Extreme Killer Sudoku 3, puzzle 116: 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) (×2), Finned Fish, Multi-Sector Locking, Skyscraper.
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 32 · Multi-Sector Locking advanced
Rules out 1 from R2C2; 6 from R2C4, R3C4, R4C4, R5C4 and 2 more; 8 from R5C3. - Step 41 · Skyscraper advanced
Rules out 1 from R3C5, R4C4, R5C4. - Step 43 · Forcing Chains expert
Rules out 8 from R2C7. - Step 51 · Finned Fish expert
Rules out 2 from R5C6, R6C6. - Step 64 · Advanced Innies (3+ sectors) advanced
Rules out 1 from R4C3; 4 from R4C3; 5 from R4C3. - Step 67 · Advanced Innies (3+ sectors) advanced
Rules out 2 from R4C3.
The book
Volume three: 150 new killers, none repeated from books 1 or 2. 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 Killer Sudoku 2 · Extreme Sudoku 3.