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here's my strategy (if you don't want these hints, don't read it!!!):
first, print it out, and write on it.
second, with the row/column/box that has the most numbers in it, go through each of the ones that don't have numbers, and find the only possibilities in those. write them down.
third, repeat step 2.
at this point, there should be a fair amount that are filled out (because you were able to eliminate all but one in a box). on gentle level you most likely have 75% of it done. on evil, maybe 20%.
every box should be filled with a filled number, or a possibility of numbers.
now comes the key part. you have to know three basic tricks:
if in any row/column/9-box, the following happens:
1) in one box you have (1 2), in another box (1 2) and in another box (1 2 3); that third box HAS to be 3. or you can say, if any two boxes have two number possibilities (and ONLY two!), then you can eliminate those numbers from the rest of the boxes in the respective row/column/9-box
2) in one box you have (1 2), in another box (1 3) and in another box (1 2 3); those numbers cannot appear in ANY other box in that respective row/column/9-box
3) if you did the listing correctly, if one number appears in only one box of a row/column/9-box, that box has to contain that number.
and basically you just do it over and over and over again. you start developing an eye for it, and can start listing number possibilities really quickly. you start seeing patterns of possibilities and can start to eliminate numbers from other boxes.
for every 9-box, you have three rows, and three columns to check, so don't be discouraged if you go through it once and can't get it. if you are able to eliminate something from a 9-box, that probably will help you in another box. and so on.
also, if you notice, the square is always symmetric downwards (fold the entire square in half) and then horizontally (fold the remaining. i don't know how to explain it...it's like symmetric diagonally, and then mirrored. they're not the same numbers, but they should help you decide which row/column/9-box to start with first.
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TX TA #97
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