Sudoku tips for beginners
New to Sudoku? Learn the rules, the first techniques to master, and the habits that make solving click.
Start with the rules
Sudoku is a 9×9 grid split into nine 3×3 boxes. Fill it so every row, every column, and every box contains the digits 1 to 9 exactly once. The given digits are your anchors — everything else follows by logic, never by guessing.
Hunt for hidden singles first
The fastest early wins come from scanning a single digit across the board. Pick a number, look at where it already appears, and find a box where only one empty cell can still take it. Place it and repeat — this one habit clears most of an easy puzzle.
Use pencil marks when it gets tricky
When scanning stalls, jot the possible candidates into each empty cell. Patterns then jump out: two cells sharing the same pair of candidates (a naked pair) let you erase those digits from the rest of the unit.
Never guess
Every well-made Sudoku has exactly one solution reachable by logic. If you feel like guessing, there is a deduction you have missed — slow down and re-check rows, columns, and boxes.
Learn one new technique at a time
Once singles and pairs are second nature, add pointing pairs, then the X-Wing. Each technique compounds, so build them up slowly.