PLAYING ADVICE TO THE BEGINNERS. (The JCK method to solve our puzzles).

The SUDOKS game is a logic game which consists to complete a square grid such as it’s defined in the rules of the game. In principle, when the problem is asked well, a puzzle does admit only one solution, the game consists to find that. That is why it isn’t necessary to give the puzzle’s solution.

In order to complete a grid beforehand printed, it is advisable to equip oneself with a sharpened pencil. In what follows, I name unit every set consisted of the elements of a row, a column or a square subdivision and I name character a numeral or a letter from puzzle to puzzle.

In order to fill in correctly the puzzle, it is advisable to start the padding with the most complete unit.

Once you have determined that unit, choose one square to fill and in that square, write down with small writings in the corners or on the sides all the characters likely to occupy that square. Do the same for each of the squares of that unit. When all the unit’s squares will have been so initialized, examine them and if you have a square in which there is only one character, this means that this character is the one which suits for this square, so you can confirm it by writing it larger.

On the other hand, if each square so initialized contains a lot of characters, look for the character which appears only in one square. If that is the case, that means that this character is at its place, so you can confirm it in that square.

Once you have done that, proceed in the same way for the remaining squares and so on by successive eliminations until that each character had found its place. If all the present characters appear many times in the unit, move on to another unit by always choosing the unit containing the most characters, then execute the same operation.

When all the squares of the grid will have been initialized, execute the same operation respectively row by row, column by column and square subdivision by square subdivision in the order you want. Every time that a character had found its place, execute the eliminations in the other squares of the units to which that character belonged by deleting it from the other squares in which it appears. And so on until each character may have found its place.

As regards the eliminations, there is one thing to know: when in an unit two squares contain each the same couple of characters (a,b) this means these two characters “a” and “b” will have to occupy those two squares respectively and then they can’t be placed anywhere else in that unit. So you have to delete them from the other squares, which will permit you to clarify the situation and to execute other eliminations.

The same, if you are in the face of a combination of three characters « a,b,c » occupying three squares of an only unit and which are distributed in (a,b,c), (a,b) and (b,c), that means these three characters are destined to occupy those three squares and you can delete them from the others squares of that unit where they appear. Then you can proceed in the same way than previously.

In the great grid, you’ll be in front of combinations of “n“ characters occupying “n” squares, the reasoning will remain identical and you’ll have to proceed in the same way.

When an intersection segment of a row or a column with a square subdivision contains, on many combinations, a character which don’t appear in any of the remaining squares of that square subdivision, then you can logically consider that character can’t occupy any of the positions out of the square subdivision on that row or that column, so you can eliminate it from every position where it appears outside the square subdivision.

The same, if a character which appears on the intersection segment with a square subdivision don’t appears on any other square of the row or column outside the square subdivision, then you can logically consider that character will have to occupy that segment in the square subdivision, so you can eliminate that from every position it appears inside the square subdivision.

Once you’ll have mastered those rules, you’ll be able to solve any problem, even the most complicated then, with time and with experience, you’ll discover your own tips.

So, play well and enjoy yourself!!!

I hope you will enjoy solving all the problems we propose to you and that you will transmit the game virus around you, because it is a beneficent virus. And if you have any question to ask us, don’t hesitate, use the e-mail address adherents_jeux-ks@ksludotique.com.

Your obedient servant,

Jean-Christophe.