| Junior Puzzle #8 - 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 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | Junior Puzzle #8 - November 14, 2005 | ||||
| 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | Original puzzle as published © joe-ks.com | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | |||||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | ||||||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | ||||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | |||||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | Look for the 'easy' stuff - the "Low Hanging Fruit"! | ||||
| 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | Step 1: Complete Row 5: need 1 more #: #9 MUST go in Cell E5... | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | |||||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | Step 2: Complete Row 6: #7 MUST go in Cell E6... | |||||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | |||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | |||||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | Step 3: Complete Column D: #4 MUST go in Cell D4… | ||||
| 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | |||||
| 3 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | Step 4: Complete Column E: #2 MUST go in Cell E4… | ||||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | Step 5: Complete Column F: #3 MUST go in Cell F4... | ||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | |||||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | Step 6: Complete Row 8: need #s 1 & 7… | ||||
| 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | #1 can't go in Cell G8 (cf #1 in Column G @ G6), so | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | #1 MUST go in Cell C8, & therefore #7 MUST go in Cel G8 | ||||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | |||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | |||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | Step 7: Complete Block GG: need #s 3 & 4… | ||||
| 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | #3 can't go in Cell C9 (cf #3 in Row 9 @ E9), so | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | #3 MUST go in Cell C7, & therefore #4 MUST go in Cell C9 | ||||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | |||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 1 | ||||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | |||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | ||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | Step 8: Complete Row 3: need #s 1 & 4… | ||||
| 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | #4 can't go in Cell H3 (cf #4 in Column H @ H6), so | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 5 | #4 MUST go in Cell B3, & therefore #1 MUST go in Cell H3 | ||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | |||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | Step 9: Complete Row 7: #4 MUST go in Cell G7… | ||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | |||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | Step 9: Complete Row 10: #2 MUST go in Cell G9... | ||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | Step 10: Complete Block AA: need #s 1 & 6… | |||
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | #1 can't go in Cell B1 (cf #1 in Row 1 @ E1), so | |||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 5 | #1 MUST go in Cell B2, & therefore #6 MUST go in Cell B1 | ||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | |||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | |||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 4 | Step 11: Complete Block CC (& Puzzle): need #s 2 & 7… | ||
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | #2 can't go in Cell H1 (cf #2 in Row 1 @ A1), so | ||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 5 | #2 MUST go in Cell H2, & therefore #7 MUST go in Cell H1. | ||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | |||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | |||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 45 | Final Proof: | |
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 45 | - All Rows add up to 45; | |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 45 | ||
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 45 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 45 | ||
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 45 | ||
| 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 45 | ||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 45 | ||
| 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 45 | ||
| 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | - All Columns add up to 45; | |||
| 45 | 45 | 45 | - All 3x3 Blocks add up to 45… | |||||||||
| 45 | 45 | 45 | ||||||||||
| 45 | 45 | 45 | ||||||||||
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