
| 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 | |||||