Dutch Flat Mates: Inntel Zaandam (Between Lines)
(Published on 14. January 2026, 07:00 by Qodec)
This week I received the honour of contributing a Dutch Flat Mates puzzle to this excellent series that's been running weekly since October 2023. Its main contributors are Flinty and goodcity, but the list of contributing setters is large - and growing! Check out this spreadsheet for all published puzzles in this series.
Next week your trusted DFM setter Flinty will be back with a 9-lines puzzle!
- Sudoku: Each row, column, and region indicated by thick borders in the grid must contain the digits 1 to 9 once each.
- Dutch Flat Mates: Every 5 must have a 1 directly above it or a 9 directly below it. It may have both, but it doesn't need both.
- Between lines: Digits on a line connecting two circles must be strictly between the digits in those circles. (I.e. the digit in one circle is greater than all digits on the line, while the digit in the other circle is smaller than all digits on the line.)
You can play this puzzle online using Sudokupad: https://sudokupad.app/2pd8xts9ua, or Penpa+: https://tinyurl.com/2ebjhahr.
Solution code: Column 1. I.e. the 9 digits in column 1 from top to bottom, for example: 123456789
Comments
on 14. January 2026, 17:51 by Exigus
Great interactions between lines and flat mates. Thanks!
on 14. January 2026, 17:42 by Playmaker6174
I guess I've found something that beats jet2holiday now xd
Wonderful and quite mindblowing setting! DFM theme really delivered for some of the coolest deductions for between line puzzles in the first half, and the difficulty remained consistent from start to finish for me.
on 14. January 2026, 16:56 by Franjo
Thank you very much for creating and sharing this great episode of the DFM-series.
on 14. January 2026, 14:35 by Ratfinkz
Lovely puzzle! Thoroughly enjoyed this solve!
on 14. January 2026, 13:33 by Flinty
Thank you for this wonderful edition! :)
Can you let me know when the new series sponsor, Inntel Zaandam, starts to pay dividends? - lol
on 14. January 2026, 13:11 by damo_89
Masterful combination, great use of geometry and flat mates to produce some surprising results.
on 14. January 2026, 13:00 by Snookerfan
Very nice! Thanks
on 14. January 2026, 09:21 by Piatato
Lovely!
on 14. January 2026, 08:58 by da-hans
Very nice puzzle. Great usage of the flat mates with between lines.
