Extreme Killer Sudoku 2, puzzle 102: step-by-step solution
Step through the whole solution, or skip to the hard parts. Blue digits are placed by the walkthrough; red strike-through marks a candidate being ruled out.
Blue digits are placed by the walkthrough. Red strike-through marks a candidate being ruled out. Cells are named by row and column: R3C5 is row 3, column 5. Arrow keys step too.
The key technique: Remote Pairs
A chain of cells that all hold the same pair alternates between the two digits. Cells that see both ends of an odd-length link cannot hold either digit.
Other advanced and expert techniques in this solve: Multi-Sector Locking (×2), Advanced Innies (3+ sectors), Coloring/Multi-coloring, Forcing Chains.
Every move above the basics is listed on the killer sudoku techniques page, each with a one-sentence explanation and worked examples from the books.
The hard steps, in text (6)
- Step 12 · Multi-Sector Locking advanced
Rules out 1 from R1C5, R1C6. - Step 16 · Multi-Sector Locking advanced
Rules out 9 from R4C6. - Step 17 · Advanced Innies (3+ sectors) advanced
Places 3 in R6C9, 2 in R9C4 and rules out 2 from R1C4, R3C4, R4C4, R4C9 and 10 more; 3 from R4C9, R5C9, R6C2, R6C3 and 8 more; 5 from R4C9, R5C9. - Step 29 · Remote Pairs expert
Rules out 6 from R7C6; 8 from R7C6. - Step 31 · Forcing Chains expert
Rules out 5 from R4C6. - Step 61 · Coloring/Multi-coloring expert
Rules out 6 from R4C4.
The book
Volume two: 150 new killers, none repeated from book 1. No starting digits, just cages and their totals, ramping from hard to brutal.
150 new puzzles. Expert and beyond. Puzzles by M. J. Bailey. Paperback, 5 × 8 in, 196 pages, £9.99 / $11.99. Every solution in the book carries a QR code to its own walkthrough, so you can check one step without seeing the whole answer.
Try a free sample puzzle (PDF) · prints on A4 or US Letter
More step-by-step solutions: Extreme Sudoku 1 · Extreme Killer Sudoku 1 · Extreme Sudoku 2 · Extreme Sudoku 3 · Extreme Killer Sudoku 3.