dailysudoku.com

[treezie67]

Hi guys,

Can anyone help me on this one (The Times, Book 2, no 83,Fiendish)

-5- --- 3--
-3- 9-- 57-
--9 -5- 481

412 5-6 -x-
56- -7- 12-
--- 2-- 654

14- -35 2--
-8- --2 --5
--5 --- --3

Hint facility makes x=3. Can't be sure why!! Any ideas??

PS Been doing su doku for a while but have only just discovered this website. Forgive me if my grid is a bit wonky - just copied what others had done!!

Thanks Treez

[schwa]

After crossing off the "obvious" possibilities (that is, eliminating from the row and column all the numbers that are already used) you should find that in that -x- spot you have only 3 and 9 as options.

BUT, in that fourth row, there's nowhere else the 3 can go! There are already 3s in all the other columns.

So that spot in the fourth row must be a 3.

--Joshua Zucker

[treezie]

Thanks for that Joshua.

Sorry to do this to you - I got it a bit wrong! That '3' in the bottom right hand square was a mistake and should have been blank. Sorry about that.

Grid should read:

-5- --- 3--
-3- 9-- 57-
--9 -5- 481

412 5-6 -x-
56- -7- 12-
--- 2-- 654

14- -35 2--
-8- --2 --5
--5 --- ---

Given the correct grid, I agree that 'x' can be 3 or 9 but why is it a '3'????
Any ideas?? Been stuck on it for days and it's driving me nuts!!

Treez

[schwa]

Looking at that column 8, the topmost thing can only be 6 or 9. Also in row 7, that spot can only be 6 or 9. Therefore, among those two spots, the 6 and the 9 get used up: 6 and 9 must be the 1st and 7th things in column 8. Therefore no other thing in column 8 can be 6 or 9. Does that make sense?

--Joshua

[treezie]

Yes - I get it now!!!! Tricky little number!

Thanks- sanity saved for now!
Treez