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Sudoku #6 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from October 6, 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

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

The solution

6 7 5 | 9 8 1 | 2 4 3
9 1 8 | 4 2 3 | 6 7 5
2 4 3 | 7 5 6 | 8 9 1
------+-------+------
7 9 6 | 8 3 2 | 1 5 4
3 2 4 | 5 1 9 | 7 8 6
5 8 1 | 6 7 4 | 3 2 9
------+-------+------
8 6 9 | 3 4 7 | 5 1 2
1 3 7 | 2 9 5 | 4 6 8
4 5 2 | 1 6 8 | 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. 45 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

Medium — 28 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (6 times), a claimed box and a naked pair.

The board

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

The solution

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

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

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

Hard — 28 digits given

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

The board

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

The solution

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

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

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

Previous: Sudoku #5 (Mon, Oct 5)

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.