Extreme Killer Sudoku 2, puzzle 125: 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: Forcing Chains
Try each candidate of one cell in turn. Every choice leads to the same result, so that result must be true.
Other advanced and expert techniques in this solve: Advanced Innies (3+ sectors), Finned Fish, Remote Pairs, XY-Wing.
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 (5)
- Step 20 · Advanced Innies (3+ sectors) advanced
Rules out 5 from R2C6; 9 from R2C6; 1 from R3C6. - Step 23 · Forcing Chains expert
Rules out 7 from R1C2, R1C3, R1C9, R2C5 and 1 more; 4 from R2C1, R8C4; 6 from R2C6, R8C4. - Step 49 · Remote Pairs expert
Rules out 2 from R9C2; 7 from R9C2. - Step 50 · Finned Fish expert
Rules out 8 from R5C2, R6C2. - Step 87 · XY-Wing advanced
Rules out 5 from R1C9, R7C8.
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.