
| Easy Puzzle #36 - One Possible Solution Approach… | ||||||||||||
| NB: There is only one final solution to this Sudoku puzzle… | ||||||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | AA | BB | CC | Reference to 3x3 Blocks AA, BB & CC | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | DD | EE | FF | Reference to 3x3 Blocks DD, EE & FF | ||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | GG | HH | II | Reference to 3x3 Blocks GG, HH & II | ||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | Easy Puzzle #36 - November 5, 2005 | |||||||
| 2 | 5 | 6 | Original puzzle as published © joe-ks.com | |||||||||
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 8 | |||||||||
| 5 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 8 | 7 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | Step 1: #7 is in Columns A & B: #7 MUST go in Celll C2 | |||||||
| 2 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 6 | (#7 in Row 3 @ G3 excludes use of Cell C3) | |||||||
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 8 | Step 2: #9 is in Column B & C: #9 MUST go in Cell A2... | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 | Step 3: #8 is in Columns A & C: #8 MUST go in Cell B5... | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 8 | 7 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 | Step 4: #9 is in Rows 2 & 3: #9 MUST go in Cell F1 | ||||||
| 2 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 6 | (#9 in Column E excludes use of Cell E1) | |||||||
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 8 | Step 5: #9 is now in Columns E & F: #9 MUST go in Cell D8 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | (#9 in Row 7 @ G7 excludes use of Cell D7) | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 6: #9 is in Columns G & H: #9 MUST go in Cell I4 | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 | (#9 in Row 5 @ C5 excludes use of Cell I5, & | ||||||
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | #9 in Row 6 @ #6 excludes use of Cell I6) | ||||||
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Step 7: Block AA needs #1: #1 MUST go in Cell B2 | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 | (#1 in Row 3 @ I3 excludes use of Cells B3 & C3) | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 1 | Step 8: #1 is now in Rows 2 & 3: E1 MUST go in Cell E1… | ||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 9: #6 is in Rows 1 & 2: #6 MUST go in Cell D3 | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 | (#6 in Column E @ E5 excludes use of Cell E3) | ||||||
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | ||||||
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | Step 10: #6 is in Rows 5 & 6: #6 MUST go in Cell G4... | ||||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 | Step 11: #6 is in Rows 7 & 9: #6 MUST go in Cell F8... | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 12: #3 is in Columns E & F: #3 MUST go in Cell D2... | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 6 | ||||||
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | ||||||
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 13: Complete Block BB: need #s 4 & 8… | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | #4 can't go in Cell F2 (cf #4 in Column F @ F5), so | ||||
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | #4 MUST go in Cell E3, & therefore #8 MUST go in Cell F2 | ||||
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Step 14: #4 is now in Columns E & F: #4 MUST go in Cell D7 | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | Step 15: #1 is in Columns H & I: #1 MUST go in Cell G6 | |||||
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 1 | #1 in Row 5 @ D5 excludes use of Cell G5) | |||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 16: Complete Column D: need #s 2 & 8… | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | #8 can't go in Cell D4 (cf #8 in Row 4 @ H4), so | ||||
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | #8 MUST go in Cell D6, & therefore #2 MUST go in Cell D4 | ||||
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | ||||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Step 17: #2 is now in Columns D & F: #2 MUST go in Cell E9 | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3 | (#2 in Row 7 @ H7 excludes use of Cell E7) | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | ||||||
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 2 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 18: Complete Column E: #8 MUST go in Cell E7… | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | |||||
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | Step 19: Row 4 needs #4: #4 MUST go in Cell C4 | ||||
| 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | (#4 in Column A @ A1 excludes use of Cell A4, & | ||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | #4 in Column F @ F5 excludes use of Cell F4) | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | Step 20: #4 is now in Rows 4 & 5: #4 MUST go in Cell I6... | ||||
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 2 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 21: #4 is in Columns A & C: #4 MUST go in Cell B8 | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | (#4 in Row 7 @ D7 excludes use of Cell B7) | ||||
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | Step 22: Complete Block HH: #1 MUST go in Cell F9… | ||||
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Step 23: #1 is now in Rows 8 & 9: #1 MUST go in Cell C7 | |||||
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | (#1 in Column B @ B2 excludes use of Cell B7) | |||
| 8 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | Step 24: Complete Column B: need #s 3 & 5… | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | #3 can't go in Cell B7 (cf #3 in Row 7 @ F7), so | ||||
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||