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Sudoku #41 — the solutions

The three Sudoku boards from November 10, 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 · 6 | · 4 ·
· 6 5 | · 4 3 | · · 8
9 · 3 | · · 1 | · · 2
------+-------+------
3 · 2 | · 5 7 | · 9 ·
· · · | · · · | · · ·
· 9 · | 6 1 · | 3 · 5
------+-------+------
7 · · | 9 · · | 1 · 4
6 · · | 1 7 · | 2 3 ·
· 2 · | 3 · 4 | 8 · ·

The solution

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

The board

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

The solution

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

  1. Row 3, column 1 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  2. Row 3, column 3 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  3. Row 1, column 8 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  4. Row 9, column 3 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  5. Row 6, column 5 is 8. 8 has only one place left in row 6.
  6. In the top-left box, 5 can only sit in row 1, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  7. In the top-left box, 7 can only sit in row 1, so it leaves the rest of that row.
  8. Row 2, column 7 is 7. 7 has only one place left in column 7.
  9. Row 3, column 6 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  10. Row 2, column 8 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  11. Row 7, column 7 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  12. Row 8, column 4 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  13. Row 9, column 2 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  14. Row 5, column 1 is 8. 8 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  15. Row 4, column 1 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  16. Row 4, column 3 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  17. Row 8, column 1 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  18. Row 4, column 2 is 7. 7 has only one place left in row 4.
  19. Row 1, column 1 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  20. Row 1, column 2 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-left box.
  21. Row 5, column 2 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-left box.
  22. Row 7, column 1 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  23. Row 8, column 3 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  24. Row 6, column 7 is 5. 5 has only one place left in column 7.
  25. Row 1, column 7 is 2. 2 has only one place left in column 7.
  26. Row 2, column 6 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  27. Row 5, column 5 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the center box.
  28. Row 6, column 9 is 2. 2 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  29. Row 5, column 9 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  30. Row 6, column 6 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the center box.
  31. Row 6, column 8 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  32. Row 3, column 9 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  33. Row 5, column 8 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the middle-right box.
  34. Row 9, column 5 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  35. Row 1, column 4 is 4. 4 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  36. Row 1, column 5 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  37. Row 4, column 4 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the center box.
  38. Row 4, column 5 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the center box.
  39. Row 7, column 6 is 6. 6 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  40. Row 7, column 4 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  41. Row 5, column 6 is 3. 3 has only one place left in the center box.
  42. Row 5, column 4 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the center box.
  43. Row 8, column 6 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  44. Row 7, column 2 is 9. 9 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  45. Row 8, column 2 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-left box.
  46. Row 9, column 6 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-center box.
  47. Row 7, column 9 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  48. Row 3, column 8 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  49. Row 2, column 4 is 1. 1 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  50. Row 3, column 4 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-center box.
  51. Row 2, column 9 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the top-right box.
  52. Row 9, column 8 is 5. 5 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.
  53. Row 9, column 9 is 7. 7 has only one place left in the bottom-right box.

Hard — 27 digits given

Beyond singles, this board asks for a claimed box and a naked triple.

The board

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

The solution

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

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