Lots of tips from our readers on solving sudoku...
Sudoku Solver Program
Sudoku Puzzle Solver Algorithm-Driven Program and Computer There are several good puzzle solvers online and available, but most of them implement only a few solution-seeking algorithms and then fall back
Sudoku Match – The platform for Sudoku mashup games
by Brad Smith Sudoku Match Vol. 1 The Black series is a mashup of Sudoku and Word search. Complete the Sudoku grid to find the solution row or column. Use
Math
by Rick Yakubisin(Greensburg, PA) Any row, column or grid. Pick a candidate and count how many the chosen candidate is in the row, column or grid. Count the cells that
Sudoku Puzzle — Boxout Pattern
by Ed GLysson(Morgan Hill, CA) Sudoku Puzzle — Boxout Pattern A true Sudoku Puzzle must be resolvable to only one solution. A Boxout Pattern is a Sudoku Puzzle condition to
Sudoku Puzzle — Shuffle 288
by Ed Glysson(Morgan Hill, CA) Sudoku Puzzle — Shuffle 288 Introduction: This article describes and demonstrates how the entries in a single Sudoku puzzle can be shuffled to create 288
Sudoku Puzzle Triplets — Identifying and Understanding
by Ed GLysson(Morgan Hill, CA) Sudoku Puzzle; Identifying and Understanding Triplets: The “Sudoku Puzzle — Triplets” example attached can be used as a visual aid to promote the the identification
Sudoku Square and Space Notation
by Ed Glysson(Morgan Hill, CA.) Sudoku Square and Space Notation As we know, a Sudoku Puzzle Template is a 9×9 matrix of 81 Spaces, which are initially all empty. These
Sudoku – 54 Clues in 5 Minutes
by Ed Glysson(Morgan Hill, CA.) Sudoku –54 Clues in Five Minutes This methodology is easy to utilize, but the explanation is wordy so stay with me. Start the Clock! There
Sudoku Puzzling Materials
by Ed Glysson(Morgan Hill, CA.) Sudoku Puzzling Materials OK… So, minimally all one needs is a puzzle and a pencil (or pen) and it’s “Game On!”. But some Sudoku puzzles
Mirror Readoku – A Sudoku Twist
by Dr. Shelagh Robinson Psychologist, OPQ(Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Fast, focused, head-to-head Sudoku action. Timed, of course – the pace is competitive. Bragging rights are up for the puzzler who finds
Related Values Chaining
by Cliff McQuesten(Florida panhandle) Related Values Chaining extends xy-chaining to analyze row-, column- and box- interactions between chain links and cells that are not part of the chain. A group
The Intersecting Value
by John(Wisconsin. USA) If in a given row a certain number is determined to reside in a certain 3×3 block; and furthermore, that same number for a given column must
Be The Master Of Evergreen Game – Sudoku Puzzle
by Sunny Patel(Ahmedabad, India) So exactly what is Sudoku puzzle game? It is a number placement brainteaser, which calls for you to tap into your reasoning skills. Patience is also
Find Naked and Hidden Singles and Pairs First
by Bob(Auburn, MA, USA) After first pass through clues Yes, everyone says to do that, but no one explains how to do it systematically. Here is how I do it:
Chain
To use the chain strategy, pick a box with only 2 candidates that you would like to solve. Now imagine that the answer to that box is the first candidate.
All Candidacies of # w/in Region Alligned =
Though likely written somewhere in this site already: Two or three of the same candidate forming a line in a region eliminates that candidate as a possibility for the rest
Row of 3
by RFTredwell(Orono, Maine, USA) Suppose you have solved three cells in a row (or column) within a region. (Rows with letters, from top; columns with numbers from left.) For instance,
Using Colors
by Mohammed Hajooze(Aleppo Syria) First I use Orange to mark the start of color mapping, in this example the candidate is (1). Find a column or row where the candidate
Rule of Two
by Cynthia Wilson(White Sulphur Springs MT USA) For difficult puzzles, I’ve adopted what I call the Rule of Two. Simply put: no cell should ever have more than two numbers
Not In My Hood (3×3 Square) – or – The Reject List
by Claude W Smith(San Diego, CA) Recently, My wife asked me to find a computer program so that she could play the game on her home computer. As her computer
Check Empty Cells In A Row Or Column By Process Of Elimination
by JimNC9(NC) If a row has three empty cells, look at the columns of the empty cells of that row. If either column contains two of the three missing numbers,
Dots
by Colleen Atradley(lkwd, co usa) In the cell I put a dot for 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 When I look at a cell a know
The Numbers In Order
(Dubuque, Iowa, USA) I am not 100% sure this is the way to go, but look at the square. Is there a 1? If there is not, then look at
Easy Two Number Referencing
Whenever you have only 2 candidates in your cell, look for couples, triples and quads that go with that cell. When writing the candidates in your cells, write the 2
Forbidden Double X-wing
by Marijn van Bijlert(Oosterbeek, Netherlands) When you see in two 3*3 squares a pattern that looks almost a double X-wing, you are certain a double X-wing there is forbidden because
The Ninth Number Of The Grid
by Victor(Moncton, Canada) When you have 8 of the same number in any combination of 8 of the 9 by 9 squares, you can always put the ninth number using
Process of elimination using Dots instead of Numbers
Process of elimination using Dots instead of Numbers. When you are putting possible numbers that can be in a square. Use Dots instead. No need to use a Rubber.Use a
Coupled Pairs
by Robert Benson(San Diego, CA, USA) While I use all the methods you give, one of my favorites (which I have not seen in print yet) is to use “coupled
Solving Sudoku Puzzles
by LESLIE MUTCHLER(EVERETT, WASHINGTON,USA) LABELING Across the top label the large squares A, B, C and down the left side D, E, F. Generally the bottom and right side don’t
My Visual Sudoku Strategy
by Elaine(Midwest, USA) I like Sudoku strategies that are simple and logical for me. I like solving Sudoku puzzles without using candidates, if at all possible. In reality, eventually you