Sudoku is a popular puzzle game in Britain and the United States. The word Sudoku means a “single number” in Japanese. It is consists of a 9 x 9 grid with an about 81 boxes to be filled in with the numbers.
The challenge for this game is to fill all 1 to 9 numbers in the box. However, there is a basic rule that is sometimes irritating for most players who find it hard to complete the box. The rule is: the number 1 to 9 must come out only once in each row and column.
To avoid being trapped by this rule, what should a player do? The players must have strategies, which they can use to solve the puzzle correctly and effectively.
How can they start? Everybody has his or her own ways of solving the game. However, the following strategies are arranged from the easiest to the most difficult to prepare yourself unlock even the most deceptive puzzle ever made.
1. Use a pencil
Pens are for the professional players. Thought the puzzle may seem to be very easy, you will still need a little of scratch work which you can be able to erase anytime after solving the squares.
2. Guessing will not help you get the correct answer. Instead, think!
Most Sudokus have only one solution. This means that they can be answered using your logic. Never place any number if you are not sure that it should be the number to go in the square. Trial and error is not a good technique in Sudoku.
3. Begin with the common numbers
Examine the puzzle to know which of the numbers come out frequently. Choose of these numbers and know if you can put any of them. As you begin to try this, draw light lines cutting every row and column that holds the numbers. Look at each box that does not have the number yet. If you find the box with a single empty space that is crossed out, put the number on that space.
4. Then go on to the nearly filled box
As you begin putting the numbers, watch out for the rows, columns, or the 3 x 3 block that are nearly filled in. Once you have found one, decide which of the numbers should remain to be placed in that box. Know the numbers that are not yet placed then, check if there is a suitable position in the box. If there is at least one, place the number.
5. Are you puzzled? Start making notes
The easy numbers have already placed in. Your eyes are focused on the page and you realized that you are not using your pencil again. This means, you are puzzled by the puzzle.
What should you do? Work out again each square. Make small notes of the probable answers within each square. Choose a square and record in small print any of the numbers from one to nine that do not appear in each row, column or 3 x 3 grid. In this way, you will realize that a square has a single possible answer only. Place in the number. Then, remove the possibility from other squares.
6. Search for other options
There will be times that you will have to reach the point where all the empty boxes have many probable solutions. If this happens, the puzzle becomes more difficult.
Now, your plan is to look for the several boxes in a row, column or box that have similar options. For example, if you can locate two boxes that have same two options, the two numbers should be placed in those two boxes. It should not be placed somewhere else within the row, column or box. This should cut down the options in the remaining boxes to a point where you can answer other else.
This strategy will surely work if the options overlap in two boxes or more. If the total number of different options along with the connected group of boxes does not does not go beyond the number of boxes included, you can presume that each of those numbers is placed anywhere within that group.
7. Start again if you duplicate
Lastly, if you find an illegal duplicate, stop, and know the reason behind it. If you still cannot find the reason, it would be better start the puzzle again.
By following the seven strategies given above, you are assured of a victory in the end of each game – may it be the easy level or the most difficult level of the Sudoku.
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