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🔢 This free printable sudoku prints on a single page. The answer key sits in a small strip at the bottom — fold it backward along the dotted line before you start, and you can solve honestly without ever seeing the solution. A real challenge — high-school level reasoning and vocabulary recommended.

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Hard Sudoku #2

Sudoku · Puzzle No. 16ThePuzzleSolver.net

Hard

Fill the grid so every row, every column, and every 3×3 box contains the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. Fewer starting clues — sharper logic required.

	9				5		8
			9	6
	7				3			5
		5		7	6	3	9
		1				7
	2	3	5	8		1
4			6				7
				4	7
	1		3				4

✂ fold backward along this line to hide the solution ✂

Solution hidden on screen — it prints automatically.

Solution

3	9	4	7	2	5	6	8	1
1	5	2	9	6	8	4	3	7
6	7	8	4	1	3	9	2	5
8	4	5	1	7	6	3	9	2
9	6	1	2	3	4	7	5	8
7	2	3	5	8	9	1	6	4
4	8	9	6	5	1	2	7	3
2	3	6	8	4	7	5	1	9
5	1	7	3	9	2	8	4	6

How to Solve This Sudoku

This Hard grid starts with fewer givens on purpose — it's built to test technique, not patience. A good approach:

Map candidates before filling anything. On a Hard grid, it pays to pencil in every possible candidate for every empty cell first, rather than filling numbers as you spot them one at a time.
Watch for triples, not just pairs. Three cells sharing exactly the same three candidates — even if not every cell shows all three — let you eliminate those numbers from the rest of the group.
Re-verify each 3×3 box independently. It's easy to make an early placement error on a sparse grid. Periodically double-check that each completed box still holds every digit 1-9 exactly once.

Bring in pairs, triples, and box-line reduction and this grid falls into place without any guessing. Full method breakdown: our complete Sudoku strategy guide.

About This Puzzle

Hard Sudoku #2 starts with just 28 numbers, and the digit 2 shows up only once. Rows 2, 5 and 8 each start with only two givens. Singles get you about halfway before everything stalls. From there it takes a pointing pair, then a naked or hidden pair, to crack it open. Pencil in your candidates early so you can spot them.

Stuck at the Start?

Show me one good first move

Check row 4, column 1 (middle-left box). Row 4 already has 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9, column 1 contributes a 4, and the box itself holds 1 and 2. Put those together and only 8 is possible. Easy to miss, because the row, the column and the box each hold a piece of the answer.

3	9	4	7	2	5	6	8	1
1	5	2	9	6	8	4	3	7
6	7	8	4	1	3	9	2	5
8	4	5	1	7	6	3	9	2
9	6	1	2	3	4	7	5	8
7	2	3	5	8	9	1	6	4
4	8	9	6	5	1	2	7	3
2	3	6	8	4	7	5	1	9
5	1	7	3	9	2	8	4	6

3	9	4	7	2	5	6	8	1
1	5	2	9	6	8	4	3	7
6	7	8	4	1	3	9	2	5
8	4	5	1	7	6	3	9	2
9	6	1	2	3	4	7	5	8
7	2	3	5	8	9	1	6	4
4	8	9	6	5	1	2	7	3
2	3	6	8	4	7	5	1	9
5	1	7	3	9	2	8	4	6

Hard Sudoku #2

How to Solve This Sudoku

About This Puzzle

Stuck at the Start?

Or choose from one of these related puzzles... or just check out the NEXT puzzle in the Library.

3	9	4	7	2	5	6	8	1
1	5	2	9	6	8	4	3	7
6	7	8	4	1	3	9	2	5
8	4	5	1	7	6	3	9	2
9	6	1	2	3	4	7	5	8
7	2	3	5	8	9	1	6	4
4	8	9	6	5	1	2	7	3
2	3	6	8	4	7	5	1	9
5	1	7	3	9	2	8	4	6