9/8/2016

Sudoku solving techniques, learn how to do Sudoku

Play Sudoku:

Sudoku solving techniques

Sudoku PC Games
Daily Sudoku Puzzle
Sudoku X

Advanced techniques
Before starting on the advanced techniques, make sure you have looked at the basic
techniques first.

Sudoku information:
How to play Sudoku
Solving techniques

2.1 - X-Wing
This solving method considers four interlinked cells. The technique takes two rows
and finds four empty cells perpendicular to form a rectangle. The cells must be
related to each other using a common value that is held as a candidate for each of
the empty cells, there must only ever be two empty cells on each of the two rows that
house that certain common value. Either top-left and bottom-right or top-right and
bottom-left of this pattern will hold the true candidates, any other empty cells in the
columns connecting the X-Wing can have the common value withdrawn from their
candidate list.

Contact us
Sudoku PC games:
Desktop Sudoku
Includes regular, killer and
Sudoku-X puzzles!

Sudoku Quest
An amazing Sudoku
experience!

Other PC games:
Jigsaw Mania
600+ f ree Jigsaw Puzzles

example A
Because our three selected red cells all
have1 as their number we can create an
X-wing. The shadowed columns have all
their candidate number 1's removed.

Ultimate Mahjong
Mahjong tile matching

Play Kakuro on your PC

Kakuro Master

Mahjong World
Play mahjong against the world

Margrave Manor
Search a spooky old Manor

Margrave Manor 2
Hidden object game

Great Wall of Words

An Epic word f inding game

Jigsaw World
online jigsaw puzzles

More games...

2.2 - Swordfish
Very similar to the X-Wing method, the swordfish uses three rows that have up to
nine empty cells that house the same candidate number, two empty cells from each
row are selected and they must connect with another selected empty cell from a
different row through its column. This time we get two rectangle patterns in our
puzzle. We can then eliminate the candidate number from any other empty cells
along the selected rows or columns excluding our swordfish cells. The final true
positions for the candidate number will be in a diagonal formation using our
swordfish cells.

example B
Our red cells all have the same candidate
number 1, the shadowed squares are
allowed to have the number 1 removed
from their candidate lists, this is one of the
trickiest concepts to grasp.

http://www.su-doku.net/tech2.php

1/4

9/8/2016

Sudoku solving techniques, learn how to do Sudoku

2.3 - XY-Wing
An XY-Wing makes good use of combining empty cells that follow a certain pattern.
When you have three empty cells along a row and a column you get an L shape .The
two outside cells hold a candidate number that is the same as one of the centre cell
candidate numbers. The two cells also hold one other matching candidate number
each. When you follow the two outside cells along either their column or row you will
find another cell that will force the pattern into a square. If this empty cell holds the
matching candidate number then it can be removed from that cells candidate list.
The XY-Wing technique also has other patterns that work in the same kind of way.

example C
The L shape here is branched out
from our cell that holds the 4 and the
5. If either 4 ot 5 is the correct number
for that cell we can follow the L-shape
to its other points, where the 4 or the
5 from those cells would be removed,
leaving an 8. This tells us that the
shadowed cell must have candidate
number 8 removed.

2.4 - Colouring
For the colouring technique we are only interested in two cells that share a row,
column or block and hold an identical candidate number.
This means that one of the cells must hold the true candidate number, for this to work
we must colour each of the two cells different colours, one of the coloured cells could
also have the same relationship with another cell along another row, column or block,
we can then colour the new cell with the opposite colour of the previous cell, so we
get a kind of chain forming of opposite colours. When we have two opposite
coloured cells in relation with a common cell (forming an L shape) we know that one
of those cells must be the true candidate number, This then allows us to remove the
candidate number from the new cell.

example D
We got to this point by first
finding cell A and B, who
http://www.su-doku.net/tech2.php

2/4

9/8/2016

Sudoku solving techniques, learn how to do Sudoku

hold the same candidate

number. From here we
found cell C, which links
nicely with cell B and then
finally cell D which also has
candidate 1. Now either D
or A because of their
colours MUST be a real 1,
forcing the shadowed cell
to remove its candidate 1.

2.5 - Forcing Chains

To start a chain you must have a candidate link between empty cells, a link in a chain
can be part of a row, column or block. One cell must only have two candidates and
one candidate must always be the same as the next link in the chain. We take the
first link in our chain and systematically go through pretending that one of our
candidate numbers is the true one, this will move through each link in the chain
whittling down the candidates to one possible true answer (like trial and error). When
we reach a dead end, we start over and we do exactly the same thing again with the
second candidate number following the path until it reaches another dead end
(should be on the same cell as the last guess). Now if the two values that were found
in our final cell were matching, we know that our cell has to be that value.
example E
We form our chain by
starting with cell A and
creating a connection with
cell B through one of its
candidate numbers, we
then continue our chain and
find cell C which holds a 3
which links with cell B, we
continue on the same root
for cell D and E. We then
start from Cell A and fill in
all the values if 2 was
indeed the correct answer,
we also in turn fill in all the
correct answers for all the
cells if number 2 was the
correct answer. We find
that our shadowed square
always returns the same
value 2. Meaning that
whichever route you take
that shadwed cell E will
always be a 2.

http://www.su-doku.net/tech2.php

3/4

9/8/2016

Sudoku solving techniques, learn how to do Sudoku

2.6 - Nishio (Limited Trial and Error)

This is a technique that some Sudoku solvers find conterversial. For each candidate
you ask the question: Will placing this number here stop me from completing the
other placements of this number? If yes then the candidate can be eliminated.

Site design by Inertia Software

Site contents copy right (C) 2005 Inertia Sof tware

http://www.su-doku.net/tech2.php

4/4