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Sudoku #5 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from October 5, 2026 — Easy, Medium and Hard — each with its solved grid and a path through it, step by step, that never needs a guess.

Easy — 37 digits given

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

The board

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

The solution

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

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. 44 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

Medium — 29 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (3 times), a claimed box and a naked pair.

The board

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

The solution

2 5 6 | 8 4 9 | 3 1 7
1 7 9 | 3 6 5 | 2 8 4
3 8 4 | 1 7 2 | 5 6 9
------+-------+------
6 2 7 | 5 3 4 | 8 9 1
9 3 5 | 7 1 8 | 6 4 2
8 4 1 | 9 2 6 | 7 3 5
------+-------+------
7 6 8 | 4 5 1 | 9 2 3
4 9 3 | 2 8 7 | 1 5 6
5 1 2 | 6 9 3 | 4 7 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 8 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  2. Row 7, column 9 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  3. Row 4, column 8 is 9. 9 has only one place left in column 8.
  4. Row 5, column 8 is 4. 4 has only one place left in column 8.
  5. In the top-left box, 3 can only sit in row 3, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  6. In the bottom-right box, 1 can only sit in column 7, so it leaves the rest of that column.
  7. Two cells in row 6 hold only 4 and 8, so no other cell there can.
  8. In the center box, 4 can only sit in row 4, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  9. In row 6, 8 can only sit inside the middle-left box, so it leaves the rest of that box.
  10. Row 5, column 2 is 3. Nothing but 3 is left for this cell.
  11. Row 3, column 1 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  12. Row 1, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  13. Row 4, column 5 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the center box.
  14. Row 2, column 4 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  15. Row 4, column 6 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  16. Row 5, column 6 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the center box.
  17. Row 4, column 1 is 6. 6 has only one place left in column 1.
  18. Row 5, column 7 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  19. Row 5, column 3 is 5. 5 has only one place left in row 5.
  20. Row 5, column 4 is 7. 7 has only one place left in row 5.
  21. Row 9, column 4 is 6. 6 has only one place left in column 4.
  22. Row 1, column 6 is 9. Nothing but 9 is left for this cell.
  23. Row 2, column 3 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  24. Row 1, column 3 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  25. Row 2, column 5 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  26. Row 1, column 5 is 4. 4 has only one place left in row 1.
  27. Row 2, column 9 is 4. 4 has only one place left in row 2.
  28. Row 3, column 7 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  29. Row 2, column 6 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  30. Row 6, column 9 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  31. Row 4, column 9 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  32. Row 6, column 3 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  33. Row 4, column 3 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  34. Row 6, column 7 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  35. Row 4, column 7 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  36. Row 7, column 5 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  37. Row 9, column 9 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  38. Row 8, column 5 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  39. Row 7, column 3 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  40. Row 3, column 2 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  41. Row 3, column 3 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  42. Row 6, column 1 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  43. Row 6, column 2 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  44. Row 8, column 1 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  45. Row 7, column 4 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  46. Row 8, column 6 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  47. Row 3, column 5 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  48. Row 8, column 4 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  49. Row 3, column 6 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  50. Row 3, column 4 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  51. Row 6, column 5 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the center box.
  52. Row 6, column 4 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the center box.
  53. Row 7, column 6 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  54. Row 9, column 5 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  55. Row 8, column 7 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  56. Row 9, column 7 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  57. Row 7, column 7 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.

Hard — 30 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (3 times), a claimed box (2 times), a naked pair, a hidden pair and an XY-wing (5 times).

The board

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

The solution

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

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. 63 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

  1. Row 1, column 5 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  2. Row 2, column 5 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  3. Row 9, column 4 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  4. Row 7, column 8 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  5. Row 5, column 7 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  6. Row 9, column 7 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  7. Row 7, column 5 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  8. Row 4, column 7 is 7. 7 has only one place left in column 7.
  9. Row 7, column 9 is 6. Nothing but 6 is left for this cell.
  10. In the bottom-left box, 3 can only sit in column 2, so it leaves the rest of that column.
  11. In column 2, 6 can only sit inside the middle-left box, so it leaves the rest of that box.
  12. Row 5 has only two cells for 2 and 7, so those two hold nothing else.
  13. Row 6, column 2 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  14. Row 4, column 2 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  15. Row 6, column 8 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  16. Row 4, column 8 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  17. Row 6, column 3 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  18. Row 1, column 7 is 1. 1 has only one place left in column 7.
  19. Row 3, column 1 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  20. Row 6, column 7 is 4. 4 has only one place left in column 7.
  21. In the top-left box, 3 can only sit in row 1, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  22. In the middle-left box, 4 can only sit in column 3, so it leaves the rest of that column.
  23. Two cells in row 1 hold only 4 and 8, so no other cell there can.
  24. Row 1, column 6 is 2. Nothing but 2 is left for this cell.
  25. Row 9, column 5 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  26. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 4, so no cell that sees both can be.
  27. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 8, so no cell that sees both can be.
  28. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 8, so no cell that sees both can be.
  29. In row 4, 8 can only sit inside the middle-left box, so it leaves the rest of that box.
  30. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 3, so no cell that sees both can be.
  31. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 4, so no cell that sees both can be.
  32. Row 9, column 6 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  33. Row 1, column 4 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  34. Row 3, column 5 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  35. Row 3, column 6 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  36. Row 4, column 4 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the center box.
  37. Row 5, column 3 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  38. Row 1, column 1 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  39. Row 1, column 3 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  40. Row 4, column 3 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  41. Row 4, column 1 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  42. Row 2, column 2 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  43. Row 3, column 2 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  44. Row 2, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  45. Row 3, column 8 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  46. Row 2, column 8 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  47. Row 1, column 9 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  48. Row 5, column 2 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  49. Row 5, column 1 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  50. Row 5, column 5 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  51. Row 6, column 6 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the center box.
  52. Row 6, column 9 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  53. Row 5, column 8 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  54. Row 5, column 9 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  55. Row 9, column 1 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  56. Row 8, column 2 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  57. Row 7, column 2 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  58. Row 9, column 3 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  59. Row 8, column 5 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  60. Row 7, column 4 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  61. Row 8, column 8 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  62. Row 8, column 9 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  63. Row 9, column 9 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.

Previous: Sudoku #4 (Sun, Oct 4)

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.