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Sudoku #29 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from October 29, 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

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

The solution

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

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

The board

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

The solution

8 3 1 | 4 2 5 | 7 9 6
7 5 9 | 6 1 3 | 4 8 2
4 6 2 | 9 8 7 | 1 3 5
------+-------+------
2 9 6 | 8 5 4 | 3 7 1
3 1 7 | 2 6 9 | 5 4 8
5 8 4 | 7 3 1 | 2 6 9
------+-------+------
9 4 8 | 1 7 2 | 6 5 3
6 2 5 | 3 4 8 | 9 1 7
1 7 3 | 5 9 6 | 8 2 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. 58 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

Hard — 26 digits given

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

The board

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

The solution

1 9 2 | 4 5 7 | 6 3 8
5 8 3 | 6 9 2 | 4 7 1
4 6 7 | 8 1 3 | 5 2 9
------+-------+------
2 1 5 | 9 6 8 | 7 4 3
9 7 8 | 3 2 4 | 1 5 6
6 3 4 | 5 7 1 | 9 8 2
------+-------+------
7 4 1 | 2 8 9 | 3 6 5
8 5 9 | 7 3 6 | 2 1 4
3 2 6 | 1 4 5 | 8 9 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. 58 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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