The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[einstr]

Hi all,
I have gotten as far as below and I can't seem to figure out the next step. Any help would be appreciated. I am not looking for a solution but just how to go to the next step and how did you find it? Much appreciated.
Thanks.
|--------------------|
|1 - - | - - -| 7 - - |
|9 4 - |- 5 -| 2 6 - |
|3 - - |- - 4| - 8 - |
|---------------- ---|
|- 1 9 | - - -| - 5 7|
| - 5 3| - 7 -| 9 1 -|
| - 7 - | - - -| 8 2 -|
|--------------------|
| - - - | 6 - -| - - - |
| - 3 1| - 4 -| - 9 2|
| - - 2| - - -| - - 8|
|---------------------|

[underquark]

Row 6 - columns 1 and 3 (r6c1 and r6c3) can each only either be 4 or 6 and are mutually exclusive i.e. a "naked pair". Since one of them is 4 and the other is 6 (although we don't know which is which yet) this means that 4 and 6 can't lie anywhere else in that row or in any of the other cells in that box. Looking along to the end of Row 6 we see that r6c9 could have been either 3, 4 or 6. Since we know that it can't be 4 or 6, then it must be 3.

[einstr]

Thanks for the tip. I just started these and get the easy and most of the mediums, but I am unfamiliar with the terms used. now i know about naked pairs. Anywhere to find out about more approaches?

[TKiel]

Lots of info on techniques in the 'Advanced solving techniques' forum. You could also check out these links:

www.sadmansoftware.com/sudoku/techniques.htm

www.angusj.com/sudoku/hints.php

www.scanraid.com/BasicStrategies.htm

Tracy

[Cec]

"... I just started these ......I am unfamiliar with the terms used......... Anywhere to find out about more approaches?"

Hi einstr,
To complement the above help, you could also click on Here which describes the procedures for posting puzzles and the standard terminology .

Cec

[mike34230]

Interesting... my next step was to eliminate the 6 as a candidate for row 4, column 7... since column 7 can only have a 6 in box 9

[mike34230]

Interesting... my next step was to eliminate the 6 as a candidate for row 4, column 7... since column 7 can only have a 6 in box 9

oops... I posted too quickly... that didn't even help me... immediately after that I found 3 naked pairs and the puzzle was over... sorry!