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Sudoku #14 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from October 14, 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

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

The solution

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

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

Medium — 28 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line.

The board

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

The solution

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

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

Hard — 28 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (4 times), a claimed box and an XY-wing (2 times).

The board

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

The solution

4 1 6 | 3 5 9 | 8 2 7
2 7 5 | 4 1 8 | 9 3 6
8 3 9 | 6 7 2 | 5 4 1
------+-------+------
6 8 3 | 7 9 5 | 2 1 4
7 9 4 | 1 2 6 | 3 8 5
1 5 2 | 8 3 4 | 7 6 9
------+-------+------
3 6 8 | 5 4 7 | 1 9 2
9 4 7 | 2 8 1 | 6 5 3
5 2 1 | 9 6 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. 60 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

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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.