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Junior Puzzle #9 - 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 7 5   8 1 3       Junior Puzzle #9 - November 15, 2005
2 1   3 9 7 6 8     Original puzzle as published © joe-ks.com
3   8 9 2 5 4 1 7  
4 5 7 8   2   3 4 6
5 4 1 6 3   5 2 9 7
6 3 9 2   6   5 1 8
7   4 7 5 3 8 9 6  
8     5 6 4 1 7   2
9       7 9 2   3 5
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3       Step 1: #4 is in Columns A & B: #4 MUST go in Cell C1...
2 1   3 9 7 6 8    
3   8 9 2 5 4 1 7   Step 2: #8 is in Columns D & F: #8 MUST go in Cell E5...
4 5 7 8   2   3 4 6
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7 Step 3: #8 is in Columns G & I: #8 MUST go in Cell H8...
6 3 9 2   6   5 1 8
7   4 7 5 3 8 9 6  
8     5 6 4 1 7 8 2
9       7 9 2   3 5
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3       Step 4: Complete Column C: #1 MUST go in Cell C9...
2 1   3 9 7 6 8    
3   8 9 2 5 4 1 7   Step 5: Complete Block II: need #s 1 & 4…
4 5 7 8   2   3 4 6      #1 can't go in Cell G9 (cf #1 added in Step 4 in Row 9), so
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7      #1 MUST go in Cell I7, & therefore #4 MUST go in Cell G9
6 3 9 2   6   5 1 8
7   4 7 5 3 8 9 6 1
8     5 6 4 1 7 8 2
9     1 7 9 2 4 3 5
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3       Step 6: Complete Row 4: need #s 1 & 9…
2 1   3 9 7 6 8          #1 can't go in Cell F4 (cf #1 in Column F @ F8), so
3   8 9 2 5 4 1 7       #1 MUST go in Cell D4, & therefore #9 MUST go in Cell F4
4 5 7 8 1 2 9 3 4 6
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7 Step 7: Complete Column F: #7 MUST go in Cell F6...
6 3 9 2   6 7 5 1 8
7   4 7 5 3 8 9 6 1
8     5 6 4 1 7 8 2
9     1 7 9 2 4 3 5
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3 6     Step 8: Complete Block FF: #4 MUST go in Cell D6...
2 1   3 9 7 6 8    
3 6 8 9 2 5 4 1 7   Step 9: Complete Column G: #6 MUST go in Cell G1...
4 5 7 8 1 2 9 3 4 6
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7 Step 10: #6 is now in Rows 1 & 2: #6 MUST go in Cell A3
6 3 9 2 4 6 7 5 1 8
7   4 7 5 3 8 9 6 1 Step 11: #6 is now in Columns A & C: #6 MUST go in Cell B9
8     5 6 4 1 7 8 2     (#6 in Row 8 @ D8 excludes use of Cell B8)
9   6 1 7 9 2 4 3 5
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3 6 2   Step 12: Complete Row 7: #2 MUST go in Cell A7...
2 1 2 3 9 7 6 8    
3 6 8 9 2 5 4 1 7   Step 13: Complete Block AA: #2 MUST go in Cell B2...
4 5 7 8 1 2 9 3 4 6
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7 Step 14: #2 is now in Rows 2 & 3: #2 MUST go in Cell H1
6 3 9 2 4 6 7 5 1 8      (#2 in Column I @ I8 excludes use of Cell I1)
7 2 4 7 5 3 8 9 6 1
8     5 6 4 1 7 8 2
9   6 1 7 9 2 4 3 5
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3 6 2   Step 15: Complete Column H: #5 MUST go in Cell H2...
2 1 2 3 9 7 6 8 5  
3 6 8 9 2 5 4 1 7   Step 16: Complete Column B: #3 MUST go in Cell B8...
4 5 7 8 1 2 9 3 4 6
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7
6 3 9 2 4 6 7 5 1 8
7 2 4 7 5 3 8 9 6 1
8   3 5 6 4 1 7 8 2
9   6 1 7 9 2 4 3 5
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3 6 2 9 Step 17: Complete Row 1: #9 MUST go in Cell I1...
2 1 2 3 9 7 6 8 5 4
3 6 8 9 2 5 4 1 7 3 Step 18: Complete Row 2: #4 MUST go in Cell I2...
4 5 7 8 1 2 9 3 4 6
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7 Step 19: Complete Row 3: #3 MUST go in Cell I3...
6 3 9 2 4 6 7 5 1 8
7 2 4 7 5 3 8 9 6 1 Step 20: Complete Row 8: #9 MUST go in Cell A8...
8 9 3 5 6 4 1 7 8 2
9 8 6 1 7 9 2 4 3 5 Step 21: Complete Row 9: #8 MUST go in Cell A9
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 5 4 8 1 3 6 2 9 45 Final Proof:
2 1 2 3 9 7 6 8 5 4 45      - All Rows add up to 45;
3 6 8 9 2 5 4 1 7 3 45
4 5 7 8 1 2 9 3 4 6 45
5 4 1 6 3 8 5 2 9 7 45
6 3 9 2 4 6 7 5 1 8 45
7 2 4 7 5 3 8 9 6 1 45
8 9 3 5 6 4 1 7 8 2 45
9 8 6 1 7 9 2 4 3 5 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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