
| Easy Puzzle #11 - One Possible Solution Approach… | |||||||||||
| NB: There is only one final solution to this Sudoku puzzle… | |||||||||||
| Rules: Place a number from 1-9 in each empty cell so that each row, each column AND each 3x3 block contains all the numbers from 1-9. | |||||||||||
| 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 | 6 | 3 | 8 | Easy Puzzle #11 - October 11, 2005 | |||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | One possible Solution Method follows below… | ||||
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | ||||||
| 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |||||||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |||||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 8 | Step 1: #6 is in Rows 1 & 2: #6 MUST go in Cell I3… | |||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | |||||
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | |||||
| 4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | Step 2: #4 is in Rows 5 & 6: #4 MUST go in Cell D4 | |||||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | (cf #4 in Column F @ F8 excludes use of Cell F4) | ||||||
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |||||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 8 | Step 3: #8 is in Rows 1 & 2: #8 MUST go in Cell B3… | |||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | |||||
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | ||||
| 4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | Step 4: #3 is in Rows 5 & 6: #3 MUST go in Cell F4… | ||||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |||||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 8 | Step 5: Complete Column F: #1 MUST go in Cell F7… | |||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | |||||
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | Step 6: #3 is in Columns G & I: #3 MUST go in Cell H7… | |||
| 4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | |||||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 8 | Step 7: #8 is in Columns B & C: #8 MUST go in Cell A4 | |||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | (cf #8 in Row 5 @ H5 excludes use of Cell A5) | ||||
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | ||||
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | ||||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 8 | Step 8: Complete Row 4: need #s 5 & 6… | |||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | #6 can't go in Cell G4 (cf #6 in Column G @ G9), so | ||||
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | #6 MUST go in Cell H4, & therefore #5 MUST go in Cell G4 | |||
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | Step 9: Now #5 is in Rows 4 & 5: #5 MUST go in Cell B6… | ||||||
| 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 3 | ||||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | Step 10: Complete Column H: need #s 1 & 2… | ||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | #2 can't go in Cell H6 (cf #2 in Row 6 @ A6), so | ||||
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | #2 MUST go in Cell H1, & therefore #1 MUST go in Cell H6 | |||
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | |||||||
| 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 3 | |||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | Step 11: Complete Block CC: #1 MUST go in Cell G2… | ||||||
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 5 | ||||
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | ||||
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | Step 12: Complete Block FF: need #s 2 & 7… | |
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4 | #2 can't go in Cell G6 (cf #2 in Row 6 @ A6), so | |||||
| 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 3 | #2 MUST go in Cell G5, & therefore #7 MUST go in Cell G6 | |||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | Step 13: Now #7 is in Columns G & H: #7 MUST go in Cell I9 | ||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | Step 14: Complete Row 2: need #s 2 & 9… | ||||||
| 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 5 | #2 can't go in Cell A2 (cf #2 in Column A @ A6), so | |
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | #2 MUST go in Cell D2, & therefore #9 MUST go in Cell A2 | |||
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 5 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4 | Step 15: Now #9 is in Columns A & B: #9 MUST go in Cell C5 | ||||
| 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | Step 16: Complete Block DD: #6 MUST go in Cell A5… | ||||||
| 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | Step 17: Now #6 is in Columns A & B: #6 MUST go in Cell C8 | |||
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 5 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4 | Step 18: Complete Block II: need #s 4 & 8… | |||
| 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 3 | #4 can't go in Cell G8 (cf #4 in Row 8 @ F8), so | |||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | #4 MUST go in Cell G7, & therefore #8 MUST go in Cell G8 | |||
| 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |||
| 1 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | Step 19: Complete Row 7: need #s 7 & 8… | |||||
| 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 5 | #8 can't go in Cell A7 (cf #8 in Column A @ A4), so | |
| 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | #8 MUST go in Cell D7, & therefore #7 MUST go in Cell A7 | |||
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 5 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||