SudokuWiki.org
Strategies for Popular Number Puzzles

#644, May 3 - May 9, 2025:
The Weekly 'Unsolvable' Sudoku Puzzle

by Richard Kröger, guest compiler

WARNING: This is the Weekly 'Unsolvable' Sudoku, rated above 'Extreme'.
This is currently unsolvable by my solver, except perhaps with trial and error strategies.
Using the solver will not help you. (much).

Archive

Each week a new 'unsolvable' will be published and the previous will be accessible here from this archive section. If you like very tough puzzles, these are for you.
Share and Enjoy
Supporter Members have access to all these puzzles going back to number 1.

Discussion...

Post an idea here...
Your Name or Handle

Your suggestion, idea or question

Please enter the
letters you see:
arrow
Enter these letters



Please keep your comments relevant to this puzzle.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. To state your solve time use the smaller form at the top right of this page. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted ? no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

Tuesday 6-May-2025

... by: Dieter

#644 - basics: %
populated cells: 23 = 28%
strategy: try to get hidden pairs or triplets. No solver used.
combinations of B8 = (3,4,9) and E8 = (2,3,5,9) as numbers 3,4,5 occur 3 times each
2 matrices left after basic checks: B8/E8 = (4/3) and (9/3) >> E8=3
B8/E8 =(9/3) solves with J7=2

Monday 5-May-2025

... by: Dieter

#644 - basics: %
populated cells: 23 = 28%
strategy: try to get hidden pairs or triplets. No solver used.
combinations of E2 = (2,7,8) and E3 = (7,9)
2 matrices left after basic checks: E2/E3 = (7/9) and (8/9) >> E3=9
E2/E3 =(8/9) solves with G2=6 and D9=6
Could not find a better approach.

Monday 5-May-2025

... by: Frans Goosens

#644

Combination 2-digits cells

D2=2 Wrong, Undo calculation
D2=4 No solution, Fixed
E3=7 Wrong, Undo calculation
E3=9 No solution, Fixed
E6=2 Wrong, Undo calculation
E6=7 ( F3=7 ) Solved,

Total solving time is : 62 sec.
Number of logical steps is : 7613

Monday 5-May-2025

... by: MyDoku

HoDoKu solves this puzzle with 21 Forcing algorithm, my solver uses just 6. Here is my solver's solution path, which took 2 minutes and 15 seconds to solve.

Forcing Chain Contradiction at r6c9 when r7c5=1, therefore, r7c5<>1
Forcing Chain Contradiction at r9c5 when r4c1=1, therefore, r4c1<>1
Locked Candidates (Pointing): 1 at r6, b4 => r6c56<>1
XY Wing (29,79,27) at r4c1,r5c3,r5c6: r4c45<>2, r5c2<>2
AIC: 4 r9c3 =4= r6c3 -4- r4c2 -2- r4c1 -9- r5c3 7 => r9c3<>7
Forcing Chain Contradiction at r5c6 when r5c4=3, therefore, r5c4<>3
Hidden Single in row: r5c8 = 3
Hidden Single in block: r3c7 = 3
Hidden Single in block: r6c5 = 3
Locked Candidates (Claiming): 2 at r5, b5 => r6c6<>2
Locked Candidates (Pointing): 5 at c9, b6 => r8c9<>5
AIC: 4 r4c2 =4= r4c9 =5= r5c9 =9= r5c3 -9- r4c1 2 => r4c2<>2
Naked Single: r4c2=4
Hidden Single in column: r9c3 = 4
Locked Candidates (Claiming): 2 at c2, b1 => r2c1<>2
Forcing Chain Contradiction at r4c7 when r1c1=5, therefore, r1c1<>5
Locked Candidates (Pointing): 5 at c3, b1 => r8c3<>5
XY Wing (17,67,16) at r6c3,r6c6,r8c3: r8c6<>6
AIC: 4 r6c9 =4= r2c9 -4- r2c6 =4= r7c6 =6= r6c6 6 => r6c9<>6
Grouped AIC: 1 r9c9 =1= r8c9 -1- r8c3 -6- r78c2 =6= r3c2 =2= r2c2 =3= r2c1 -3- r9c1 =3= r9c4 3 => r9c4<>1
Forcing Chain Contradiction at r7c7 when r2c1=9, therefore, r2c1<>9
Grouped AIC: 3 r8c2 =3= r2c2 -3- r2c1 -7- r13c3 =7= r56c3 -7- r5c2 8 => r8c2<>8
Grouped AIC: 1 r7c46 =1= r7c1 =5= r8c1 =8= r8c4 8 => r8c4<>1
AIC: 3 r9c4 =3= r8c4 =8= r8c1 =5= r8c8 =2= r9c7 2 => r9c4<>2
Naked Single: r9c4=3
XY Chain: 3 r2c1 -7- r9c1 -1- r8c3 -6- r8c2 3 => r2c2<>3, r8c1<>3
Hidden Single in column: r2c1 = 3
Hidden Single in column: r8c2 = 3
Grouped AIC: 2 r2c2 =2= r3c2 =6= r7c2 -6- r8c3 =6= r8c89 -6- r9c79 =6= r9c5 =2= r23c5 2 => r2c6<>2
Grouped AIC: 4 r1c8 =4= r1c4 -4- r2c6 =4= r7c6 =6= r6c6 =7= r6c13 -7- r5c3 -9- r4c1 =9= r1c1 9 => r1c8<>9
Grouped AIC: 9 r1c1 =9= r4c1 -9- r5c3 -7- r6c13 =7= r6c6 =6= r7c6 =4= r2c6 -4- r2c8 9 => r1c7<>9
Forcing Chain Contradiction at r4c9 when r8c9=1, therefore, r8c9<>1
Hidden Single in column: r9c9 = 1
Naked Single: r9c1=7
Naked Single: r1c1=9
Naked Single: r4c1=2
Hidden Single in row: r7c7 = 7
Hidden Single in column: r5c3 = 9
Hidden Single in column: r4c7 = 9
Skyscraper (6) at r4c59, r9c57, connected in c5 => r8c9<>6, r6c7<>6
Naked Single: r8c9=9
Hidden Single in block: r2c8 = 9
Skyscraper (7) at r1c34, r6c36, connected in c3 => r23c6<>7, r5c4<>7
2 String Kite (6) at r1c7, r8c3 connected by r8c8, r9c7 in b9 => r1c3<>6
Locked Candidates (Pointing): 6 at r3, b1 => r3c9<>6
Hidden Single in column: r4c9 = 6
Hidden Single in block: r5c9 = 5
Naked Single: r5c4=2
Naked Single: r5c6=7
Full House: r5c2=8
Naked Single: r6c1=1
Full House: r6c3=7
Naked Single: r1c3=5
Naked Single: r1c5=8
Naked Single: r1c7=6
Naked Single: r1c8=4
Full House: r1c4=7
Naked Single: r2c9=7
Naked Single: r2c2=2
Naked Single: r2c5=1
Full House: r2c6=4
Naked Single: r3c3=6
Full House: r3c2=7
Naked Single: r3c4=5
Full House: r3c9=8
Naked Single: r4c4=1
Full House: r4c5=5
Full House: r6c6=6
Naked Single: r6c8=2
Naked Single: r6c7=8
Full House: r6c9=4
Full House: r7c2=6
Naked Single: r7c5=9
Naked Single: r3c5=2
Full House: r3c6=9
Naked Single: r7c6=1
Naked Single: r7c8=5
Naked Single: r7c1=8
Full House: r7c4=4
Full House: r8c1=5
Full House: r8c3=1
Full House: r8c4=8
Full House: r8c6=2
Full House: r8c8=6
Full House: r9c5=6
Last Digit: r9c7=2

Hope that helps.

Saturday 3-May-2025

... by: BGH

Using Frans Goosens pairs technique
24 @ D2 & 27 @ E5
2 @ D2 & 2 @ E5 Converges
2 @ D2 & 7 @ E5 Also Converges (Requires a 2nd step for BUG)
So without further ado, 2 solutions.
Page created on 03-May-2011, last modified on 30-May-2024.
All puzzles on this site are trademarked and copyright
and cannot be reproduced without permission.
Copyright Andrew Stuart @ Syndicated Puzzles, Privacy, 2007-2025