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Sudoku #37 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from November 6, 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

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

The solution

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

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

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

The board

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

The solution

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

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

The board

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

The solution

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

  1. Row 3, column 3 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  2. Row 1, column 1 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  3. Row 1, column 2 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  4. Row 4, column 1 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  5. Row 5, column 1 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  6. Row 5, column 3 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  7. Row 4, column 3 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  8. Row 4, column 4 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the center box.
  9. Row 6, column 5 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the center box.
  10. Row 6, column 4 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the center box.
  11. Row 6, column 6 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  12. Row 8, column 9 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  13. Row 9, column 9 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  14. Row 8, column 3 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  15. Row 8, column 1 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  16. Row 2, column 3 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  17. Row 2, column 1 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  18. Row 9, column 3 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  19. Row 9, column 8 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  20. Row 7, column 7 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  21. Row 4, column 5 is 1. 1 has only one place left in row 4.
  22. Row 4, column 6 is 2. 2 has only one place left in row 4.
  23. Row 6, column 9 is 8. 8 has only one place left in row 6.
  24. Row 1, column 8 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  25. Row 6, column 7 is 5. 5 has only one place left in row 6.
  26. Row 8, column 8 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  27. Row 7, column 6 is 8. Nothing but 8 is left for this cell.
  28. In the top-right box, 2 can only sit in row 2, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  29. X-wing: columns 1 and 4 each have 4 in the same two rows, so it leaves the rest of those rows.
  30. XY-wing: one of its two wings must be 2, so no cell that sees both can be.
  31. Row 5, column 7 is 2. 2 has only one place left in column 7.
  32. Row 5, column 9 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  33. Row 1, column 7 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  34. Row 1, column 5 is 4. 4 has only one place left in row 1.
  35. Row 1, column 6 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  36. Row 5, column 5 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the center box.
  37. Row 5, column 4 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the center box.
  38. Row 3, column 5 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  39. Row 3, column 4 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  40. Row 2, column 2 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  41. Row 3, column 1 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  42. Row 3, column 2 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  43. Row 1, column 9 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  44. Row 5, column 6 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the center box.
  45. Row 9, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  46. Row 8, column 2 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  47. Row 9, column 2 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  48. Row 9, column 4 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  49. Row 9, column 5 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  50. Row 7, column 5 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  51. Row 7, column 8 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  52. Row 2, column 7 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  53. Row 2, column 9 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  54. Row 2, column 8 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  55. Row 7, column 9 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  56. 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.