Product Description

Kakuro is the next hot puzzle craze, and everyone can give it a try with this new, multilevel series. These language-free number puzzles use pure logic and require just simple arithmetic to solve. So, in addition to being fun, they help develop your powers of deduction and reasoning. Beginners can get started - and more experienced solvers hone their skills - with these perfectly tiered "belt" books, each containing 150 kakuros. They take their cue from the belt colors in martial arts: white is for novices, green for intermediates, brown for very accomplished players, and black for those consummate experts who crave a challenge.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8949 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Review
"'Sudoku was great, kakuro is better' The Guardian"

Customer Reviews

Consistently Challenging Puzzles
Having tried various other Kakuro books and been disappointed by the lack of a challenge I started with the Black Belt version. So far this is the only book I have found where the puzzles are consistently difficult, do not repeat features across the grid, and have unique solutions.

It is definitely NOT one for beginners. The four page introduction takes you step by step through a simple example, and does mention one basic technique overlooked by most books. However you will need to use many more techniques to solve the subsequent puzzles. Even the six warm-up puzzles (9*12 grid) are quite tough, and give a good indication of what to expect on the 144 full size 12*21 challenges.

For those familiar with Sudoku you need to develop techniques of a similar level to pointing pairs, x-wings, xy-chains etc to solve many of these puzzles.

Not the cheapest book in price per puzzle but well worth paying the extra

Overall a very good collection of tough enjoyable challenges for an experienced Kakuro puzzler. Just don't expect to finish them in 5 minutes!

The best
Wholly agree with the two previous reviewers. Conceptis puzzles don't let you down; no matter how difficult they are, the logic is always there - even if it takes you some time to find it. I got more satisfaction from completing this book than from any similar challenge.

Excellent
I would second everything K. Denyer had to say about this book. I've not much to add, just that they are very satisfying puzzles. There are moments when it feels like there's no way you can get through a particular block in solving one, then miraculously a route emerges that is often really devious. There's always some logical way through.

The best, most consistent Kakuro compilation I've found.