
| Easy Puzzle #22 - 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 | 4 | 5 | 3 | Easy Puzzle #22 - October 22, 2005 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 4 | Original puzzle as published on joe-ks.com… | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
| 7 | 1 | 9 | 7 | |||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 6 | ||||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | Step 1: #3 is in Rows 1 & 3: #3 MUST go in Cell E2… | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | Step 2: #7 is in Rows 7 & 9: #7 MUST go in Cell E8… | |||||||
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
| 7 | 1 | 9 | 7 | |||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | Step 3: #5 is in Columns D & F: #5 MUST go in Cell E5 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | (#5 in Row 4 @ C4 excludes use of Cell E4, & #5 in Row 6 | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | @ I6 excludes use of Cell E6) | ||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
| 7 | 1 | 9 | 7 | |||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | Step 4: #3 is in Column G & I: #3 MUST go in Cell H9 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | (#3 in Row 8 @ D8 excludes use of Cell H8) | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | Step 5: Now you have #3 in Rows 8 & 9… | |||||||
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6 | #3 MUST go in Cell A7 | |||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | (cf #3 in Column B @ B3 excludes use of Cell B7) | |||||||
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | Step 6: #3 is in Columns A & B: #3 MUST go in Cell C5 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | (cf #3 is Row 6 @ G6 excludes use of Cell C6) | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | Step 7: #8 is in Column A & B: #8 MUST go in Cell C3 | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | (cf #8 in Row 2 @ D2 excludes use of Cell C2) | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | Step 8: #6 is in Columns H & I: #6 MUST go in Cell G1 | ||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | (cf #6 in Row 2 @ F2 excludes use of Cell G2) | |||||||
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | Step 9: #7 is in Columns H & I: #7 MUST go in Cell G2… | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 4 | |||||
| 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | Step 10: Row 2 needs #5: #5 MUST go in Cell B2 | |||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | (cf #5 in Column C @ C4 excludes Cell C2; | |||||||
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | #5 in Column I @ I6 excludes Cell I2) | ||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | Step 11: Complete Row 2: need #s 1 & 9… | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | #1 can't go in Cell C2 (cf #1 in Column C @ C7), so | ||
| 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | #1 MUST go in Cell I2, & therefore #9 MUST go in Cell C2 | |||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |||||||
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | Step 12: Complete Column C: need #s 2 & 6… | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | #6 can’t go in Cell C8 (cf #6 in Row 8 @ I8), so | ||
| 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | #6 MUST go ni Cell C6, & therefore #2 MUST go in Cell C8 | |||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |||||||
| 6 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | |||||||
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | ||||||
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | ||||
| 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 3 | Step 13: Block AA needs #1: #1 MUST go in Cell B1 | |||||
| 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | (cf #1 in Column A @ A6 excludes use of Cells A1 & A3) | ||
| 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | Step 14: Block CC needs #8: #8 MUST go cin Cell H1 | |||||||
| 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | (cf #8 in Row 3 @ C3 excludes use of Cells H3 & I3) | ||||||
| 6 | 1 | 6 | 4< | |||||||||