Named strategies · Beginner
Sudoku strategies for beginners
Five named techniques that solve every Easy Sudoku, ordered by frequency of use.
"Sudoku strategies" and "Sudoku techniques" are the same thing — named, repeatable patterns for placing a digit with certainty. Learn these five, in this order, and you'll never need to guess on an Easy or Medium board.
1. Cross-Hatching (Slice-and-Dice)
Look at one 3×3 box. Take one digit that isn't in it yet. Trace the rows and columns that already contain that digit — every cell they cross is eliminated. If only one cell in the box survives, that's where the digit goes. This is the fastest scan on any Easy board.
2. Naked Single
A cell where only one digit fits (every other digit is already in its row, column or box). Write it in. Repeat. On an Easy Sudoku, chains of Naked Singles solve the whole board.
3. Hidden Single
Inside a single unit (row, column or box), a digit has only one cell where it can legally go — even if that cell has other candidates. Place it. This is the highest-leverage move on Medium and Hard boards.
4. Elimination by Constraint
When you place a digit, mentally list every cell that digit just eliminated. It sounds obvious, but beginners forget to do it. Every deduction opens up two or three follow-ups if you look immediately.
5. Digit-by-Digit Sweep
Instead of solving 'the next cell', pick a digit (say 4) and try to place every remaining 4 on the board before moving to 5. This forces systematic coverage and stops the accidental blind spots that beginners fall into.
The order matters
Every experienced solver runs these five strategies in this order on every board. On an Easy Sudoku, Cross-Hatching and Naked Singles usually finish the puzzle before you ever need Hidden Single. On Medium boards, Hidden Single becomes the workhorse. On Hard boards, you'll need to add Naked Pair and Pointing Pair — but the five above will still be doing 80% of the work.
Where to go from here
- Full Hidden Single tutorial — with annotated example board.
- Learn Naked Pair — the one strategy that separates Medium from Hard.
- Solving hard Sudoku step-by-step — when you're ready.
- Play today's free Medium Sudoku.