# Help me solve this Sodoku puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-this-sodoku-puzzle/385312 "2006-12-23T03:47:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-this-sodoku-puzzle/385312/1 "2006-12-23T03:47:21Z")
Okay, I’ve been working on a Sodoku puzzle for hours and I’m completely stuck. Assuming my additions are correct, here’s where I’ve gotten hopelessly stuck. XX73X4XX2 X41692X73 239X7X416 X93XXX1XX 18XXXX3X5 X2XX3194X XX2X8X731 978163254 31X2X7689 Can someone point me to the next step? P.S. If my additions aren’t correct, here is the original puzzle: XX73X4XX2 X4XX9XXX3 2XXX7X4XX X93XXXXXX 1XXXXXXX5 XXXXXX94X XX2X8XXX1 9XXX6XX5X 3XX2X76XX Happy solving! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-this-sodoku-puzzle/385312/2 "2006-12-23T04:39:50Z")
1 in the top row is obvious. Look for the 6 in the left middle box. Not hard to narrow down. Third column, sixth row. Now you know which column in the left middle box has a 5 in it, which tells you where 5 in the left top box is. That in turn gives you the 5 in the right middle box, and then the 8 in the same box, and then you can easily get all the 8s in the puzzle. Then everything else should start falling into place. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-this-sodoku-puzzle/385312/3 "2006-12-23T04:55:18Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] 1 in the top row is obvious. Look for the 6 in the left middle box. Not hard to narrow down. Third column, sixth row. [/QUOTE] But the 6 could have also been put in the first column, 6th row…? Am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-this-sodoku-puzzle/385312/4 "2006-12-23T05:03:31Z")
If the 6 were in the first column, there would be no possibility for the third column to have a 6 (since there is already a 6 in the ninth row). So 6 must be in the third column, fifth or sixth rows. And 6 in the sixth row is ruled out in the center box and the right middle box, so that leaves sixth row for the third column. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-this-sodoku-puzzle/385312/5 "2006-12-23T05:25:00Z")
Ah, thank you, Biffy! I can finally go to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-this-sodoku-puzzle/385312/6 "2006-12-23T05:42:30Z")
657314892 841692573 239875416 793456128 184927365 526138947 462581731 918763254 375241689 The solved sudoku for reference.