joe-ks.com


Junior Puzzle #12 - 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   1 4 8 9 2 6 5   Junior Puzzle #12 - November 18, 2005
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4 Original puzzle as published © joe-ks.com
3 8 5     7   9 2 1
4 1 7     3 5   6 9
5 4 9     8 6 2    
6 3 6     4 9   8 5
7 2 4     1   5 9 8
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9   8 9 4 5 7 3 1  
A B C D E F G H I
1   1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 Step 1: Complete Block CC: #3 MUST go in Cell I1...
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4
3 8 5     7   9 2 1 Step 2: #3 is now in Columns G & I: #3 MUST go in Cell H5
4 1 7     3 5   6 9
5 4 9     8 6 2 3   Step 3: Complete Block II: #2 MUST go in Cell I9...
6 3 6     4 9   8 5
7 2 4     1   5 9 8
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9   8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 Step 4: Complete Row 1: #7 MUST go in Cell A1...
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4
3 8 5     7   9 2 1 Step 5: #7 is now in Columns A & B: #7 MUST go in Cell C7...
4 1 7     3 5   6 9
5 4 9     8 6 2 3 7 Step 6: Complete Column I: #7 MUST go in Cell I5...
6 3 6     4 9   8 5
7 2 4 7   1   5 9 8
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9   8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 Step 7: Complete Block GG: #6 MUST go in Cell A9...
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4
3 8 5 6   7   9 2 1 Step 8: #6 is now in Columns A & B: #6 MUST go in Cell C3...
4 1 7     3 5   6 9
5 4 9     8 6 2 3 7
6 3 6     4 9   8 5
7 2 4 7   1   5 9 8
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9 6 8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 Step 9: Complete Block BB: need #s 3 & 4…
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4      #4 can't go in Cell D3 (cf #4 in Column D @ D9), so
3 8 5 6 3 7 4 9 2 1      #4 MUST go in Cell F3, & therefore #3 MUST go in Cell D3
4 1 7     3 5   6 9
5 4 9     8 6 2 3 7 Step 10: #3 is now in Columns D & E: #3 MUST go in Cell F7...
6 3 6     4 9   8 5
7 2 4 7   1 3 5 9 8
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9 6 8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 Step 11: Complete Row 7: #6 MUST go in Cell D7
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4
3 8 5 6 3 7 4 9 2 1 Step 12: Complete Block FF: need #s 1 & 4…
4 1 7     3 5 4 6 9      #4 can't go in Cell G6 (cf #4 in Row 6 @ E6), so
5 4 9     8 6 2 3 7      #4 MUST go in Cell G4, & therefore #1 MUST go in Cell G6
6 3 6     4 9 1 8 5
7 2 4 7 6 1 3 5 9 8
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9 6 8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 Step 13: Complete Row 6: need #s 2 & 7…
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4      #7 can't go in Cell C6 (cf #7 in Column C @ C7), so
3 8 5 6 3 7 4 9 2 1      #7 MUST go in Cell D6, & therefore #2 MUST go in Cell C6
4 1 7 8 2 3 5 4 6 9
5 4 9     8 6 2 3 7 Step 14: Complete Row 4: need #s 2 & 8…
6 3 6 2 7 4 9 1 8 5      #2 can't go in Cell C4 (cf #2 from Step 13 @ C6), so
7 2 4 7 6 1 3 5 9 8      #2 MUST go in Cell D4, & therefore #8 MUST go in Cell C4
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9 6 8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 Step 15: Complete Block DD: #5 MUST go in Cell C5...
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4
3 8 5 6 3 7 4 9 2 1 Step 16: Complete Block EE (& Puzzle): #1 MUST go in Cell D5.
4 1 7 8 2 3 5 4 6 9
5 4 9 5 1 8 6 2 3 7
6 3 6 2 7 4 9 1 8 5
7 2 4 7 6 1 3 5 9 8
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6
9 6 8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2
A B C D E F G H I
1 7 1 4 8 9 2 6 5 3 45 Final Proof:
2 9 2 3 5 6 1 8 7 4 45      - All Rows add up to 45;
3 8 5 6 3 7 4 9 2 1 45
4 1 7 8 2 3 5 4 6 9 45
5 4 9 5 1 8 6 2 3 7 45
6 3 6 2 7 4 9 1 8 5 45
7 2 4 7 6 1 3 5 9 8 45
8 5 3 1 9 2 8 7 4 6 45
9 6 8 9 4 5 7 3 1 2 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

Send your Comments to joe-ks.com