NUR EINZELNE ZAHLEN ERLAUBT!

by Greg Lohman

Solution: OKTOBERFEST

Each grid translates to a letter. Each puzzle has several errors; correcting these and summing the numbers you write in gives you a number between 1 and 26 (doing this for Sample puzzle K gives you 11). Within each puzzle, errors are limited to one 3x3 grid; within each set, each 3x3 grid is used only once. The grid positions are referred to as follows:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

The errors within each grid will be notated as Position #, then a list of the spaces with incorrect numbers (using the same numbering) and a list of the numbers that should go there.

So for sample puzzle K: Position 5, Spaces 4,7. Correct numbers are 4 and 7 = 11 = K

From top to bottom, set 1 gives:
Position 5, Space 5. Correct number is 1 =A
Position 1, Spaces 2,7. Correct numbers are 6 and 4 = 10 =J
Position 8, Spaces 2,3,4,5,9. Correct numbers are 4, 2, 1, 9, 5= 21 =U
Position 6, Spaces 2,5,6. Correct numbers are 7,4,9 = 20 =T
Position 4, Space 5. Correct number is 7 = G
Position 7, Spaces 5,7,8. Correct numbers are 8,9,2 = 19 =S
Position 2, Spaces 3,4,5,6. Correct numbers are 5,9,6,1 = 21 =U
Position 3, Spaces 1,4,8,9. Correct numbers are 8,2,7,4 = 21 =U

And set 2 gives:
Position 2, Space 8. Correct number is 1 =A
Position 7, Spaces 1,7. Correct numbers are 6,3 =9 =I
Position 4, Spaces 5,7,8. Correct numbers are 6,8,5 = 19 =S
Position 1, Spaces 2,5. Correct numbers are 7,6 = 13 =M
Position 6, Spaces 1,4,6. Correct numbers are 6,4,8 = 18 =R
Position 3, Spaces 3,4,7,9. Correct numbers are 5,3,8,4 = 20 =T
Position 5, Spaces 2,6,9. Correct numbers are 5,9,7 = 21 =U

These are ordered based on the position within the grids of the errors. Within each puzzle, errors are limited to one 3x3 grid; within each set, each 3x3 grid is used only once. Order starting with the upper left and reading across then down:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

Ordering gives JUUGATSU MATSURI. This is where the title/flavortext in German comes in. The title is a German translation of the full name of Sudoku, so translate the answer to German. In English, it means "October Festival" so the answer is OKTOBERFEST

Page title fixed in 2010 by the archivists of Beginner's Luck. Was "Notes: The file names of the images just tell you set-puzzle, so 2-1 is the first puzzle in set 2"