How to Solve Sudoku: Candidates, Notes and Hints for Beginners
Each row, column and 3×3 box in Sudoku must contain the digits 1 through 9 once. Solve a cell by ruling out impossible digits rather than guessing. Begin with the rows or boxes that have the fewest empty cells.
Play Game1. Find cells with only one candidate
In a row with one empty cell, identify the missing digit. Check that digit against the cell’s column and box before entering it.
For a row with several empty cells, list the missing digits. Remove digits already present in each cell’s column or box. A cell with one remaining candidate can be filled.
2. Use notes for possibilities
Note mode records candidates that are not yet confirmed. If several digits remain, write them as notes and inspect another part of the board.
After confirming a digit, revisit candidates in its row, column and box. The new digit may reduce another cell to a single candidate.
3. Look for a digit with only one possible position
Within a box, check where a missing digit can fit. If rows and columns eliminate every location except one, the digit belongs in that cell.
This works even when individual cells still have several candidates. Check one missing digit at a time to make the process easier to follow.
4. Choose practice settings and use hints deliberately
Select New Game to begin a puzzle. Settings include difficulty and hint options. With the default mistake limit, repeated incorrect entries can end the game, so check all three constraints before entering a digit.
Enable the option that prevents game over if you want uninterrupted practice. When using a hint, examine how the supplied digit changes nearby candidates instead of copying it and moving on.
5. Practice accuracy before speed
Begin with an easy puzzle and aim to finish without guessing. If stuck, revisit candidates around the last confirmed digit rather than entering a random answer.
Repeat the same difficulty until eliminating candidates feels familiar. Increase the difficulty after you can explain why each digit belongs in its cell.