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Sudoku #2 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from October 2, 2026 — Easy, Medium and Hard — each with its solved grid and a path through it, step by step, that never needs a guess.

Easy — 36 digits given

Every cell falls to scanning: a digit with only one place left in a row, a column or a box.

The board

1 · · | · · 3 | 5 · 4
· · 9 | 1 7 6 | · · 2
8 · · | · 5 4 | · 6 1
------+-------+------
· 1 · | · 9 · | 4 · ·
6 · · | · · · | · · 8
· · 3 | · 2 · | · 7 ·
------+-------+------
3 4 · | 5 1 · | · · 7
9 · · | 8 6 7 | 1 · ·
7 · 1 | 3 · · | · · 9

The solution

1 7 6 | 2 8 3 | 5 9 4
4 5 9 | 1 7 6 | 3 8 2
8 3 2 | 9 5 4 | 7 6 1
------+-------+------
2 1 7 | 6 9 8 | 4 3 5
6 9 4 | 7 3 5 | 2 1 8
5 8 3 | 4 2 1 | 9 7 6
------+-------+------
3 4 8 | 5 1 9 | 6 2 7
9 2 5 | 8 6 7 | 1 4 3
7 6 1 | 3 4 2 | 8 5 9

A path through it

The order a solver takes — always the cheapest move left, so a pattern is only reached for when the singles run dry. 45 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

  1. Row 2, column 1 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  2. Row 2, column 2 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  3. Row 3, column 2 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  4. Row 1, column 5 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  5. Row 3, column 7 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  6. Row 1, column 8 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  7. Row 3, column 4 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  8. Row 1, column 4 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  9. Row 3, column 3 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  10. Row 5, column 3 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  11. Row 5, column 5 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the center box.
  12. Row 6, column 4 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  13. Row 4, column 4 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the center box.
  14. Row 5, column 4 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the center box.
  15. Row 4, column 3 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  16. Row 1, column 2 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  17. Row 1, column 3 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  18. Row 6, column 2 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  19. Row 5, column 2 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  20. Row 4, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  21. Row 6, column 1 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  22. Row 4, column 6 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the center box.
  23. Row 5, column 6 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the center box.
  24. Row 6, column 6 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the center box.
  25. Row 5, column 8 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  26. Row 5, column 7 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  27. Row 6, column 7 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  28. Row 6, column 9 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  29. Row 8, column 3 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  30. Row 9, column 2 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  31. Row 8, column 2 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  32. Row 7, column 3 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  33. Row 9, column 5 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  34. Row 7, column 6 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  35. Row 9, column 6 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  36. Row 7, column 8 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  37. Row 8, column 8 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  38. Row 8, column 9 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  39. Row 4, column 8 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  40. Row 2, column 7 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  41. Row 2, column 8 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  42. Row 4, column 9 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  43. Row 9, column 8 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  44. Row 7, column 7 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  45. Row 9, column 7 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.

Medium — 30 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (5 times).

The board

· 3 · | 5 4 6 | · 9 ·
· · 6 | · · · | · · ·
· 7 · | 3 2 · | · 8 ·
------+-------+------
1 · · | · 3 7 | · · 2
· · 2 | · · · | 8 · ·
7 · · | 8 5 · | · · 3
------+-------+------
· 1 · | · 9 5 | · 2 ·
· · · | · · · | 4 · ·
· 2 · | 6 7 3 | · 5 ·

The solution

8 3 1 | 5 4 6 | 2 9 7
2 4 6 | 7 8 9 | 3 1 5
9 7 5 | 3 2 1 | 6 8 4
------+-------+------
1 8 4 | 9 3 7 | 5 6 2
3 5 2 | 1 6 4 | 8 7 9
7 6 9 | 8 5 2 | 1 4 3
------+-------+------
6 1 3 | 4 9 5 | 7 2 8
5 9 7 | 2 1 8 | 4 3 6
4 2 8 | 6 7 3 | 9 5 1

A path through it

The order a solver takes — always the cheapest move left, so a pattern is only reached for when the singles run dry. 56 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

  1. Row 2, column 4 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  2. Row 5, column 1 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  3. Row 6, column 6 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the center box.
  4. Row 5, column 5 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the center box.
  5. Row 8, column 4 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  6. Row 7, column 4 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  7. Row 5, column 6 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  8. Row 5, column 4 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the center box.
  9. Row 4, column 4 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the center box.
  10. Row 5, column 8 is 7. Nothing but 7 is left for this cell.
  11. In the top-center box, 8 can only sit in row 2, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  12. In the middle-left box, 6 can only sit in column 2, so it leaves the rest of that column.
  13. In the middle-right box, 4 can only sit in column 8, so it leaves the rest of that column.
  14. In the bottom-center box, 1 can only sit in row 8, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  15. In the bottom-center box, 8 can only sit in row 8, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  16. Row 4, column 2 is 8. 8 has only one place left in column 2.
  17. Row 6, column 2 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  18. Row 2, column 2 is 4. 4 has only one place left in column 2.
  19. Row 3, column 9 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  20. Row 3, column 7 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  21. Row 4, column 8 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  22. Row 6, column 8 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  23. Row 4, column 3 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  24. Row 5, column 2 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  25. Row 6, column 3 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  26. Row 6, column 7 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  27. Row 4, column 7 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  28. Row 2, column 9 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  29. Row 5, column 9 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  30. Row 9, column 1 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  31. Row 9, column 9 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  32. Row 2, column 8 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  33. Row 3, column 6 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  34. Row 1, column 3 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  35. Row 1, column 1 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  36. Row 2, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  37. Row 3, column 1 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  38. Row 3, column 3 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  39. Row 2, column 6 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  40. Row 2, column 5 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  41. Row 1, column 7 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  42. Row 2, column 7 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  43. Row 1, column 9 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  44. Row 8, column 1 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  45. Row 7, column 1 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  46. Row 8, column 2 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  47. Row 8, column 5 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  48. Row 8, column 6 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  49. Row 8, column 8 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  50. Row 7, column 3 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  51. Row 8, column 3 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  52. Row 9, column 3 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  53. Row 8, column 9 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  54. Row 7, column 7 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  55. Row 7, column 9 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  56. Row 9, column 7 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.

Hard — 26 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line and an XY-wing.

The board

· · 7 | · · 1 | · 8 ·
1 · · | · 8 · | 4 · ·
8 · · | 2 · · | · 1 3
------+-------+------
· · · | 6 · · | · · ·
· 1 · | 9 · 5 | · 7 ·
· · · | · · 8 | · · ·
------+-------+------
6 9 · | · · 7 | · · 2
· · 3 | · 6 · | · · 5
· 4 · | 5 · · | 6 · ·

The solution

9 3 7 | 4 5 1 | 2 8 6
1 6 2 | 3 8 9 | 4 5 7
8 5 4 | 2 7 6 | 9 1 3
------+-------+------
4 7 8 | 6 1 3 | 5 2 9
3 1 6 | 9 2 5 | 8 7 4
5 2 9 | 7 4 8 | 3 6 1
------+-------+------
6 9 5 | 8 3 7 | 1 4 2
2 8 3 | 1 6 4 | 7 9 5
7 4 1 | 5 9 2 | 6 3 8

A path through it

The order a solver takes — always the cheapest move left, so a pattern is only reached for when the singles run dry. 57 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

  1. Row 7, column 3 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  2. Row 9, column 3 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  3. Row 8, column 2 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  4. Row 7, column 4 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  5. Row 9, column 9 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  6. Row 8, column 7 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  7. Row 2, column 9 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  8. Row 3, column 5 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  9. Row 1, column 5 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  10. Row 6, column 4 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the center box.
  11. Row 9, column 1 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  12. Row 4, column 2 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  13. Row 8, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  14. Row 7, column 7 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  15. Row 8, column 4 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  16. Row 1, column 4 is 4. 4 has only one place left in column 4.
  17. Row 3, column 3 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  18. Row 2, column 4 is 3. 3 has only one place left in column 4.
  19. Row 9, column 5 is 9. 9 has only one place left in column 5.
  20. Row 9, column 6 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  21. Row 7, column 5 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  22. Row 4, column 6 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the center box.
  23. Row 8, column 6 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  24. Row 9, column 8 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  25. Row 7, column 8 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  26. Row 8, column 8 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  27. In the top-left box, 5 can only sit in column 2, so it leaves the rest of that column.
  28. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 6, so no cell that sees both can be.
  29. Row 1, column 9 is 6. 6 has only one place left in row 1.
  30. Row 6, column 8 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  31. Row 5, column 3 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  32. Row 4, column 3 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  33. Row 5, column 7 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  34. Row 6, column 7 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  35. Row 5, column 1 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  36. Row 1, column 2 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  37. Row 1, column 7 is 2. 2 has only one place left in row 1.
  38. Row 3, column 7 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  39. Row 2, column 6 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  40. Row 1, column 1 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  41. Row 3, column 6 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  42. Row 2, column 2 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  43. Row 2, column 3 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  44. Row 3, column 2 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  45. Row 2, column 8 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  46. Row 6, column 2 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  47. Row 6, column 3 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  48. Row 4, column 8 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  49. Row 5, column 5 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the center box.
  50. Row 4, column 7 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  51. Row 6, column 1 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  52. Row 4, column 1 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  53. Row 6, column 5 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  54. Row 4, column 5 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the center box.
  55. Row 6, column 9 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  56. Row 5, column 9 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  57. Row 4, column 9 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-right box.

Previous: Sudoku #1 (Thu, Oct 1)

About Sudoku

Sudoku on Noggin is three boards a day, on the second shelf: every entry is checked at once, a hint fills the next cell a solver would and says why, and the first board finished is the day’s score, outside the daily line-up. How to play Sudoku, or play today’s.