... by: kolumbus

@Klaus: Thanks for the additional puzzle, very nice!
If you apply Setti on 5, 5 is a forced single in col 9. But without Setti, you are right, the octopus solves (with more fun). Long live the octopus!
By the way: I admire you for your patience ...

... by: Klaus

Hi Pat,
i do not quite get what your problem is, all has been mentioned already.
Setti gives 2 and 8 as musts in Column 6, so H6 cannot be 9 as then 2 and 8 have to be in AF6 which is simply not possible for a 6-cell-compartment.
the x-wing on 3 at GJ89 you mentioned yourself makes 3 at H5 a single in row H, so H5=3, removing 3 from D5
D5=4 then follows as i said below. this leads to the picture as given by kolumbus below.
and then one candidate from A5 can be removed as this would lead by force to an UR at BC56. this rest is domino.

perhaps you should read the hints a little bit more carefully and calm!? a little thanks to people who answer your questions would do no harm either...

... by: Pat

@Klaus: I almost have the position as shown below, but not the 4 in D5. The A12 is long solved. H6 can be 289, not 28 (why do you have no 9?).

However I see several possibilities for row D that you exclude for no given reason. Why shouldn't be D5=3 ? What x-wing should lead to H5=3 ?

Also i see no UR at BC56 as mentioned by you below. Every number there has at least one more place to go outside of this area.

... by: Klaus

Hi Pat,
after basic elimination you have a Setti on 8, then a Setti on 2 and on 6.
Furthermore you have 2 and 8 as musts in Column 6. As they cannot be both in AF6, H6=28.
this gives the position i was referring to in my previous post. theres a column-xwing on 2 in A12, C12. And as 3 is now no longer possible at D5, your solutions for row D arent either.

... by: Pat

@Klaus: I see an X-wing on 3 in GI89, but that still leaves 3s in H5, H6 and D56. No preference for any by logic.
No x-wing on 2 either in that state. But there is no 4 on A9 anyway, and a 4 in D6 is possible both for row D (5234,67 or 6534,12) and col. 6 (A6, E6).

... by: Neunmalneun

After the notices on the boasting board I was astonished how often I was stuck. Didn't see the 4s in the top left corner and couldn't see Stefan's eliminations either. I only made some progress when I found out that there had to be an x-wing on 3 in rows D/H. Hard work but worth the time.

... by: Klaus

Hi Pat,
a row-xwing for 3 forces H5=3. then a column-xwing for 2 forces a 4 in A59 therefore A3=3 and C3=4. now a 4 in D6 would leave not posibility for D36, so D5=4 and this gives E5=2.

... by: Klaus

i do not think that octopus is the same as a single. it might result in a single, but before applying the octopus you do not necessarily have a single.
i've created a fun puzzle where an initial octopus solves, but no single.
is.gd/99_one_more_str8t

... by: kolumbus

@Goues: of course you are right, but I think it's not very nice to reduce my phantasies of wild multi-armed animals to simple trivial basic methods ... 8]

... by: Goues

Isn't octopus the same as a Signle in row/column? :D

... by: Vera

Thanks Klaus, I try it again.

... by: Klaus

Thanks kolumbus for the fish names, but i fear till next time i have forgotten them all again, except octopus of course.

now that you have explained the 2 on H7 it isnt too hard to see. really nice puzzle...

... by: kolumbus

@Klaus: no, I didn't meet an octopus yet (only on the plate), nore a 6- or 7-fish.
2 can be excluded from H7, because H7=2 would lead to an UR 23 on GJ89.

... by: Klaus

@Kolumbus: i've got the same picture as you uploaded, except an additional candidate 2 at H7, where i do not see any reason why not. but probably it doesnt matter.
D6=3 is of course not obvious. theres a typo in Stefans picture as he wrote D6=34 instead of D6=37. i meant 3 at H5 is a single in his picture and i, for whatever reason, wrongly thought ABC said this.

octopus is nice, you ever meet one?

... by: kolumbus

I uploaded a screenshot of the critical position to www.slideshare.net/kolumbus7/str8ts-99

The 3 on D6 is not simply a mandatory single. At first view D6 could be 7, A-F6 could be 4-9, D3-6 could be 4-7. But indeed, it is the right solution, you get there by a little chain:
if D4=2 -> D6=3
if D4=5 -> H4=2 -> H6=8 -> D6=3 (now a single)
so D6=3, BC6≠9

The elimination on A5 with help of UR, mentioned by Klaus@Vera solves the puzzle.
@Klaus: 3 cols/rows: swordfish, 4: jellyfish, 5: starfish
6 and 7: don't know, 8: propably octopus 8-]

... by: Klaus

@Stefan: a lot work you're doing here, maybe its easier to upload a picture?
as ABC said, you have a single 3 in column 5, then a single 2. furthermore you can remove 9 from A6. and some typos or easy eliminations...

@Vera: there is a row-xwing for 3, a column-xwing for 2 and a row-3fish (dont know the name) for 5.
the situation in column 5 and 6 gives an UR-argument at B5,B6,C5,C6 thats lets you remove a candidate from A5.

... by: Vera

Dear Klaus, can you tell me, where the Fish and the UR is. I don`t see it.Thanks a lot.

... by: ABC

@Stefan
D6=3

... by: Stefan

I'm stuck at this position. Any Idea?

      1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |     |     |     |*****|     |     |*****|     |     |
 A | 111 | 222 | 333 |*****| 45  | 45  |*666*| 4   |  5  |
   |     |     |     |*****|  89 | 789 |*****|  8  | 7 9 |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |     |     |     | 1   | 1   |     |     | 1   |     |
 B | 333 | 444 | 222 |     |  56 |  56 |     |   6 | 888 |
   |     |     |     | 7   |   9 | 7 9 | 7 9 |   9 |     |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |     |     |     |*****|     |     |     |     |     |
 C | 222 | 333 | 444 |*****|  56 |  56 | 888 |   6 |  56 |
   |     |     |     |*****|   9 | 7 9 |     |   9 | 7 9 |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |*****|*****|     |  2  |     |   3 |*****| 12  | 12  |
 D |*****|*****|  56 |  5  | 444 | 4   |*****|   6 |     |
   |*****|*****|     |     |     |     |*****|     | 7   |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |     |     |     |     | 12  |  2  | 12  | 12  | 12  |
 E | 999 | 777 |  56 | 333 | 4 6 | 4 6 | 45  | 4 6 | 4 6 |
   |     |     |     |     |  8  |  8  |     |  8  |     |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |     |     |*****|     |     |  2  |     |     |  2  |
 F | 888 | 999 |*****| 444 | 777 |   6 | 333 | 555 |   6 |
   |     |     |*****|     |     |     |     |     |     |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |     |     |     |     |     |*****|  2  |  23 |  23 |
 G | 777 | 555 |     | 666 |     |*111*| 4   | 4   | 4   |
   |     |     |  89 |     |  89 |*****|     |     |     |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |*****|     |     |  2  | 123 |  23 | 12  |     | 12  |
 H |*****| 666 |     |  5  | 4   |     | 45  | 777 | 4   |
   |*****|     |  89 |     |  89 |  89 |     |     |   9 |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   |*****|     |     |*****|*****|*****| 12  | 123 | 123 |
 I |*444*| 888 | 777 |*999*|*****|*****|     |     |     |
   |*****|     |     |*****|*****|*****|     |     |     |
   +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+