LinkedIn 6x6 Sudoku #202 Pro-Tips Speed-Run

LinkedIn 6x6 Sudoku #202: Speed-Run Breakdown

Grid hits you with a sparse start: 5 and 1 top-left box, 6 and 4 mid-grid, 2-5 bottom-left. Classic LinkedIn trapdoor setup. Fill fast by hunting naked singles first, then pivot to cross-hatching. This one's a mid-tier beast that cracks wide after pinning one crucial square in row 2.

Pro-Tip 1: Naked Singles Kickoff

Scan columns immediately. Column 1 screams 2 in row 4 (only spot left after givens block elsewhere). Column 6 locks 1 row 6. Boom, two placements. Row 5 gets 4 column 1 (no other home). Chain these: now row 4 column 2 sees 1 via hidden single (peers block alternatives). You're rolling.

Pro-Tip 2: Cross-Hatching for Box Locks

Eye row 1: possibles 2,3,4,6 left. Cross-hatch against boxes. Top-right box rejects 4 (column clash), pins 6 row1 col1, 4 row1 col2, 3 row1 col5, 2 row1 col6. In 6x6, boxes are tight (2x3), so cross-hatch slices possibilities razor-sharp. Row 3 follows: 5 col1 via column scan.

The Crucial Square: Row 2, Column 6

Here's the difficult row breaker. Row 2 stalls early, possibles tangled across 1-6. Fill edges first: column 3 drops 6 row 5 after box peers clear it. Now row 2 col6: only 6 fits (row blocks 3,4,5; box owns 1,2). This crucial square floods row 2. Hidden single pops 3 row2 col1 (box/column force). Then 2 row2 col2. Cascade hits: row 6 col2 3, row 3 col2 6. Puzzle unzips.

Pro-Tip 3: Hidden Singles in 6x6 Chaos

6x6 punishes hesitation. Post-crucial fill, row 4 col3: 4 hides as sole survivor (row owns 1,2,3,5,6 elsewhere). Row 5 col5: 1 hidden single after column purge. Track box counts obsessively; top-right box missing 2 forces it row 3 col4. Final rows drop via elimination: row 6 col3 6, row 6 col5 2. Grid complete.

Speed-Run Wrap: Your Edge

Time killer? Ignoring that row 2 col6 pivot. Hit it post-initial singles, and you're under 90 seconds. Practice cross-hatch on empties first; 6x6 rewards aggression. Next #202 variant, own it.