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Sudoku #26 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from October 26, 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 · · | 6 · · | · · ·
6 8 5 | 4 · · | · 2 9
· 3 · | 8 1 · | · 4 6
------+-------+------
· · · | 5 · · | · 1 2
3 · 2 | · · · | 4 · 5
5 1 · | · · 6 | · · ·
------+-------+------
9 4 · | · 6 8 | · 5 ·
2 6 · | · · 4 | 3 9 1
· · · | · · 9 | · · 4

The solution

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

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

Medium — 28 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (2 times).

The board

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

The solution

7 3 8 | 6 5 1 | 2 9 4
9 5 1 | 8 4 2 | 6 7 3
4 2 6 | 3 7 9 | 5 8 1
------+-------+------
2 7 3 | 9 6 4 | 8 1 5
8 4 9 | 2 1 5 | 7 3 6
1 6 5 | 7 3 8 | 9 4 2
------+-------+------
6 1 2 | 4 9 7 | 3 5 8
5 8 7 | 1 2 3 | 4 6 9
3 9 4 | 5 8 6 | 1 2 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. 55 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

The board

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

The solution

1 3 5 | 8 7 6 | 2 9 4
8 9 6 | 1 2 4 | 3 5 7
2 7 4 | 9 3 5 | 8 1 6
------+-------+------
6 2 7 | 4 1 3 | 5 8 9
5 4 1 | 6 8 9 | 7 3 2
3 8 9 | 7 5 2 | 4 6 1
------+-------+------
9 1 2 | 5 4 8 | 6 7 3
7 5 3 | 2 6 1 | 9 4 8
4 6 8 | 3 9 7 | 1 2 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. 64 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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