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Sudoku Puzzle Secrets: Learn How To Solve Sudoku Puzzles With Little Effort
Sudoku Puzzle Secrets: Learn How To Solve Sudoku Puzzles With Little Effort
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………….. 04
2
Cross-Hatching And Counting ……………………. 20
CONCLUSION ………………………………………………. 58
3
INTRODUCTION
4
puzzle is a 9 x 9 grid that is made of subgrids that are 3 x
3. Each of these subgrids 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.
5
CHAPTER I: HISTORY OF SUDUKO
6
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 numbers must be
there in only on instance”. In 1986 Nikoli introduced two
different versions of Sudoku as the popularity of the
puzzle increased. No more than 30 “givens” were allowed
that the grid became 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.
7
Surprisingly Dell, who invented the Americanized version
of the puzzle, has failed to cash in on this big puzzle rage.
Variants
8
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:
9
shape of a quincunx. In the New York Times this puzzles
is known as “Samurai Su Doku”.
Japanese Variants
10
has its own challenges that attract different individuals.
Following is a list of the some of the Japanese variants
which have been developed:
11
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 can not 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 include 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.
12
one time. This means that every number in the solution
of the puzzle will occur only one time in three directions.
13
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
determining finite power to solve the puzzle correctly.
14
connected by an edge don’t have the same integer
assigned to them.
A Latin Square
15
Unique Grids
16
CHAPTER 4: CONSTRUCTION OF THE PUZZLE
17
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.
18
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 a working in one or two needed
numbers.
19
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.
20
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.
21
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.
8 3 4
3 4 8 2 1
7
9 4 1 8 3
4 6 5 7 1
7
1 2 5 3
22
7 2 4 9
Guessing
23
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
24
can only go in row 3, but there are 2 cells available.
Make a note of this by penciling in a small 8l 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
25
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.
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
26
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
8 3 4
3 4 8 2 1
7 8 8
9 4 1 8 3
4 24
4 6 5 7 1 2
27
2 7
1 2 5 3 9
7 2 4 8
28
3 5 678 4 1
7 2 5
17
5 2 6
8
8 6 5 9 3
12
3 4 17 8
7
146 14 146
5 8 1 3 7 49
9 9 9
167
5 3
8
6 9 1
9 4 167 2 5
8
It was not otherwise obvious that the only cell for the
number 1 was row 6, column 5, as there is no number 1
29
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
17
5 2 6
8
8 6 5 9 3
12 1
3 4 8
7 7
146 14 4 146
5 8 1 3 7
9 9 9 9
167
5 3
8
6 9 1
9 4 167 2 5
8
Twins
30
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.
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
31
2 9 3 4 7
3 1 4 6
5 4 9 7 2
2 7 3 6 4
9 8 7 4
1 9 4 8 7
7 5 4 9
32
4 7 9 2 1
4 9 6 3
2 9 3 4 7
3 1 9 4 6
Triplets
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
33
7 7 7 7 5 2
34
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.
35
14 14
3
6 9
18
68 5
9
14
2 7
6
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.
9 46 5
14
68 2
8
36
14
7 3
8
1 8 2
5 7 6
4 9 3
14
3 49
6
68 5 89
14
2 7
6
37
1 6 1 16
2 5 7 3 4
8 8 8 89
1 1 6
2 5 7 8 3 4
8 8 9
38
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.
39
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.
40
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.
41
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 analysing the options and testing your choice. If
your first choice doesn’t work out then you take the
alternative route.
42
Ariadne’s Thread
43
labyrinth. And Ariadne? Well, she got her ball of string
back and became the moral of this story.
44
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
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 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.
45
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
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
46
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
47
wind the thread 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
48
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:
49
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
50
4 8
2 9 1
6 9
9 2
3 1
6 2 7
6 8
8 5 4 1
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
51
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
52
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
53
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
54
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
55
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
56
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
57
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 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
58
again is the only way that you will learn to successfully
solve a Sudoku puzzle.
DIABOLICAL!
9 5 2 8
59
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
60
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
61
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