Daily Sudoku Answer 

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R3C1 can only be <4>

R3C6 can only be <1>

R3C2 can only be <7>

R2C5 can only be <5>

R3C9 can only be <9>

R1C6 is the only square in row 1 that can be <8>

R2C7 is the only square in row 2 that can be <1>

R2C1 is the only square in row 2 that can be <2>

R6C6 is the only square in row 6 that can be <5>

R6C7 is the only square in row 6 that can be <9>

R4C6 is the only square in row 4 that can be <9>

R8C8 is the only square in row 8 that can be <9>

R9C1 is the only square in row 9 that can be <9>

R1C1 is the only square in column 1 that can be <5>

R5C1 is the only square in column 1 that can be <6>

R9C7 is the only square in column 7 that can be <7>

R7C6 is the only square in row 7 that can be <7>

Squares R1C2 and R1C3 in row 1 form a simple naked pair. These 2 squares both contain the 2 possibilities <16>. Since each of the squares must contain one of the possibilities, they can be eliminated from the other squares in the row.

R1C9 - removing <6> from <346> leaving <34>

Squares R2C4 and R2C6 in row 2 form a simple naked pair. These 2 squares both contain the 2 possibilities <34>. Since each of the squares must contain one of the possibilities, they can be eliminated from the other squares in the row.

R2C8 - removing <34> from <3467> leaving <67>

R2C9 - removing <34> from <3467> leaving <67>

Squares R4C1 and R6C1 in block 4 form a simple naked pair. These 2 squares both contain the 2 possibilities <38>. Since each of the squares must contain one of the possibilities, they can be eliminated from the other squares in the block.

R5C2 - removing <38> from <1238> leaving <12>

R6C2 - removing <38> from <2348> leaving <24>

Intersection of row 5 with block 6. The value <7> only appears in one or more of squares R5C7, R5C8 and R5C9 of row 5. These squares are the ones that intersect with block 6. Thus, the other (non-intersecting) squares of block 6 cannot contain this value.

R4C8 - removing <7> from <3478> leaving <348>

R6C9 - removing <7> from <3478> leaving <348>

Intersection of block 8 with row 8. The values <14> only appears in one or more of squares R8C4, R8C5 and R8C6 of block 8. These squares are the ones that intersect with row 8. Thus, the other (non-intersecting) squares of row 8 cannot contain these values.

R8C2 - removing <4> from <23468> leaving <2368>

R8C3 - removing <4> from <2456> leaving <256>

R8C7 - removing <4> from <34> leaving <3>

R8C9 - removing <4> from <34568> leaving <3568>

R1C7 can only be <4>

R1C9 can only be <3>

R6C1 is the only square in row 6 that can be <3>

R4C1 can only be <8>

R9C2 is the only square in row 9 that can be <3>

Squares R4C3 and R4C8 in row 4 and R9C3 and R9C8 in row 9 form a Simple X-Wing pattern on possibility <4>. All other instances of this possibility in columns 3 and 8 can be removed.

R6C3 - removing <4> from <247> leaving <27>

R7C3 - removing <4> from <456> leaving <56>

R7C8 - removing <4> from <468> leaving <68>

Squares R5C6 (XY), R5C2 (XZ) and R4C4 (YZ) form an XY-Wing pattern on <1>. All squares that are buddies of both the XZ and YZ squares cannot be <1>.

R4C3 - removing <1> from <147> leaving <47>

R5C4 - removing <1> from <138> leaving <38>

R5C2 is the only square in row 5 that can be <1>

R1C2 can only be <6>

R1C3 can only be <1>

R5C6 is the only square in row 5 that can be <2>

R8C6 can only be <4>

R2C6 can only be <3>

R2C4 can only be <4>

Squares R7C2<48>, R8C2<28> and R9C3<24> in block 7 form a comprehensive naked triplet. These 3 squares can only contain the 3 possibilities <248>. Since each of the squares must contain one of the possibilities, they can be eliminated from the other squares in the block.

R8C3 - removing <2> from <256> leaving <56>

Squares R8C2<28>, R8C4<18> and R8C5<128> in row 8 form a comprehensive naked triplet. These 3 squares can only contain the 3 possibilities <128>. Since each of the squares must contain one of the possibilities, they can be eliminated from the other squares in the row.

R8C9 - removing <8> from <568> leaving <56>

Squares R8C3, R8C9, R7C3 and R7C9 form a Type-1 Unique Rectangle on <56>.

R7C9 - removing <56> from <4568> leaving <48>

R7C3 is the only square in row 7 that can be <5>

R8C3 can only be <6>

R8C9 can only be <5>

R7C8 is the only square in row 7 that can be <6>

R2C8 can only be <7>

R2C9 can only be <6>

R5C9 is the only square in row 5 that can be <7>

The puzzle can be reduced to a Bivalue Universal Grave (BUG) pattern, by making this reduction:

R8C5=<12>

These are called the BUG possibilities. In a BUG pattern, in each row, column and block, each unsolved possibility appears exactly twice. Such a pattern either has 0 or 2 solutions, so it cannot be part of a valid Sudoku

When a puzzle contains a BUG, and only one square in the puzzle has more than 2 possibilities, the only way to kill the BUG is to remove both of the BUG possibilities from the square, thus solving it

R8C5 - removing <12> from <128> leaving <8>

R8C2 can only be <2>

R8C4 can only be <1>

R6C5 can only be <7>

R9C5 can only be <2>

R9C3 can only be <4>

R6C3 can only be <2>

R4C5 can only be <1>

R6C2 can only be <4>

R4C4 can only be <3>

R9C8 can only be <8>

R4C3 can only be <7>

R7C2 can only be <8>

R5C8 can only be <3>

R7C9 can only be <4>

R4C8 can only be <4>

R5C4 can only be <8>

R6C9 can only be <8>

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