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Sudoku #34 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from November 3, 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

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

The solution

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

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

The board

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

The solution

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

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

Hard — 28 digits given

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

The board

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

The solution

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

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