Original grid

3
2

9
8

6
9

5
8

Instructions and suggestions

1. Enter the given clues in the above grid. (The one shown is ranked "super difficult" in one of the
Sudoku books.) Don't change the formulas in columns M-P. Note that for any correct solution, all
counts in column M must be 9, and all sums in columns N, O, and P must be 45.
2. Click on the "Try your luck" button. This will solve most puzzles immediately, even many that are
ranked "difficult" in Sudoku books. If this doesn't solve the puzzle completely, try steps 3 and/or 4
below to fill in one or more blank cells. At any point, you can always click on "Try your luck" again.
3. Click on the "Add textboxes" button to add a textbox to the top of each blank cell. For each such
cell, the textbox will include all digits that could go in the cell. If only one digit can go in a cell, that
digit is entered and the cell is colored yellow, just so that you can see the progress. If you then click
on "Try your luck" again, the yellow will disappear.
4. Click on the "Create copy" button to copy the current contents of the grid to the grid on the right
(that starts in column S). That way, you can experiment with changes in the original grid, and if you
mess anything up, you can click on the "Restore grid..." button to restore the original grid to the way it
was when you copied it. For example, suppose a texbox in a blank cell indicates that either 2 or 4
must go in that cell. At this point, create a copy of the grid so that you can backtrack if necessary.
Then enter a 2 in the cell and see if the puzzle can be solved from that point. If you run into an
inconsistency, restore the grid and try the 4 instead (which must be correct). This is efficient trial and
error!
In case you're interested, it has been proved mathematically that the number of completed Sudoku
grids is 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960, or about 6.671 x 10 21. For the proof, see
http://www.afjarvis.staff.shef.ac.uk/sudoku/felgenhauer_jarvis_spec1.pdf.

Then enter a 2 in the cell and see if the puzzle can be solved from that point. If you run into an
inconsistency, restore the grid and try the 4 instead (which must be correct). This is efficient trial and
error!
In case you're interested, it has been proved mathematically that the number of completed Sudoku
grids is 6,670,903,752,021,072,936,960, or about 6.671 x 10 21. For the proof, see
http://www.afjarvis.staff.shef.ac.uk/sudoku/felgenhauer_jarvis_spec1.pdf.

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d Sudoku

Digit

# filled in Row sum Col sum Box sum

Copy of grid

20

20

18

23

23

15

10

20

12

18

14

16

19

14

10

14

14

20

18

32

10

18

17

20

5
6

o an
nt trial and

d Sudoku

3
2

6
9

5
8