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Daily Sudoku Answer 



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Jul 30 - Super Hard
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

Share link – www.brainbashers.com/s169330



Reasoning 



R2C5 can only be <5>

R2C6 can only be <4>

R5C5 can only be <9>

R6C4 can only be <5>

R8C6 can only be <9>

R2C4 can only be <8>

R2C3 can only be <2>

R5C2 can only be <8>

R5C8 can only be <7>

R8C5 can only be <1>

R4C6 can only be <3>

R6C8 can only be <9>

R4C4 can only be <1>

R6C2 can only be <3>

R4C8 can only be <5>

R8C4 can only be <6>

R4C2 can only be <9>

R6C6 can only be <7>

R8C9 can only be <5>

R2C8 is the only square in row 2 that can be <3>

R7C7 is the only square in row 7 that can be <9>

R2C7 can only be <7>

R8C3 is the only square in row 8 that can be <3>

Squares R3C2 and R3C8 in row 3 and R7C2 and R7C8 in row 7 form a Simple X-Wing pattern on possibility <6>. All other instances of this possibility in columns 2 and 8 can be removed.

R2C2 - removing <6> from <16> leaving <1>

R9C2 - removing <6> from <26> leaving <2>

R9C8 - removing <6> from <1268> leaving <128>

R8C8 is the only square in row 8 that can be <2>

Squares R1C2 and R8C2 in column 2 form a simple naked pair. These 2 squares both contain the 2 possibilities <47>. Since each of the squares must contain one of the possibilities, they can be eliminated from the other squares in the column.

R3C2 - removing <4> from <456> leaving <56>

R7C2 - removing <4> from <456> leaving <56>

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

R3C8=<68>

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

R3C8 - removing <68> from <468> leaving <4>

R3C3 can only be <5>

R3C7 can only be <8>

R1C8 can only be <1>

R7C8 can only be <6>

R7C2 can only be <5>

R9C9 can only be <1>

R9C8 can only be <8>

R1C9 can only be <9>

R1C1 can only be <7>

R2C9 can only be <6>

R2C1 can only be <9>

R3C2 can only be <6>

R7C3 can only be <4>

R8C7 can only be <4>

R8C2 can only be <7>

R8C1 can only be <8>

R1C2 can only be <4>

R9C1 can only be <6>



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