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Sudoku #32 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from November 1, 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

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

The solution

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

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

Medium — 28 digits given

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

The board

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

The solution

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

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

Hard — 28 digits given

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

The board

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

The solution

1 2 7 | 9 6 5 | 8 4 3
8 3 5 | 7 4 2 | 6 1 9
9 4 6 | 1 8 3 | 2 7 5
------+-------+------
2 9 3 | 8 1 7 | 4 5 6
5 8 4 | 2 3 6 | 7 9 1
6 7 1 | 5 9 4 | 3 2 8
------+-------+------
7 6 8 | 4 5 1 | 9 3 2
3 1 2 | 6 7 9 | 5 8 4
4 5 9 | 3 2 8 | 1 6 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. 57 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

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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.