Extreme Killer Sudoku 3, puzzle 69: 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: Finned Fish
An X-Wing or Swordfish with one extra candidate (the fin). Cells that are in the fish pattern and also see the fin lose the digit.
Other advanced and expert techniques in this solve: Advanced Innies (3+ sectors) (×2), Forcing Chains, Multi-Sector Locking.
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 14 · Advanced Innies (3+ sectors) advanced
Rules out 1 from R2C3, R2C7, R3C7; 2 from R2C3, R2C7, R3C7, R4C6 and 1 more; 4 from R2C3, R5C6. - Step 21 · Multi-Sector Locking advanced
Rules out 9 from R3C8. - Step 23 · Advanced Innies (3+ sectors) advanced
Rules out 8 from R2C7, R3C7; 5 from R5C6; 6 from R5C6. - Step 54 · Finned Fish expert
Rules out 8 from R7C2, R7C3, R8C3. - Step 62 · Forcing Chains expert
Rules out 6 from R2C1, R4C1, R4C3, R5C2 and 3 more; 5 from R2C2, R4C2, R5C2, R5C3 and 1 more; 4 from R3C1, R3C2, R6C2.
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.