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Medium Puzzle #17 - 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   2 6         Medium Puzzle #17 - October 17, 2005
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6   Original puzzle as published on joe-ks.com…
3                  
4   5   1 7        
5   8 6   3 9 1   2
6 7 9   6 8   4 3  
7     4 8   3   9  
8   6 8   2       4
9   3     9     2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 1: #5 is in Columns A & B: #5 MUST go in Cell C9…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6  
3             2    
4   5   1 7         Step 2: #1 is in Columns D & F: #1 MUST go in Cell E7…
5   8 6   3 9 1   2
6 7 9   6 8   4 3  
7     4 8 1 3   9   Step 3: #2 is in Columns H & I: #2 MUST go in Cell G3…
8   6 8   2       4 (cf #2 in Row 1 @ E1 excludes use of Cell H1)
9   3 5   9     2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 4: #4 is in Rows 1 & 2: #4 MUST go in Cell H3…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6        (cf #4 in Column I @ I8 excludes use of Cell I3)
3             2 4  
4   5   1 7         Step 5: #1 is in Rows 4 & 5: #1 MUST go in Cell C6…
5   8 6   3 9 1   2
6 7 9 1 6 8   4 3  
7     4 8 1 3   9   Step 6: #9 is in Rows 7 & 9: #9 MUST go in Cell A8…
8 9 6 8   2       4
9   3 5   9     2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 7: Complete Column B: need #s 1 & 7…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6        #1 can't go in Cell B7 (cf #1 in Row 7 @ E7), so
3   1   3     2 4        #1 MUST go in Cell B3, & therefore #7 MUST go in Cell B7
4   5   1 7        
5   8 6   3 9 1   2 Step 8: #3 is in Columns E & F: #3 MUST go in Cell D3…
6 7 9 1 6 8   4 3  
7   7 4 8 1 3   9  
8 9 6 8   2       4
9   3 5   9     2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 9: Complete Row 6: need #s 2 & 5…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6        #2 can't go in Cell I6 (cf #2 in Column I @ I5), so
3   1   3 5   2 4        #2 MUST go in Cell F6, & therefore #5 MUST go in Cell I6
4   5   1 7        
5   8 6   3 9 1   2 Step 10: Complete Column E: #5 MUST go in Cell E3…
6 7 9 1 6 8 2 4 3 5
7   7 4 8 1 3   9  
8 9 6 8   2       4
9   3 5   9     2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 11: Block HH needs #6: #6 MUST go in Cell F9…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6        (#6 in Row 8 @ B8 excludes Cells D8 & F8, &
3   1   3 5   2 4          #6 in Column D @ D6 excludes Cell D9)
4   5   1 7        
5   8 6   3 9 1 7 2 Step 12: Block FF needs #7: #7 MUST go in Cell H5
6 7 9 1 6 8 2 4 3 5      (#7 in Row 4 @ E4 excludes Cells G4, H4 & I4)
7   7 4 8 1 3   9  
8 9 6 8   2       4
9   3 5   9 6   2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 13: #6 is in Columns B & C: #6 MUST go in Cell A3…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6        (cf #6 in Row 1 @ E1 excludes use of Cell A1)
3 6 1   3 5   2 4  
4   5   1 7         Step 14: Block HH needs #4: #4 MUST go in Cell D9…
5   8 6   3 9 1 7 2      (#4 in Row 8 @ I8 excludes use of Cells D8 & F8)
6 7 9 1 6 8 2 4 3 5
7   7 4 8 1 3   9  
8 9 6 8   2       4
9   3 5 4 9 6   2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 15: Complete Row 5: need #s 4 & 5…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6        #5 can't go in Cell A5 (cf #5 in Column A @ A2), so
3 6 1   3 5   2 4        #5 MUST go in Cell D5, & therefore #4 MUST go in Cell A5
4   5   1 7        
5 4 8 6 5 3 9 1 7 2 Step 16: Now Complete Column D: #7 MUST go in Cell D8…
6 7 9 1 6 8 2 4 3 5
7   7 4 8 1 3   9  
8 9 6 8 7 2       4
9   3 5 4 9 6   2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6         Step 17: Complete Block EE: #4 MUST go in Cell F4…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6  
3 6 1   3 5   2 4  
4   5   1 7 4       Step 18: Complete Block GG: need #s 1 & 2…
5 4 8 6 5 3 9 1 7 2      #1 can't go in Cell A7 (cf #1 in Row 7 @ E7), so
6 7 9 1 6 8 2 4 3 5      #1 MUST go in Cell A9, & therefore #2 MUST go in Cell A7
7 2 7 4 8 1 3   9  
8 9 6 8 7 2       4
9 1 3 5 4 9 6   2  
A B C D E F G H I
1   4   2 6     5   Step 19: Complete Block HH: #5 MUST go in Cell F8…
2 5 2   9 4 1 8 6  
3 6 1   3 5   2 4