What is the name of the crossword puzzle where you need to color the cells. How to solve Japanese crosswords

As we already mentioned, everything Japanese crosswords on our website have only decision. Most are 100% solvable when using the algorithms discussed below.

When solving some, you will have to use the selection method. For such crosswords, the solvability percentage is below 100%. Examples of solving similar crossword puzzles will also be considered.

Where to begin?

Obvious cases

First of all, we look for empty or completely filled rows and columns with one number equal to 0 or the width (height) of the crossword:

What's next?

Partial filling

In most cases, of course, it will not be possible to unambiguously color a row or column. But it is usually possible to draw some conclusions about the shaded cells. Let's give a few examples.

1 . No matter how a group of 10 cells is located in a line 15 cells long, 5 cells in the line will definitely be black - this can be seen from the figure.

The calculation method also helps in this case: 15 (string length) – 10 (group length) = 5 (indentation from the edge of the line on each side).

2 . We are looking for uniquely colored cells for two groups of cells...

3 . And for three groups...

Something is painted over

So, in previous cases we identified uniquely shaded cells in the rows (columns) of the Japanese crossword puzzle. Quite often, one can draw conclusions from this about clearly unshaded cells.

We have a group of 10 cells, two shaded.

Obviously, we can extend the group to the right by a maximum of 8 cells:

This means that the three cells on the right must be white:

Something is not painted over

Information about unfilled cells can be used quite easily. Let's try to demonstrate this.

A white cell divides a row (column) of a crossword puzzle into two parts, allowing you to search for an “independent” solution for each part.

In this case, to the left of the white cell there is a group of two black cells, to the right - of ten. We find uniquely colored cells:

In Japanese puzzles, unlike other crosswords, not words, but images are encrypted. When solving it, you need to reconstruct the picture using the numbers that are written to the left of the lines above the columns. The numbers in the Japanese crossword grid show how many groups of black cells are in the corresponding row or column and how many merged black cells each group contains.

For example, a set of numbers 4, 1, and 3 in a Japanese crossword puzzle grid means that there are three groups in this row: the first of four, the second of one, and the third of three black cells. Groups are separated by at least one empty square. Empty cells can also be at the edges of the rows. When solving a Japanese crossword puzzle, you need to determine the placement of these groups of cells.

And now on simple example Let's look at how to solve Japanese crosswords.

The algorithm for solving the Japanese crossword puzzle is as follows. The easiest way to start solving a Japanese crossword is with those lines that are completely filled in. In our example, there are only three such lines of 9 cells each (Fig. 1).

Now let's pay attention to the second line, consisting of two groups of 4 cells. In this case, the space between the groups will be in the 5th column. After this, in the 1st and 9th columns of the Japanese crossword puzzle, we have 4 cells filled in, which is what we need according to the conditions.

All other cells in these columns of the Japanese crossword definitely turn out to be unshaded. We mark them with crosses (Fig. 2). Next, in the line with the number 7, we paint over all seven remaining cells. In the middle column the beginning of the group was formed - 4 out of 7 required by the condition. Let's complete this group.

Continuing the solution of the Japanese crossword puzzle, we note that the line with the number 1 already has a cell; All others are marked with a cross. In our Japanese crossword, in the line with the number 3, the second and eighth cells must remain free, and in the line with groups 2-2, the third and seventh cells will definitely be filled in (Fig. 3).

Next, we complete columns 3 and 7, connect three cells from the line with the number 5, paint over the two remaining cells in the line with the number 3. Now all that remains is to paint the first cells in the second and eighth column, and the Japanese crossword puzzle is ready (Fig. 4) .

We wish you good luck in solving Japanese crossword puzzles!

Learning to solve Japanese crosswords. As usual with examples, because In my opinion, this is more clear. There will also be comments on the drawings - why this is so.

Solving rules: the number is the number of shaded cells in a row or column.
If there is only one number 8 in a line, then in this line somewhere you need to paint 8 cells sequentially without spaces.
If there are several numbers in a line, for example: 3, 2, 1, then in this order they will appear in the line, however, there must be at least 1 space between adjacent numbers (maybe 2 or more).
We have the right to paint over a cell only if it is unambiguous decision, i.e. Otherwise it just won't fit.

And now let’s get closer to examples so that this can be better understood.

I suggest starting to solve the Japanese crossword with the largest numbers, because... this is the simplest. Our largest is 9, which means we’ll start with it (take any).
Let's count 9 cells from the left edge of nine - I have highlighted this in color.

Now let’s do the same thing, only from the opposite edge - count 9 cells:

And now about why we are doing this. Because Since we no longer have any numbers in the line starting with 9, only 9 cells can be painted in it, and consecutively without breaks. (there is one number 9 opposite the line).

Our line is 14 cells long. Therefore, we measure out our nine - to the minimum, i.e. from the very beginning and to the maximum - from the very end. All in order to find the intersection. I painted the intersection with black, because no matter how you paint 9 cells sequentially, 4 of them will always be painted (remember, there are 14 cells in total).

After we have colored the first 4 cells of the row, let's take a look at the columns, because the cells in the rows and columns intersect. I have highlighted the column numbers that match the shaded cells from the row.

What does it mean to write 1 1 2 1 1 in a row or column? This means that in this column/row there will be 1 shaded cell, then the gap is not shaded (I will denote it “ X") then again 1 filled cell, then again an unfilled space, then 2 cells in a row filled, etc.
An example of a possible (but not a fact!) filling out column No. 6:

It is important to understand from this that we can only paint over what is painted over. definitely(same as 4 cells above). But we also remember that at least 1 space must be between different numbers to be filled in. Those. After the units we have selected, there will be at least 1 space in the columns - let’s mark these spaces:

Now let's speed up a little - take the second nine, mark its minimum and maximum, paint over the intersection with black, etc. we have ones in the lines - put at least one space (x) for them.

As you can see, the intersection at the 8th gives us only one shaded cell.

But if you look at line 1 1 (8th line) - there are only 2 cells that should be painted black.

But we already have 2 cells painted black in this line - one at the beginning, the other at the end, which means we fill all the other cells with spaces (x).

Let's look at the fives in the columns - let me remind you that in the columns the numbers are painted from top to bottom in order, and in the rows from left to right. As we can see, a minimum of 1 space is maintained between the one and the five of the column.

Well, let's finish our study here. I really hope that you understand the essence of solving Japanese crosswords.

From the comments I see that not everyone understood the meaning, so I suggest you also watch the video, perhaps it will be more clear. Video for the very entry level..

Japanese crosswords (scanwords) are encoded images. The player's task and the goal of the logic game is to solve this image.

The coding goes like this. Let's say we have an image:

For each line, we count the lengths of the shaded segments and write these numbers next to the corresponding stripes:

Now we repeat the same operation for the scanword columns and write the corresponding sets of numbers above the columns:

Now we remove the image and leave only the numbers. This is a ready-made Japanese crossword puzzle:

The player's task is to reconstruct the picture using only numbers.

General logic and tactics for solving Japanese crosswords

The logic is very simple. You need to find horizontal lines or vertical columns where you can draw some conclusion about which cells are shaded and which are not shaded. You display these logical conclusions with labels. As you receive more and more new clues, you move further and further until the crossword puzzle is completely solved.

Let's now look at some techniques

Where to start solving a Japanese crossword puzzle

At first, the scanword is not filled in. For now you only know the numbers. Let's see what you can do in this situation.

The simplest techniques: solving at first sight

As you have seen, there are times when you can definitely tell how a row is filled. For example:

can be filled in only one way - all cells are painted over.

A slightly less obvious case:

turns out to be just as simple and unambiguous:

But such situations do not occur often.

Partial solution of the crossword puzzle at a glance

Often a row or column cannot be fully figured out right away, but we can still draw some conclusions about how it is filled.

Let's look at an example:

There are three possible filling options:

As you can see, in all these options the third cell is painted over. From this we can conclude: “We don’t know exactly how this row is filled, but the third cell in it is definitely filled”:

A similar approach works in more complex logical problems. Example:

The following options are possible here:

and we can conclude that there are as many as four filled cells in the scanword:

We have not solved the series completely, but we have received quite a bit of information. Let's now see how to use it and continue solving it.

How to continue solving a crossword puzzle using incomplete information.

So. Do you already know something about how to clarify these conclusions and get closer to a complete solution?

Let's introduce one more notation. We will denote with the symbol “✕” those positions that we know for sure that they are not shaded.

Such information is also very valuable when solving.

You know something is painted over

If you already know that some cell in a row/column is shaded, then you can often conclude that some cells are definitely not shaded.

The simplest case is when there is only one strip in a row. Let's say you have this situation:

We already know that one cell must be painted over. And we are left with only three options:

That is, we can say with confidence that the two outermost cells on each side are definitely not painted:

If there is more than one colored stripe in a row/column, then the situation becomes more complicated, but even here a conclusion can be drawn.

Consider this example:

At first glance, the shaded cell may be part of either of the two stripes, and we cannot say anything definite. But if you look closely, it becomes clear that a strip of two cells cannot be located to the right of the shaded cell. After all, then they will stick together and there will no longer be two cells in the strip. This means that the rightmost cell is definitely empty:

And applying the knowledge from the previous presentation, we can draw a conclusion about two more cells:

And this is already very good.

You know something is not painted over

At the previous step, we began to see cells that we know for sure that they are not painted over. This is very useful information and very easy to use.

Very often you can infer other unfilled cells. Let's look at an example:

Here all the strips have a length of 2, which means none of them can fit to the right of an unfilled cell. This means that the rightmost cell is not painted over.

And of course, we can draw a conclusion about two more cells, using the techniques described above (by considering all the options for the location of the shaded stripes, and highlighting the cells that turn out to be shaded in any case):

We found out the color of three cells in the scanword puzzle.

Let's consider another logical technique.

Unfilled cells divide the line/column into segments, and quite often it is possible to determine which segments contain which stripes. Look at the example:

For convenience, I designated the segments with letters of the Latin alphabet.

It is clear that segment A is empty, since it cannot contain a segment of four shaded cells. Conclusion one:

Two two-cell segments cannot fit into segment D (otherwise they will “stick together”). This means that each of our three segments occupies one of the three remaining segments. We can draw the following conclusions about the first two segments:

Overall, we have made good progress.

By combining these logical techniques you can solve any Japanese crossword puzzle. Or rather, any crossword puzzle on this site, since there are unsolvable ambiguous Japanese crosswords. But all the scanwords on this site have been checked and are not only solvable, but also allow for a step-by-step solution.

Now there are many periodicals entirely devoted to crossword puzzles. Almost every newspaper has a page for those who like to test their erudition. One of the popular types of crosswords in Lately is a Japanese crossword puzzle.

The technique of how to solve Japanese crosswords is quite complex. But if you figure it out once, you can always keep yourself busy and train your brain.

How is a Japanese crossword different from a regular one?

In regular crosswords we guess the words, but in Japanese we need to decipher the hidden picture. The Japanese crossword pattern looks like this:

Fig No. 1.

The numbers indicate how many cells in a row should be crossed out. For example, there should be nine of them in the first line. There are eight in the first column.

What do you need to know?

The entire field of a Japanese crossword puzzle is usually divided into squares of five cells. That is, you don’t need to count one cell at a time, you can count by fives. Thus, we can calculate that our drawing is 14 by 15 cells in size.
The order of the numbers does not change. In whatever order they appear, they will be crossed out in a row or column.
There must be at least one space between the shaded numbers. There may be more, but there should be a gap of one cell. For convenience, they can be crossed out with crosses or marked with dots.
It is better to draw crosses with a pencil, because later you will be able to erase them and see a beautiful picture.

Instructions for solving a Japanese crossword puzzle

Let's proceed, in fact, to the very technique of how to solve Japanese crosswords. Find the largest numbers first. In our case it is 9 in the first line. Now you need to determine where to cross out these 9 cells in the first line? We need to find out which cells will be 100% crossed out. To do this, we count 9 cells from the left like this:

Fig No. 2.

And now nine cells on the right:

Fig No. 3.

Those cells that are at the intersection will be crossed out:

Fig No. 4.

Now we look at the columns that contain the crossed out cells. These are the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth columns. Each of them contains the number one - that is, one cell. One cell has already been crossed out, which means there must be a gap under it. We mark them with crosses and cross out the number so as not to get confused later:

Fig No. 5.

We do the same with the next descending numbers. We have 9 in the last column, 8 in the first and 7 in the last row:

Figure No. 6.

Please note that our last line consists of 14 cells, and therefore seven on the left and seven on the right give exactly half, which means there will be no intersection.

Now is it clear how to solve Japanese crosswords? Let's move on. Now we look horizontally at what the filled cells give us. In the seventh line, we have one cell colored on the right. This means that we cross out the rightmost unit and put a cross in front of the cell - we mark the gap:

Fig No. 7.

Eighth line. Two units are two filled cells. We mark the gaps and cross them out. Congratulations, the eighth line has been solved! This means that we can cross out all the space between them.

Figure No. 8.

Let's see what this gives us. In the seventh and ninth columns we see the number five. Five cells must be filled in after the one we have already crossed out. Let's look at the distance between the crosses in these columns... Exactly five cells! The question arises why they cannot be in the lower part of the field, after the crosses. Let's return to the rules once again: the numbers are indicated in order. That is, if we painted one cell from the very top, then there must be five, and only then 4 cells, one at a time. So, feel free to paint over these cells:

Figure No. 9.

We check the lines horizontally. Alas, in the third and fourth lines this does not give us anything - it is impossible to determine whether one cell is shaded or, perhaps, two. But we can definitely put a cross between them, since there cannot be three in a row in a line:

Figure No. 10.

But in the fifth line we can put as many as three crosses and cross out two ones. In this case, it doesn’t matter which ones, since the entire line consists of ones, and the drawing will not go astray:

Figure No. 11.

Checking the sixth line gives us only a cross between the black bars, the seventh line does not give us anything yet. We skip the eighth, since it has already been solved, and in the ninth we put a cross in the penultimate cell and cross out one.

Figure No. 12.

Further, alas, for now we cannot cross out anything horizontally. Let's go back vertically again. Checking the first six columns doesn't tell us anything. At first glance, the seventh one too, but if you take a closer look... We have 4 units left. And there are six empty cells in the column. That is, just enough space to place four filled cells and the gaps between them. The same situation applies to the ninth column:

Figure No. 13.

The art of solving Japanese crossword puzzles is to constantly double-check yourself. Now let's go back to the horizontal again and see what the crossed out cells in the lower field give us. In the ninth line we get a cross. Nothing in the tenth yet. In the eleventh there is also no reliable information, as in the twelfth. But in the thirteenth we can draw a cell between two already sketched ones, because we have the number 5. It cannot be somewhere on the side, because there are ones on the sides. And even if we put units on the sides, we leave a gap - and five cells won’t fit.

Figure No. 14.

Let's look further at the last two lines. In the very last one, where 7 cells should be drawn, we can cross out something. Since the cells in the seventh and ninth columns are crossed out in the middle, the cell between them will also be filled in. Three out of seven. We retreat the hypothetically possible four to the left and right, and mark everything else with crosses:

Figure No. 15.

And we will continue to act in the same spirit. Checking horizontally and vertically again and again, calculating all the options, we cross out new cells. When you have almost only units left, you need to look at the drawing itself; as a rule, the picture emerges and you can understand what the author wanted to say and where to sketch the cell. This is what you should end up with:

Figure No. 16.

This is the funny smiley you will get when you understand how to solve Japanese crossword puzzles!

We also invite you to take a look at interesting video "How to Solve Japanese Crosswords" .