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Sudoku #35 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from November 4, 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 · | 5 · 8 | 7 · ·
· 3 7 | · 2 · | · · ·
1 · 2 | 4 · · | 6 · 9
------+-------+------
6 · · | 3 · · | 4 8 1
· · · | · · · | · · ·
3 1 4 | · · 2 | · · 5
------+-------+------
9 · 1 | · · 5 | 3 · 6
· · · | · 3 · | 5 4 ·
· · 3 | 2 · 6 | · 9 7

The solution

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

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

Medium — 30 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line (4 times), a claimed box (2 times) and a naked pair (3 times).

The board

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

The solution

6 8 9 | 2 3 5 | 4 7 1
4 5 1 | 6 7 8 | 3 2 9
3 2 7 | 4 9 1 | 5 6 8
------+-------+------
1 4 3 | 5 8 6 | 7 9 2
8 7 6 | 9 2 4 | 1 5 3
2 9 5 | 3 1 7 | 6 8 4
------+-------+------
9 1 8 | 7 5 3 | 2 4 6
7 6 2 | 1 4 9 | 8 3 5
5 3 4 | 8 6 2 | 9 1 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. 60 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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

Hard — 27 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a pointing line and a naked triple.

The board

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

The solution

9 1 5 | 6 2 4 | 8 7 3
8 4 2 | 1 7 3 | 5 6 9
7 3 6 | 9 5 8 | 2 4 1
------+-------+------
1 7 3 | 5 6 9 | 4 2 8
6 5 9 | 8 4 2 | 1 3 7
4 2 8 | 3 1 7 | 9 5 6
------+-------+------
2 8 1 | 7 3 5 | 6 9 4
5 6 7 | 4 9 1 | 3 8 2
3 9 4 | 2 8 6 | 7 1 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. 56 steps; yours need not match, and any order that never guesses ends on the same grid.

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