SUDOKU PUZZLE

SECRETS:
Learn How to Solve Sudoku
Puzzles With Little Effort

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ………………………………………….. 4

CHAPTER 1: HISTORY OF SUDOKU ………………… 6

CHAPTER 2: SUDOKU EXPLAINED …………………. 8

Variants ………………………………………………… 9
Japanese Variants ………………………………….. 11
Terminology and Rules ……………………………. 13

CHAPTER 3: THE MATH BEHIND SUDOKU ……….. 14

A Latin Square ………………………………………… 15
Unique Grids …………………………………………… 16

CHAPTER 4: CONSTRUCTION OF THE PUZZLE ….. 17

CHAPTER 5: SOLUTION METHODS–SCANNING ... 19

Cross-Hatching And Counting ……………………. 21

CHAPTER 6: BEGINNING THE CHALLENGE ………. 22

Guessing ………………………………………………… 23
Starting The Game …………………………………… 23

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CHAPTER 7: CHANGE OF STRATEGY ………………… 29
Searching For The Lone Number ………………… 29
Twins …………………………………………………….. 31
Triplets …………………………………………………… 33

CHAPTER 8: ELIMINATE THE EXTRANEOUS ……… 35

Three Numbers Exclusively ………………………. 39
Step Up The Action …………………………………… 40

CHAPTER 9: WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS …... 42

CHAPTER 10: SOLVING A DIABOLICAL PUZZLE … 43

CHAPTER 11: SAMPLE SUDOKU PUZZLES …………. 48

CHAPTER 12: SOLUTIONS ……………………………… 53

CONCLUSION ………………………………………………. 58

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 INTRODUCTION

It seems that these days everyone is enjoying the game

of Sudoku wherever they are. The Sudoku puzzle is ideal
for whenever you have a few spare minutes and want to
indulge in a little bit of thinking power. Sudoku,
sometimes spelled “Su Doku”, is a puzzle that originated
in Japan. The puzzle is known as a “placement” puzzle.
In the United States Sudoku is sometimes called the
“Number Place” puzzle.

People of all ages and from all backgrounds are finding

that Sudoku is a great way to keep their mind active and
thinking. Puzzles range all the way from easy for the
beginner to extremely difficult for the more advanced
puzzler. Sudoku is easy to take with you wherever you
go so that you can indulge in a little bit of number
guessing whenever you have a few spare minutes.

Sudoku is easy to learn and understand. The main aim of

Sudoku is to enter a number from one to nine into each
cell on a puzzle grid. The most common layout of a
Sudoku puzzle is a 9 x 9 grid that is made of sub-grids

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that are 3 x 3. Each of these sub-grids is known as a
“region”. Depending on how easy or hard the puzzle is,
there will be various starting numbers in the cells. These
are known as the “givens”. Every row, column, and
region of the Sudoku puzzle can contain only one instance
of each number. You complete the puzzle when all of the
cells have been filled in with corresponding numbers.

To complete the Sudoku puzzle requires a lot of patience

as well as the ability to think logically. The basic layout of
the Sudoku grid is much like a chess game or crossword
puzzles. Sudoku is not just a mathematical or arithmetic
type of puzzle. It works just as well if the numbers are
substituted with letters or other symbols. However,
numbers work best.

The bottom line is that Sudoku is a fascinating puzzle

game that has taken the world by surprise and storm.
You can now find Sudoku in many national newspapers.
The great thing about this puzzle is that the basic
principle of solving it is really quite simple. All you need
to do is fill in the grid in such a way that each row,
column, and region contains the numbers one to nine.
 CHAPTER I: HISTORY OF SUDOKU

You would imagine that with such a name this puzzle

originated in Japan, but it has been around for many
years in the United States and in the UK. However, the
Japanese found an example under the title “Number
Place’ in an American magazine and translated it as
something quite different: su meaning number and doku
meaning single unit. It immediately caught on in Japan
where number puzzles were much more prevalent than
word puzzles. Crosswords don’t work very well in the
Japanese language.

Sudoku was first published in the late 1970’s in North

America in New York by the publisher “Dell Magazines”.
Dell was known as a specialist when it game to puzzles of
logic and ability. Dell published Sudoku as “Number
Place” in its Math Puzzles and Logic Problems magazine.

It has not been recorded who designed the Americanized

puzzle but suspicion falls on Walter Mackey who was one
of Dell’s constructors of puzzles. In Japan, Sudoku was
first introduced by Nikoli in 1984. The puzzle appeared in
the Monthly Nikolist in April as “Suuji wa dokushin ni
kagiru”. This can be translated to “the digits must remain
single”. Indicating that the numbers must be there in
only one instance. In 1986 Nikoli introduced two different
versions of Sudoku as the popularity of the puzzle
increased. No more than 30 “givens” were allowed so
that the grid would be symmetrical. Sudoku is now
published in many mainstream Japanese periodicals,
including the Asahi Shimbun. The trademark name of
Sudoku is still held by Nikoli while other publications in
Japan use other names.

Sudoku quickly became popular on the internet, as well.

In 1989 DigitHunt was created for the Commodore 64 by
a company called Loadstar/Softdisk Publishing. This
home computer version of Sudoku allowed people of all
ages to enjoy the game in a computerized style.

Sudoku is now published in a variety of places including

the New York Post and USA Today. The puzzle is also
reprinted by Kappa in GAMES magazine. Many times you
will find Sudoku included in puzzle anthologies which
include The Giant 1001 Puzzle Book. In these books
Sudoku is usually titled something like “Nine Numbers”.
Surprisingly Dell, who invented the Americanized version
of the puzzle, has failed to cash in on this big puzzle rage.

The Sudoku puzzle reached craze status in Japan in 2004

and the craze spread to the United States and the UK
through pages of national newspapers. The Daily
Telegraph uses the name “Sudoku” but you may see the
puzzle called “su doku” in other places. However, there is
no doubt that the word has become as common as the
word “crossword”.

CHAPTER 2: SUDOKU EXPLAINED

Sudoku can take on many different forms. The one main

standard is that each of the numbers in a region needs to
be unique. With so many different variations of the
puzzle to choose from you will never run out of
challenges. Start out slowly with the standard grid layout
of 9 x 9 before you move on to one of the many
variations that you can find. Your goal should be to solve
the Sudoku puzzle with as few “givens” as you can.
Variants

Sudoku is usually played as a 9 x 9 grid which contains 3

x 3 regions. Although this is the most common grid
layout there are many variations which can be found. The
following grid layouts are not uncommon and can add an
even more challenging level to the puzzle:

• 4 x 4 grid with 2 x 2 regions

• 5 x 5 grid with pentomino regions (these puzzles are
known as “Logi-5”)
• 6 x 6 grid with 2 x 3 regions (grid used in the World
Puzzle Championship)
• 7 x 7 grid with six heptomino regions as well as a
“disjoint” region.
• 9 x 9 grid that generally has nonomino regions

Larger grid puzzles are possible, such as the 16 x 16 grid

layout published by Dell that is known as “Number Place
Challenger”. As well, Nikoli in Japan as published a 25 x
25 grid. Yet another variant for the Sudoku puzzle is the
for the numbers in the main diagonal areas to be
completely unique.

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Yet another variation of the Sudoku puzzle is “Gattai 5
Sudoku”. In this puzzle variation there are five 9 x 9
grids which overlap at the corner regions into the refined
shape of a quincunx. In the New York Times this puzzles
is known as “Samurai Su Doku”.

A popular Sudoku puzzle in 2005 was a three dimensional

grid. This grid variation was invented by Dion Church and
was first published in the Daily Telegraph. It became a
fast hit among those puzzlers who wanted the ultimate in
puzzle action.

There have been alphabetical variants of Sudoku where

letters replace the numbers. This type of a puzzle is
sometimes called “Godoku” and can be very difficult to
solve if there are few “givens” available. Alphabetical
Sudokus are also known as “Wordoku”. The letters
required for the puzzle will be given to you beneath the
puzzle. After you have arranged the letters they will spell
out a word that lines up between the top left bottom and
left corners of the grid. This little twist adds a completely
different dimension to the puzzle. There will be times
when you can guess the word and this will aid you in
solving the rest of the puzzle by filling in the rest of the
regions.
Japanese Variants

There are many Japanese variations of Sudoku which

appear in magazines all over the country. Each variation
has its own challenges that attract different individuals.
Following is a list of the some of the Japanese variants
which have been developed:

• Puzzles that are sequentially connected: Sequential

puzzles have you solving several 9 x 9 grid Sudoku
puzzles at one time. The first puzzle has enough
“givens” in it so that it can be solved on its own.
After you have solved the first puzzle some of the
numbers are moved from the first solved grid to the
grid of the second 9 x 9 puzzle. You will have to
work back and forth from one puzzle to the other to
successfully solve these sequential Sudoku puzzles.

• Overlapping puzzles: One popular version of Sudoku

are multiple overlapping puzzles. These large
puzzles are made up mostly of 9 x 9 grids but often
these grids deviate from the standard. It is not
uncommon to have one puzzle made up of 20 to 50
standard 9 x 9 grids. Regions of each puzzle will
overlap with one another. For instance, two 9 x 9
 grids may have 9, 18, or 36 cells that are in common
with each other. And other times there may no
overlapping areas at all to connect with one another.

• Multiple cells: This variation of the Sudoku puzzle

appears quite simple at first. Each cell in a 9 x 9
standard puzzle is part of four other puzzles rather
than just the standard three parts – rows, columns,
and regions. In this case numbers that are located
within their region area cannot match. This type of
puzzle will usually be printed in color so that you can
easily identify which area of the grid you are working
on.

• “Digital Number Place”: In 2005 the World Puzzle

Championships included a puzzle of this kind, calling
it “Digital Number Place”. Instead of being provided
with a “given” most of the cells contained a partial
given. A partial given is a segment of a number
where some portions have been drawn as though
they are part of a liquid crystal display.

With so many Sudoku variations to choose from you will

be able to spend hours and hours facing the challenge of
solving them.
Terminology and Rules

The Sudoku puzzle is quite easy to solve, at least in the

general concept. Your goal will be to fill in each of the
empty cells with one number. Every row, column, and
region will contain the numbers from one to nine exactly
one time. This means that every number in the solution
of the puzzle will occur only one time in three directions.

The reason that so many people are attracted to a

Sudoku puzzle is that, even though the solving rules are
simple, the reasoning behind the path to the correct
solution can be very difficult. Most puzzles will be ranked
according to how difficult they are. Still other puzzles will
give you an estimated time of how long it should take you
to solve the puzzle. In most cases, the more “givens”
there are, the easier the puzzle will be to solve. The
bottom line on how easy it is to solve a Sudoku puzzle will
depend on how easy it is to determine the logical order of
all of the numbers.

Many teachers, no matter what age range they are

teaching, recommend Sudoku as a great way to develop
logical reasoning. The complexity of each puzzle can be
adapted to fit any age.
 CHAPTER 3: THE MATH BEHIND SUDOKU

The Sudoku puzzle is unlike most puzzles in that it is

based on mathematical structure and requires some level
of logic in order to be solved. The main basis behind
solving Sudoku is called “NP-complete” because it is
solved on n2 x n2 grids of n x n cells. It is this concept
that makes Sudoku so difficult to solve. When you put
cells on grids and throw in a few “givens” it takes some
determined power to solve the puzzle correctly.

Sudoku has what is known as a “game tree”. The game

tree of this puzzle game is quite large and, when there is
only one solution to be found, makes solving it fast an
unfeasible plan. There are, however, tips that you can
use to solve Sudoku as fast as possible.

Perhaps an easy way of describing the solution of a

Sudoku puzzle is to call it a “graph coloring problem”.
The basic goal of the puzzle is to build, in its standard
form of 9 x 9, a coloring grid. The entirety of the graph is
composed of 81 vertices, with one vertex for every cell on
the grid. Each of the vertices can be named with pairs
that are ordered and where “x” and “y” are integers
anywhere from one to nine. This means that two
separate vertices are names and are connected by an
edge if, and only if the edges match. The Sudoku puzzle
is eventually solved by assigning an integer, from one to
nine, to each of the vertices in a way where the vertices
connected by an edge don’t have the same integer
assigned to them.

A Latin Square

The solution of the Sudoku grid is much like a Latin

square. There are, however, less solution grids for
Sudoku, than there are Latin squares. This is because
Sudoku has the additional problem of multiple regions.
Still, there are endless solution grids for the Sudoku
puzzle. In 2005 Bertram Felgenhauer calculated the
number to be about 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960. He
arrived at this number using logical computations. The
analysis of the number of solution grids was further
simplified by Frazer Jarvis and Ed Russell. It has not yet
been calculated how many solution grids there are for the
16 x 16 Sudoku puzzle.
There are some 9 x9 grids that can be recreated into
other grids. This can be done by (1) rotating or reflecting
the grid, (2) rearranging some columns and rows, and (3)
changing around the numbers. In 2005 Frazer Jarvis and
Ed Russell calculated the number of different Sudoku
grids that could be created and came up with a total of
5,472,730,538.

Unique Grids

In order to keep the Sudoku grid unique it’s important not

to provide too many “givens”. The maximum number of
“givens” that can be included in a puzzle before the grid
solution is considered too unique is four less of a full grid.
When there are two instances of two numbers which are
each missing, and the cells which they are supposed to fill
are each the corners of an orthogonal rectangle, there will
only be two ways in which the numbers may be added
together.

The opposite of this is just as true. The least number of

“givens” that can be used before a solution is unique, or
rather is a puzzle that can’t be solved, is 17. Some
Japanese puzzle experts believe that this number is 18.
Regardless how the least number of “givens” are rotated,
the Sudoku puzzle will be unsolvable unless there are
enough “givens” to make it symmetric.

Mathematically, the Sudoku puzzle is a work of art that

has only one solution. This means that you may almost
complete the puzzle only to find that it is one cell that
turns out to be wrong. You will have no choice but to
start over so that you can accurately place the numbers in
the regions.

CHAPTER 4: CONSTRUCTION OF THE PUZZLE

The construction of the Sudoku puzzle is done in a variety

of ways. In most cases, a “puzzle generator” will be
used. It is generally thought that Dell uses a computer
program to generate their puzzles. A Dell Sudoku puzzle
will typically have over 30 “givens” which will be placed in
random cells around the grid. Many of these “givens” will
lead to the deduction of other obvious number
placements. Dell, and other puzzle creators in North
America, seldom give any authoring credit to the Sudoku
puzzles which they create.
Japanese creators of the Sudoku puzzle are always
credited for their work. And most Japanese puzzles are
created by hand. Another difference between the
American Sudoku and the Japanese Sudoku is that
Japanese puzzle creators generally place the “givens” in a
symmetrical pattern. As a side note, the “givens” can be
placed symmetrically on the grid by allotting a number to
them and by deciding ahead of time where they will be
placed.

When constructing Sudoku puzzles it is often possible to

set each starting grid so that it has more than one
solution and to set others so that there is no solution at
all. These puzzles are not considered to be a true Sudoku
puzzle. This is because when it comes to the general
basis of Sudoku, a unique solution is always expected.

Creators of the Sudoku puzzle need to make sure that

when they are constructing a grid that they understand
where numbers can be logically placed. To overlook the
final solution of the puzzle can lead to a grid that is
unsolvable and which contradicts the basic premise of
what Sudoku is all about.
When you are solving a Sudoku puzzle, and you place a
digit randomly on the grid, you are one step closer to a
solution but perhaps no closer to the right solution. You
can randomly remove one digit and replace it with
another but the logic behind the Sudoku puzzle is that
you take the time to apply logic and mathematical
reasoning.

CHAPTER 5: SOLUTION METHODS -

SCANNING

Scanning is one way that you can solve a Sudoku puzzle.

When you first look at that puzzle you should scan it at
least once and again a few times while you are trying to
arrive at the solution. Take some time to analyze the
puzzle as you are working it since scanning can help you
to quickly pick up on one or two needed numbers.

There are two basic techniques when it comes to

scanning: cross-hatching and counting. You can use
both of these methods alternately.

You won’t be able to scan the puzzle any further when

you run out of numbers to put into cells. After this you
will need to start working the puzzle from a logical stand
point. Some people find that it helps to mark possible
numbers in the cells. You can do this using either
subscripts or dots:

• Subscript marking: Use subscript to mark possible

number into the cells. The one disadvantage to this
is that many puzzles, such as those found in
newspapers, are often too small to allow you to
write in the cells. Consider making a larger copy of
the puzzle so that you can read it easier or use a
pencil that is very sharp so that you can write fine
lines.

• Dot marking: Dot marking involves using a pattern

of dots. A dot in the top left will indicate a one and
dot in the bottom right will indicate a 9. The
advantage of using the dot notation is that you can
easily use it on the original puzzle. You will have to
make sure that you don’t make a mistake with the
dots or you will be led into confusion and it may not
be easy to erase dots without creating more
confusion.

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Cross-hatching and Counting

Cross-hatching and counting are two natural methods you

can use to help you solve your Sudoku puzzle.

Cross-hatching starts by scanning the rows and columns

so that you can see if any particular region needs a
certain number by the process of elimination. You repeat
the process for every row and column. To make things
even faster, scan the numbers in their order of frequency.
Perform cross-hatching systematically by checking for all
the digits from 1 to 9 in order.

Counting is the process of counting from 1 to 9 in row,

columns, and regions so that you can tell if there are any
missing numbers. Counting speeds up your solving time
since you any numbers that you discover by counting are
essentially “free guesses” since they don’t take a lot of
analysis to discover. If you are working harder puzzles
the value of one single cell can often be determined by
counting in reverse. Counting in reverse is done by
scanning the region, the row, and the column for numbers
that can’t be right to see which numbers are left that
might work.
Once you become an advanced Sudoku solver you will
learn to start to look for what are called “contingencies”
while you are scanning. This means that you will narrow
down the location of a number within a row, column, or
region to two or three cells. When each of those cells fall
into the same row, or column, of the region, then you can
use them to eliminate other numbers by cross-hatching
and counting.

Sudoku puzzles that are really challenging might require

you to try multiple contingencies. There will be times
when you have to recognize these contingencies in
multiple directions while at times even intersecting your
number selection. A puzzle will be classified as “easy” if
you can solve it by the scanning method alone. Sudoku
puzzles that are more challenging won’t be solved by
scanning alone but will need multiple solving strategies.

CHAPTER 6: BEGINNING THE CHALLENGE

Below is an unsolved Sudoku puzzle. It consists of a 9 x

9 grid that has been subdivided into 9 smaller grids of 3 x
3 squares. Each puzzle has a logical and a unique
solution. To solve the puzzle, each row, column, and box
must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Throughout
this guide the entire puzzle will be referred to the “grid”, a
small 3 x 3 grid as a “region”, and the square that
contains the number as the “cell”.

8 3 4
3 4 8 2 1
7
9 4 1 8 3

4 6 5 7 1
7
1 2 5 3
7 2 4 9

Rows and columns are referred to with row number first,

followed by the column number:

4,5 is row 4, column 5

2,8 is row 2, column 8

Boxes are numbered 1 – 9 in reading order: 123 456 789

Guessing

Try not to guess. Until you have progressed to the touch

and diabolical puzzles, guessing is not only totally
unnecessary, but will lead you up paths that can make
the puzzle virtually unsolvable. Simple logic is all that is
required for gentle and moderate puzzles. Most puzzles
that are rated easy to hard will require some sort of
analysis.

Starting the Game

To solve Sudoku puzzles you will need to use logic. You

need to ask yourself questions like “if a 1 is in this cell,
will it go in this column?” or “if a 9 is already in this row,
can a 9 go in this cell?” To make a start, look at each of
the regions in the grid below and see which cells are
empty, at the same time checking that cell’s column and
row for a missing number. In this example, look at region
9. There is no 8 in the region, but there is an 8 in column
7 and in column 8. The only place for an 8 is in column 9,
and in this box the only cell available is in row 9. So put
an 8 in that cell. Once you have done this you have
solved your first number.
 8 3 4
3 4 8 2 1
7
9 4 1 8 3

4 6 5 7 1
7
1 2 5 3 9
7 2 4 8

Continuing to think about 8, there is no 8 in region 1, but

you can see an 8 in rows 1 and 2. So, in region 1, an 8
can only go in row 3, but there are 2 cells available.

Make a note of this by penciling in a small 8 in both cells.

Later, when you have found the position of the 8 in
regions 4 or 7, you will be able to disprove one of your 8’s
in region 1. The more methodical that you are about
solving your first Sudoku puzzles the better you will
become at understanding the logic behind how you solve
them. Take time when glancing through regions so that
you don’t scan through and miss an obvious number that
you can place in a cell. Missing one number can set you
back on how fast you solve the puzzle.
 8 3 4

3 4 8 2 1

7 8 8

9 4 1 8 3

4 6 5 7 1

1 2 5 3 9

7 2 4 8

You have been looking at region 9. As you can see, there

is a 2 in regions 7 and 8, but none in region 9. The 2’s in
row 8 and row 9 mean the only place for a 2 in region 9
appears to be in row 7, and as there is already a 2 in
column 8, there is only one cell left in that region for a 2
to go. You can enter the 2 for region 9 at 7,7.

As stated earlier, the more time you take in learning

which strategy works best for certain puzzles the faster
you will catch on to the logic behind the puzzle. Once you
enter the number 2 in region 8 you will be ready to
eliminate other numbers from other regions. Sudoku is
all about filling in cells one by one by the process of
elimination.
 8 3 4
3 4 8 2 1
7 8 8

9 4 1 8 3

4 6 5 7 1
2 7
1 2 5 3 9
7 2 4 8

There is a similar situation with the 4’s in regions 4 and 5,

but here the outcome is not so definite. Together with
the 4 in column 7 these 4’s eliminate all the available
squares in region 6 apart from two. Pencil a small 4 in
these two cells. Later on, one or other of your pencil
marks will be proved or disproved.

8 3 4

3 4 8 2 1

7 8 8

9 4 1 8 3

4 4

4 6 5 7 1

2 7

1 2 5 3 9

7 2 4 8
Having proved the 2 in region 9 earlier, check to see if
this helps you to solve anything else. For example, the 2
in region 3 shows where the 2 should go in region 6; it
can only go in column 9, where there are two available
squares. As you have not yet proved the position of the
4, one of the cells may be either a 4 or a 2.

8 3 4

3 4 8 2 1

7 8 8

9 4 1 8 3

4 24

4 6 5 7 1 2

2 7

1 2 5 3 9

7 2 4 8

It’s time for you to solve a number on your own. Take a

look at region 8 and see where the number 7 should go.
Continue to solve the more obvious numbers. There will
come a point when you will need to change your strategy.
The following puzzling solving tips will provide you with
some schemes to solve the complete Sudoku puzzle.
Some solvers base their entire strategy on schemes that
they use consistently to solve certain puzzles.
 CHAPTER 7: CHANGE OF STRATEGY

Once you have completed the steps in the previous

chapter you may have come to realize that you need to
change your strategy at some point. Easy Sudoku
puzzles can be solved as the grid above was solved, but
once you move on to more difficult puzzles you will need
to come up with a different plan to find the right solution.

Searching for the Lone Number

3 5 678 4 1
7 2 5
5 2 178 6
8 6 5 9 3
3 127 4 17 8

1469 149 5 8 1 3 7 49 1469

5 1678 3
6 9 1

9 4 1678 2 5
No matter what level of puzzle you are attempting to
solve there are a few strategies that will allow you to get
to a solution more quickly. The key strategy is to look for
the lone number. In the following example, all the
options for region 5 have been penciled in. At first there
appear to be three places for the number 1 to go, but
look between the 8 and the 3. There is a lone number 1.

It was not otherwise obvious that the only cell for the
number 1 was row 6, column 5, as there is no number 1
in the immediate vicinity. Checking the adjacent regions
and relevant row and column would not provide an
immediate answer either – but no other number can go in
that region.

3 5 678 4 1

7 2 5

5 2 178 6

8 6 5 9 3

3 127 4 17 8

1469 149 5 8 1 3 7 49 1469

5 1678 3

6 9 1

9 4 1678 2 5

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While the example uses pencil marks to illustrate the rule,
more experienced solvers are quite capable of doing this
in their head. Remember that this principle is true for
regions, rows, and columns: If there is only one place for
a number to go, then it is true for that region, and also
the row and column it is in. You can eliminate all the
other pencilled 1’s in the region, row, and column.

Twins
Why limit yourself to one when sometimes two can do the
job? In Sudoku you can easily become blind to the
obvious. You might look at a region and think that there
is no way of proving a number because it could go in
more than one cell, but there are times when the answer
is staring you right in the face. Sometimes the more
obvious ways to find a solution is by looking at the
obvious. Some solvers start by taking a few minutes to
understand where the “givens” in the puzzle are laid out
before they start to take any sort of solving action. This
gives them a good feel for how easy or hard the puzzle is
going to be so that they can apply certain strategies to
their solving technique.
Take the following Sudoku.

5 4 9 7 2
2 7 9 3 6 4
9 8 7 4
1 9 4 8 7
7 5 4 9
4 7 9 2 1
4 6 3
2 9 3 4 7
3 1 4 6

It is an example of a “easy” puzzle. A good start as

already been made in finding the obvious numbers, but
having just solved the 9 in region 4 you might be thinking
about solving the 9 in region 1. It seems impossible, with
just a 9 in row 1 and another in column 2 that
immediately affect region 1. But look more carefully and
you will see that the 9 in row 8 precludes any 9 in row 8
of region 7.

In addition, the 9 in column 2 eliminates the cell to the

right of the 4 in that region, leaving just the two cells
above and below the 2 in region 7 available for the 9.
You have found a twin. Pencil in these 9’s. While you
don’t know which of these two will end up as 9 in this
region, what you do know is that the 9 has to be in
column 3. Therefore, a 9 cannot go in column 3 of region
1, leaving it the one available cell in column 1.

5 4 9 7 2
2 7 3 6 4
9 8 7 4
1 9 4 8 7
7 5 4 9
4 7 9 2 1
4 9 6 3
2 9 3 4 7
3 1 9 4 6

Triplets

In the previous example, having the “twins” did just as

well as a solved number in helping you to find your
number. But if two unsolved cells can help you on your
way, three “solved” numbers together certainly can. All
you need is to understand the concept behind looking for
triplets. Look at the next example.

4 6
3 8 6
3 9 7 2
1 8 9 7
9 1
5 3 7 2
6 8 4 7
2 8 1 7

7 7 7 7 5 2

Take a look at the sequence 2-8-1 in row 8. It can help

you solve the 7 in region 8. The 7’s in columns 5 and 6
place the 7’s in region 8 at either 8,4 or 9,4. It is the 7 in
row 7 that will provide you with sufficient clues to make a
choice. Because there can be no more 7’s in row 7, the
2-8-1 in row 8 forces the 7 in region 7 to be in row 9.
Although you don’t know which cell it will be in, the
unsolved trio will prove that no more 7’s will go in row 9,
putting the 7 in region 8 at row 8. A solved row or
column of three cells in a region is good news. Try the
same trick with the 3-8-6 in row 2 to see if this triplet
helps to solve any more of the puzzle.

CHAPTER 8: ELIMINATE THE EXTRANEOUS

We have looked at the basic number finding strategies,

but what if these are just not up to the job? Until now we
have been penciling in possible numbers, but there are
many puzzles that will require you to be totally
methodical in order to seek out and eliminate extraneous
numbers.

If you have come to a point where obvious clues have

dried up, before moving into unknown territory and
beginning bifurcation (more on that later), you should
ensure that you have actually found all the numbers that
you can. The first step towards achieving this is to pencil
in all possible numbers in each square. It takes less time
than you would think to rattle off “can 1 go”, “can 2 go”,
“can 3 go” while checking for these numbers in the cell’s
region, row, and column.

It never hurts to repeat the one basic tenet of the Sudoku

puzzle: if something is true for one element then it has
to be true for the other two associated elements. Let’s
look back to something that we looked at earlier: twins.
When you discovering the rule about “twins” the grid
wasn’t so crowded as it is in section of the Sudoku grid
below.
9 46 5
68 2 148

7 3 148

1 8 2
5 7 6
4 9 3
3 146 149

68 5 189

2 146 7

This time the twins are mixed with other numbers. It’s
not obvious, but the two 1’s in the top region are twins.
While you don’t know which cell is correct, you do know
that the 1 in that region will exclude any other 1’s in
column 3 right the way down to the bottom cell. Using
the twins strategy eliminates two 1’s in that column of the
bottom region. Two 1’s in one region helped to eliminate
1’s in another remote region.
The more numbers that you can eliminate from a region
the easier it will be to determine where these eliminated
numbers go on the grid. Some cells have obvious number
choices and this makes it easy for you to start solving the
puzzle based on scanning and placing the numbers in the
right cell.

9 46 5
68 2 148

7 3 148

1 8 2
5 7 6
4 9 3
3 146 49

68 5 89

2 146 7

It’s important to show you this, because while nothing is

actually solved by this action, eliminating those 1’s could
make all the difference in proving a number. You will be
looking for things to help you move on in these kinds of
crowded conditions. In a tough or diabolical puzzle it
might allow you to proceed through to a solution without
guessing.

Now you should look for matching pairs or trios of

numbers in each column, row, and region. You have seen
matching numbers before: two squares in the same row,
column, or region which share a pair of numbers. You
can see the concept in the following illustration.

18 2 5 7 68 18 1689 3 4

In this sample row from a grid at column 1 there is a 1

and an 8 and at column 6 there is also a 1 and an 8. This
matching pair is telling you that only either 1 or 8 is
definitely at one or other of these locations. If that is true
then neither of these numbers can be at any other
location in that row. So you can eliminate the 1 and 8 in
any other cell of the row where they do not appear
together.

18 2 5 7 6 18 69 3 4

As you can see, this immediately solves the cell at column

5. This rule can be applied to a row, column, or region.
Don’t hesitate to try to use this rule on any Sudoku puzzle
that you attempt to solve. It may not always work but
you want to get into the habit of applying a variety of
solving strategies to any puzzle that you put your pencil
to.

Three Numbers Exclusively

The number sharing rule can be taken a stage further.

Say that you have three cells in a row that share the
numbers 3, 7, and 9, and only those numbers. They may
look like 3 7, 3 9, 7 9, or 3 7, 3 9, 3 7 9, or even 3 7 9, 3
7 9, 3 7 9. In the same way as the pair example worked,
you can eliminate all other occurrences of those numbers
anywhere else on that row (or column or region). It will
probably take a minute or so to get your head around this
one, but like the pairs, where you were looking for two
cells that held the same two numbers exclusively, here we
are looking for three cells that contain three numbers
exclusively.

Sometimes, the obvious simply needs to be stated, as in

the case of two cells that contain 3 7 and 3 7 9. If the 3
and the 7 occur only in those two cells in a row, column,
or region, then either the 3 or the 7 must be true in either
one of the cells. So why is the 9 still in that cell with what
is so obviously a matching pair? Once that 9 has been
eliminated, the pair matches, and can now eliminate other
3’s and 7’s in the row, column, or region. You could say
this was a “hidden” pair.

You may find such hidden pairs in rows, columns, or

regions, but when you find one in a region, only when it
has be converted to a true matching pair can you consider
it as part of a row or column. Hidden trios work in exactly
the same way, but are just more difficult to spot. Once
you have assimilated the principle of two numbers sharing
two cells exclusively or three numbers sharing three cells
exclusively, you will be well on the way to solving the
most difficult Sudoku puzzles.

Step up the Action

It’s important, if you want to successfully solve Sudoku

puzzles that you take the time to attempt both easy and
difficult puzzles using the concepts that you learn here.
But what do you when all of the other methods have
failed? In a nutshell, what you have to do is pick a likely
pair of options in an unsolved cell and attempt to solve

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the puzzle using one of them. The method is called
“bifurcation”.

Since many books about Sudoku have been published

there has been an amazing amount of discussion on the
Internet about extending the more satisfying elimination
methods to solve Sudoku puzzles. So much so that
solvers have come up with schemes for most puzzles
without resorting to guessing methods at all.

At this point it should be emphasized that Sudoku puzzles

that may resist the methods discussed so far represent
only a very small minority of the puzzles that are
presented in most magazines, newspapers, and puzzle
books. These puzzles will be among the diabolical and
possible some tough puzzles at the end of a book. They
are valid puzzles, and many advanced Sudoku solvers
have devised logic schemes (and computer programs) for
solving them.

However, the wonderful thing about Sudoku puzzles is

that you don’t have to be a genius or a computer
programmer to solve even the most diabolical example.
 If you are meticulous and patient, and have
mastered the easy and moderate puzzles, then you
can solve each and every Sudoku puzzle.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people who do Sudoku

puzzles are just ordinary, intelligent people. All it takes is
a bit of time to sit down and enjoy the process of solving
a puzzle.

CHAPTER 9: WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS

So what do you do when everything else fails? You will

have to rely on bifurcation and methodological analysis.
Those are the technical terms for the process of picking a
likely pair of numbers, choosing one, and seeing where
the number you have chosen gets you. Because you can
be confident that one of the numbers will eventually
produce a route to the solution, it is simply a matter of
carefully analyzing the options and testing your choice. If
your first choice doesn’t work out then you take the
alternative route.
This final strategy is reserved for the most difficult
of the diabolical and, occasionally, tough puzzles –
when all else fails.

Think of the Sudoku puzzle as a maze. Easy and

moderate puzzles have a simple path straight through to
the exit. Tough and diabolical puzzles may have “dead”
ends which force you to try different routes. A tough
puzzle is usually a more torturous version of a moderate
Sudoku, but it may have one of these dead ends to cope
with. Diabolical puzzles will have at least one dead end,
and maybe more paths that you could follow before
finding the number that leads to a logical exit.

CHAPTER 10: SOLVING A DIABOLICAL

PUZZLE

In its structure there is no difference between a tough

Sudoku and a diabolical puzzle. The grading is only
increased because in a diabolical puzzle there are more
places where clues can run out and more apparent dead
ends. You can find diabolical puzzles in a variety of
places including puzzle books and on the Internet. If you
buy a puzzle book you will find difficult and diabolical
Sudoku puzzles after the easy to moderate puzzles.
Always keep in mind that diabolical puzzles will take a bit
more time to solve than easy to moderate puzzles. In
fact, as you start to learn how to solve Sudoku puzzles it
may take you over an hour to solve a difficult puzzle!

8 4 5 69 1 7 2
4 8 1 5
1 5 3 2 4 9 8
9 8 5 1
8 1 5 9
4 6 5 9 1 3 2 8 7
7 4 3 1 8 5 9 2 6
5 9 4 6 1 3
1 3 9 5 4

In the above example, ignore the pencil marks on the grid

except for the first pair: at 1,5 you have either a 6 or a 9.
There is at least one other pair that you could have
chosen on the grid, but this was the first, so let’s be
logical and use that. If you choose to try the 6 first, the
following grid shows the numbers that you will be able to
complete using this number.
Pencil the now obvious numbers into the cells so that you
bring the puzzle closer to a solution. You can always take
a back step and find your way back to where you started
if you hit a dead end. Solving Sudoku puzzles is all about
trying to follow the maze through to the end even though
there may be many road blocks along the way.

9 8 4 5 6 1 3 7 2
2 3 7 4 9 8 1 6 5
1 5 6 7 3 2 4 9 8
3 7 9 8 2 4 5 X 1
8 2 1 X 5 7 6 3 9
4 6 5 9 1 3 2 8 7
7 4 3 1 8 5 9 2 6
5 9 8 2 4 6 7 1 3
6 1 2 3 7 9 8 5 4

But with just two cells to fill, look at what we have: at

4,8 the region needs a 4 to complete it, but there is
already a 4 in that row at 4,6. Similarly, at 5,4 that
region needs a 6, but one already exists in that row at
5,7. No second guess was needed to prove that at 1,5
the 6 was incorrect.
So now you need to return to 1,5 and try the 9. Now you
are able to prove the 9 at 2,1 but nothing else is obvious;
every cell is left with options. In this case you could leave
both 9’s because you have proved without doubt that the
6 at 1,5 could not be correct, but if the 6 had simply left
you without sufficient clues, as the 9 did, you wouldn’t
know which was true. Rather than start a new, uncertain
path it is better to return to the situation you were in
before you chose at 1,5 and find another cell to try from.
This is a base that you know to be true.

8 4 5 9 1 7 2
9 4 8 1 5
1 5 3 2 4 9 8
9 8 5 1
8 1 5 9
4 6 5 9 1 3 2 8 7
7 4 3 1 8 5 9 2 6
5 9 4 6 1 3
1 3 9 5 4
In the following grid you can see that you need to
look at cell 1,7 , where the choice is between a 3
and a 6. When you choose the 3 you find yourself
on a path that takes you to just two more to go
but then you discover that a 2 is required to
complete region 7. There is already a 2 in that
row at 9,5. In region 9 you need an 8, but there
is already an 8 in row 8 already. You now need to
get back to 1,7 where 3 was chosen last time.
Trying 6 here will lead you to the solution.

6 8 4 5 9 1 3 7 2
9 3 2 4 7 8 1 6 5
1 5 7 6 3 2 4 9 8
3 2 9 8 6 7 5 4 1
8 7 1 2 5 4 6 3 9
4 6 5 9 1 3 2 8 7
7 4 3 1 8 5 9 2 6
5 9 8 7 4 6 X 1 3
X 1 6 3 2 9 7 5 4
 CHAPTER 11: SAMPLE SUDOKU PUZZLES

Following are samples of Sudoku puzzles to challenge you

no matter what level you are at. Easy puzzles are
followed by more difficult ones. Solutions follow in the
next chapter. Take your time as you learn to solve these
puzzles, keeping in mind that you put the strategies
learned in this guide to good use.

Puzzle 1:

1 5
6 3 8 2 9
4 1 2
7 9
4 5
5 9
1 3 7
3 6 9 1 8
8 9
Puzzle 2:
9 3 7
8 4 5
4 5
9 3 6 7
2 1 7 6
5 9 1 2
2 8
4 1 7
1 3 6

Puzzle 3:
7 1 3
3 5 2
4 1
6 4 5
8 4
9 3 7
2 9
4 6 8
8 5 1
Puzzle 4:
6 4
4 2 1 5
8 1 2
3 9
2 5
6 8
4 6 3
5 7 4 8
5 2

Puzzle 5:
6 3 1 7
4 8
2 9 1
6 9
9 2
3 1
6 2 7
6 8
8 5 4 1

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Puzzle 6:
1 8 4 2
3 5
2 9
6 5 1 3

9 6 2 8
3 4
6 9
2 8 5 6

Puzzle 7:
8 4
4 1 2 3
6 3 8
7 4 1
8 3 5 6
3 6 5
1 7 3
6 2 8 7
5 1
Puzzle 8:
4 1 9
1 8 6
2 5 3
3 8 5
2 7
7 2 9
5 3 2
6 7 4
9 4 8

Puzzle 9:
7 2
8 6 1
3 5 9
2 5 7
6 8
5 4 3
8 6 9
3 4 6
3 4
Puzzle 10:
4 7
8 1 2
2 3 9
3 1 8 7
7 1
8 7 6 5
5 8 1
7 6 9
4 2

CHAPTER 12: SOLUTIONS

Puzzle 1:
1 3 2 4 6 9 7 5 8
5 7 6 3 8 2 9 1 4
8 4 9 1 7 5 2 6 3
2 6 8 5 4 7 3 9 1
9 1 4 2 3 6 5 8 7
3 5 7 9 1 8 4 2 6
4 9 1 8 5 3 6 7 2
7 2 3 6 9 1 8 4 5
6 8 5 7 2 4 1 3 9
Puzzle 2:
5 6 9 2 1 3 8 4 7
7 8 3 4 9 6 5 2 1
4 1 2 5 7 8 3 6 9
9 3 1 6 2 4 7 8 5
2 4 8 1 5 7 9 3 6
6 7 5 8 3 9 4 1 2
3 9 6 7 4 2 1 5 8
8 5 4 9 6 1 2 7 3
1 2 7 3 8 5 6 9 4

Puzzle 3:
7 2 5 9 6 1 3 8 4
3 9 6 8 7 4 1 5 2
8 4 1 3 2 5 6 7 9
1 3 7 6 4 8 9 2 5
6 8 2 1 5 9 7 4 3
9 5 4 2 3 7 8 1 6
5 1 3 4 8 6 2 9 7
4 6 9 7 1 2 5 3 8
2 7 8 5 9 3 4 6 1
Puzzle 4:
1 2 6 9 4 5 8 7 3
7 4 3 2 6 8 1 5 9
9 8 5 1 3 7 4 6 2
5 1 4 6 7 2 3 9 8
2 7 9 4 8 3 6 1 5
3 6 8 5 9 1 7 2 4
4 9 2 8 1 6 5 3 7
6 5 7 3 2 4 9 8 1
8 3 1 7 5 9 2 4 6

Puzzle 5:
9 6 3 4 5 1 7 8 2
4 1 7 3 8 2 9 6 5
2 8 5 6 7 9 3 4 1
8 4 2 1 3 5 6 7 9
5 9 6 8 4 7 1 2 3
3 7 1 9 2 6 8 5 4
6 3 4 2 1 8 5 9 7
1 5 9 7 6 4 2 3 8
7 2 8 5 9 3 4 1 6
Puzzle 6:
1 3 6 9 5 8 4 2 7
7 9 2 3 4 6 8 1 5
5 8 4 2 1 7 6 3 9
2 6 5 4 8 1 9 7 3
8 4 3 7 9 2 5 6 1
9 7 1 6 3 5 2 8 4
3 1 9 8 6 4 7 5 2
6 5 7 1 2 9 3 4 8
4 2 8 5 7 3 1 9 6

Puzzle 7:
2 3 8 9 5 6 4 1 7
5 4 7 1 8 2 9 3 6
6 1 9 4 3 7 2 5 8
7 5 6 8 4 9 3 2 1
9 8 1 3 2 5 7 6 4
3 2 4 7 6 1 8 9 5
1 9 2 5 7 4 6 8 3
4 6 3 2 1 8 5 7 9
8 7 5 6 9 3 1 4 2
Puzzle 8:
6 4 5 3 1 2 8 9 7
9 3 1 4 7 8 6 2 5
2 8 7 5 9 6 1 4 3
3 6 9 1 8 7 2 5 4
1 5 2 9 3 4 7 6 8
4 7 8 6 2 5 3 1 9
5 1 4 8 6 3 9 7 2
8 2 6 7 5 9 4 3 1
7 9 3 2 4 1 5 8 6

Puzzle 9:
1 5 7 8 9 2 6 4 3
9 8 4 7 6 3 2 1 5
3 2 6 5 1 4 9 7 8
8 4 2 6 3 5 1 9 7
7 6 3 1 2 9 5 8 4
5 9 1 4 7 8 3 2 6
4 1 8 2 5 6 7 3 9
2 3 5 9 4 7 8 6 1
6 7 9 3 8 1 4 5 2
Puzzle 10:

4 3 2 8 1 9 5 7 6
8 9 1 5 6 7 2 4 3
5 7 6 2 3 4 1 9 8
3 2 5 1 9 8 7 6 4
7 6 4 3 5 2 9 8 1
9 1 8 7 4 6 3 2 5
2 5 9 6 8 1 4 3 7
1 8 7 4 2 3 6 5 9
6 4 3 9 7 5 8 1 2

CONCLUSION

Once you learn the basics of solving a Sudoku puzzle you

will need to apply it to puzzles of all levels of ability. You
may find yourself struggling at first but this is just
subjective and over time you will find yourself flying
through puzzles that are mild to challenging. There are
many mistakes that you will make along the way, and you
may often find yourself wedged into a dead end with no
where to go. Going back to the last place where the
puzzle was correct and starting again is the only way that
you will learn to successfully solve a Sudoku puzzle.

The same puzzle may take one person thirty minutes to

solve while another person may take two hours.
Sometimes solving time comes down to your experience
and other times it may just depend on how well you work
the numbers. As well, there will be some days where you
just have an innate ability to spot the clues. With
practice, you will learn to spot these clues without even
thinking about it.

No matter how good or bad you are solving Sudoku

puzzles, you are guaranteed that you will get a good
mental workout. As far as a workout for the brain goes,
Sudoku is as good as it gets.

The following is one last sample Sudoku puzzle so that

you can put all the strategies and techniques that you
learn in this guide to good use. Keep in mind that this
Sudoku puzzle is rated “difficult” and therefore may take
a bit of time for you to find the right solution.
 DIABOLICAL!
9 5 2 8
5 8 9
8 7 6
6 1 7
9
9 8 3
3 1 7
4 5 8
3 2 8 7
DIABOLICAL SOLUTION!
1 3 9 5 7 2 4 6 8
4 6 5 1 8 3 2 9 7
8 2 7 9 4 6 3 1 5
6 1 2 8 3 5 9 7 4
5 8 3 4 9 7 6 2 1
7 9 4 6 2 1 5 8 3
9 7 8 3 6 4 1 5 2
2 4 1 7 5 8 8 3 6
3 5 6 2 1 8 7 4 9

CONGRATULATIONS AND HAPPY SOLVING!

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