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Sudoku #33 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from November 2, 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

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

The solution

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

Medium — 29 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line.

The board

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

The solution

1 8 7 | 6 4 3 | 2 5 9
6 2 4 | 8 5 9 | 1 3 7
3 5 9 | 1 7 2 | 6 8 4
------+-------+------
8 3 6 | 2 1 7 | 9 4 5
9 7 5 | 4 8 6 | 3 1 2
2 4 1 | 3 9 5 | 8 7 6
------+-------+------
7 6 2 | 5 3 8 | 4 9 1
4 9 3 | 7 2 1 | 5 6 8
5 1 8 | 9 6 4 | 7 2 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. 53 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

Hard — 28 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (3 times) and an XY-wing.

The board

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

The solution

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

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