Trick for sudoku game

List all the cells in the row, column, or block in which you can place the number without breaking the One Rule. If the digit is only available in one cell in the neighborhood, make sure to fill in that cell. By doing this, you can eliminate the selected number from being an option for any other cell in the neighborhood.

It is not always possible to completely fill in a Sudoku grid using these two strategies alone. Making progress often requires more complicated analysis methods, and sometimes a guess needs to be made, followed by backtracking in case the guess is wrong.

An even more complex strategy is to view pairs or triples of cells within a row, column, or block. You can do puzzles that change the grid size to 6x6 or even 25x There are also other variations like Sudoku-X which adds in the factor of diagonals making it even more similar to a Magic Square. In Sudoku Even-Odd you have shaded squares that must have either an even or an odd number, depending on the rules of that particular puzzle. In all variants the basic rules usually remain the same, they just add on some extra rules to increase the level of challenge for the avid Sudoku player to enjoy something new.

There are tons of easily found variations of Sudoku you can try out once you master the basics and understand the strategies talked about as you keep reading. Sudoku puzzles come prefilled with numbers in some of the cells. They are ranked by a difficulty level which corresponds with how many numbers come pre-filled in the puzzle. The higher the difficulty the fewer prefilled numbers you will have.

The ratings go from one star easiest to five stars hardest. Just like any other muscle your brain benefits from a good workout. If you find yourself doing mundane tasks daily Sudoku could be a way to sharpen your mind a little. It forces you to really think and plan. It gives you something to take all of your attention off of stressful days or worries.

Sudoku has also been linked to declines in the potential for dementia to progress and has helped patients with mental health issues regain some normal daily function abilities. How Sudoku can help your brain is really just about keeping your brain going and your mind sharp.

Starting your puzzle is sometimes a key part of making sure you solve the whole thing in the end. Because the puzzles are partially filled it can be difficult to make the first move. The best strategy here is to use the process of elimination. See picture below. The number has already been used in the square. It also cannot be used in the column of the square below it because it has been prefilled there too. That leaves you with only one option.

The bottom left. This is how the process of elimination strategy works. Always remember columns and rows matter too. Strategically eliminating possible moves is the best way to start your game. This is a technique slightly the opposite of what you just read about. With crosshatching, you start by focusing on one 3x3 square and filling it in with the numbers needed. Crosshatching can be especially useful for brand new Sudoku players who are overwhelmed with an entire grid to fill.

The downfall is that you could find yourself going back to correct a lot of errors as the puzzle gets more filled in. There are definite ways to solve the puzzle. You might be able to guess and get a lucky right answer, but in general yes, sudoku is solved without guessing. Instead of guessing use strategic thoughtful moves.

Guessing will not improve your game skills or chances of winning. When it comes to sudoku the best strategy is going to be the one that makes the most sense to you. Move on to the next strategy or combine several to get the puzzle solved. Some strategies are more difficult to master than others. Some strategies are meant for advanced players while others are great for beginners.

Try not to get stuck on one specific strategy. Something is bound to help. This strategy is based on looking at the puzzle and deciding which numbers are the only possibility for a specific cell. In a naked pair, you know you have 2 possible numbers that will be able to work in the pair, but you have yet to figure out which will go where.

If you know the naked pair has either a two or a six as the possible answer, check to see where those numbers are used already. Naked pairs do not have to align within the grid. They can be naked pairs and be scattered within the square too. In this table, the player faces a possible deadly pattern with the candidates 2 and 3, in which the placement of those digits can become indifferent in the end and result in two possible solutions for the puzzle.

Since one of the cells also contains 8 as a candidate, the player can use the unique rectangle method to eliminate the pair 2 and 3 from it and avoid the deadly pattern in the end. In theory, the unique square technique should be the least used out of the advanced Sudoku strategies, even in the hardest levels, as this pattern only occurs when the puzzle is poorly designed albeit not wrong.

The Nishio strategy takes its name from professional puzzle player Tetsuya Nishio who is credited with inventing it. Out of all the advanced Sudoku strategies, this is the one that players avoid the most and use only as a last resource as it takes guessing as a premise. Basically, the player must take a cell with two candidates, choose one, and try to solve the grid. If it works, great. If not, the player must return to the starting point and choose the other.

The point of this strategy is that as soon as an incompatibility arises, the starting candidate can be eliminated which turns the remaining into the solution for that cell. The theoretical approach of advanced Sudoku strategies is relatively easy to understand and to apply. The biggest difficulty is to find the right patterns on the grid and to know which technique to use in each case.

Nevertheless, only experts reach the levels in which they are required and at that point knowing and being familiar with these strategies becomes a requirement to progress in the hardest levels of these puzzles. Example In this example, the number 5 forms the necessary pattern to apply the X-Wing strategy. The Swordfish This strategy helps to eliminate a candidate from cells too.

Example In this grid, number 4 is a candidate to two cells in three different rows, allowing the player to use the Swordfish technique. Forcing Chains Forcing chains is one of the easiest advanced Sudoku strategies to understand. Example In this example, the top highlighted cell with the candidates 1 and 2 was used to apply the forcing chains technique. Example In the example above, the stem cell contains the digits 2 and 9 highlighted in orange and connects to the branches, each with one of these digits as candidates purple squares.

Unique Rectangle Type 1 Any Sudoku puzzle must have only one possible solution. Example In this table, the player faces a possible deadly pattern with the candidates 2 and 3, in which the placement of those digits can become indifferent in the end and result in two possible solutions for the puzzle. Nishio The Nishio strategy takes its name from professional puzzle player Tetsuya Nishio who is credited with inventing it.

Sudoku Genius. Classic Numbers Puzzle. More Sudoku Tips:. Sudoku Unique Rectangle: Types and Patterns. The Best Sudoku Books to learn and enjoy these brain teasers. Sudoku X-Wing technique: when and how to use. Sudoku Swordfish strategy explained. We have more online games for you.