Sudoku Techniques – How to solve faster?

Many of you are experienced players, but do you remember your first few steps using Sudoku techniques? I do. The greatest part of being a Sudoku addict was learning the game step-by-step. I recall the moments in which I discovered how to check the candidates, how to spot a hidden pair, and how to catch a swordfish in my grid.

But how many techniques are there? Hard to say. A classic, easy Sudoku for beginners requires 2 or 3 different techniques to be trashed out, but the diabolic ones could require an additional 10 techniques that are even more advanced. No worries, keep your brain sharp and your pencil ready. While playing online Sudoku you can find grids of progressive difficulty, and you’ll learn the tricks while doing so.

Raise the bar little by little

Some online solvers list up to 50 different techniques with fancy and complex-looking names. You don’t need to learn all of them to call yourself a Sudoku Master, just keep playing at your level and raise the bar little by little. Make sure you understood the Hidden Single before you deal with Hidden Pairs. Make sure you manage spotting an X Wing before you try a Swordfish (or even a Jellyfish – yes… there is a strategy bearing this name). Everything including an XY-Wing Strategy, or a harder one, is to be considered diabolic, and even top solvers struggle to solve them.

Look for the 6s first

Useful tip to increase your solving speed: Many people, while solving Sudoku, start looking for the 1s. I suggest starting for 6s. The reason? A lot of algorithms generate hard grids try not to let you put a Hidden Single in a too early stage. Looking for numbers 1-5 will lead you to nothing most of the time, so just skip this part and go ahead with the 6s.

Visit our homepage to play Sudoku online now with thousands of Free Sudoku Puzzles And Games. Choose from beginner, medium, hard or wicked difficulty levels, or select our clever multiplayer mode and test your skills against others.