So, Do You Do Sudoku?

So, Do You Do Sudoku?

When it comes to Sudoku, I must admit I am a newbie. Somehow, I was busy when the Sudoku craze – and Sudoku games online – hit the United States in the mid-2000s.

The name “Sudoku” literally means “single digit,” yet it’s the specific array of these single digits within nine small grids and one large grid that results in a successful game. And one of the best things about Sudoku is that every single game is winnable, as long as you’re clever and creative enough to figure out where each number goes!

When it comes to Sudoku games online, PCH Sudoku is both fun and challenging! And with these two strategies – process of elimination and penciling in – you’ll stand a better shot at winning.

Process of Elimination (also called “Crosshatching”)

Keep an eye on all of the numbers in a row, column, or 3×3 grid that you’re working on. When there are several numbers still to be filled in, you often can use the process of elimination to identify what numbers correspond with the remaining squares.

In the example above, look at the 3×3 grid in the left column, middle row. Note that this 3×3 grid still needs a 1, an 8, and a 9. Now, let’s figure out where they go!

• Start with the cell where the red lines cross. Look at the whole column and you’ll see a 1 in the 3×3 grid above, so this cell cannot be a 1.
• Next, look at the whole row to the right and you’ll see both a 1 and a 9, so this cell also cannot be a 9.
• By process of elimination, the cell where the red lines cross must be an 8.

Pencil In

Not all Sudoku games online let you “pencil in” – an important part of the paper-and-pencil style of play. By using the “Write Notes” feature, you can pencil in possible matches into each square.

Again, look at the 3×3 grid (left column, middle row) and you’ll see the remaining numbers for that grid are 3, 5, 8, and 9.

• Step 1 – Using the mouse, I penciled the remaining possibilities into each of the four empty squares.
• Step 2 – Using the process of elimination, I began crossing out the numbers that would not work for each square; e.g., looking at the whole column and whole row, it was obvious that 3, 8, and 9 were not possible solutions for the middle square. It must be a 5.
• Step 3 – I repeated the process for the other squares, only this time I also crossed out the 5 as it was used for the middle square to continually narrow down the possible solutions for each square.

Along with taking notes, take advantage of other special features of Sudoku games online – Show Incorrect, Show Guides, Block Duplicates – to make your Sudoku learning curve easier to accomplish. In no time, you’ll be solving the toughest of online Sudoku games with ease!

In fact, why not try a game of PCH Sudoku now. Once you understand how to arrange the numbers, it’ll become your #1 game!

Russell S.
PCH Creative