamzy! Got it soon after your post. Enjoyed the ending as I usually get stumped for ages by the final steps.

[cruciverbali]

......... always the hallmark of a superior puzzle - thanks to Googly for this one.

[jamesah]

After a few days off I've completed the grid and all seems OK with the numbers of dominoes but I can't see the words! Are the numbers 4,7 and 8 supposed to look like letters? They don't look like any letters the way I write them. Or am I still missing something?

[Clamzy]

Jamesah - the words are, as you will know, 5,6 and 3 letters. There are very few things a setter can ask you to do to a grid so a guess at the first word was my way in.
Hope this helps.