How to Use the Single Position Strategy in Sudoku

Sudoku puzzles are numbers puzzles that require you to fill in cells with the digits 1 through 9. Each row, column and box contain only one of each number, and you can use many different strategies to solve them. The single position strategy, part of the scanning technique, is the easiest to use and the one you should always start with when beginning a new sudoku puzzle.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Choose a row. Begin with looking for the number 1. See if the digit was a given or one you already filled in for that row. If not, look at the surrounding column and boxes for help.

2. Check columns and boxes to see which have a 1 in them. You can then see which cells in the row can't be a 1. By narrowing down the possibilities, see if you can figure out which cell should contain the 1.

3. Continue looking for the number 1 in the columns and then the boxes. After filling in as many cells as possible, move onto the other numbers until you have finished with 9.

4. Go back to looking for the number 1 and repeat the process or move onto other techniques such as single candidate or pencil markings. You can use the single position strategy at any stage while solving a sudoku puzzle.

Tips & Warnings

• Start with easy puzzles when practicing this technique as they are quicker and easier to solve. Once you have gotten used to the way sudoku puzzles work, move up to harder puzzles.