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Sudoku #36 — the solutions

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

The solution

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

The board

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

The solution

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

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

Hard — 29 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for an XY-wing.

The board

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

The solution

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

  1. Row 2, column 2 is 7. 7 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 2, column 6 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  4. Row 2, column 5 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  5. Row 1, column 5 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  6. Row 1, column 9 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  7. Row 5, column 6 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  8. Row 8, column 3 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  9. Row 9, column 5 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  10. Row 8, column 4 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  11. Row 8, column 6 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  12. Row 8, column 5 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  13. Row 7, column 7 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  14. Row 1, column 1 is 5. 5 has only one place left in row 1.
  15. Row 7, column 2 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  16. Row 7, column 1 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  17. Row 8, column 2 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  18. Row 3, column 3 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  19. Row 3, column 2 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  20. Row 3, column 1 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  21. Row 2, column 3 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  22. Row 5, column 2 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  23. Row 4, column 4 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the center box.
  24. Row 8, column 1 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  25. Row 6, column 2 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  26. Row 5, column 4 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the center box.
  27. Row 6, column 4 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the center box.
  28. Row 9, column 1 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  29. Row 7, column 9 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  30. Row 5, column 7 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  31. Row 9, column 9 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  32. Row 3, column 8 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  33. Row 3, column 9 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  34. Row 7, column 8 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  35. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 1, so no cell that sees both can be.
  36. Row 5, column 8 is 1. 1 has only one place left in row 5.
  37. Row 6, column 7 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  38. Row 5, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  39. Row 6, column 1 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  40. Row 4, column 6 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the center box.
  41. Row 6, column 6 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the center box.
  42. Row 4, column 3 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  43. Row 6, column 3 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  44. Row 5, column 3 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  45. Row 4, column 7 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  46. Row 5, column 9 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  47. Row 4, column 9 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  48. Row 2, column 7 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  49. Row 2, column 8 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  50. Row 2, column 9 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  51. Row 4, column 8 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  52. Row 8, column 8 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  53. Row 8, column 7 is 6. 6 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.