LinkedIn 6x6 Sudoku #203 Pro-Tips Speed-Run

LinkedIn 6x6 Sudoku #203: Speed-Run Breakdown

Jump into #203 with eyes on the top-left box: it's packed with 3,2,1 in row 1 and 4 kicking off row 2. That screams 5,4,6 for the rest of row 1, but hold fire. Scan columns first. Column 3 has 1,6 locking early positions. Your opening salvo: naked pairs in box 1 force 5 into (1,4) and 6 to (1,6). Boom, row 1 complete.

Early Momentum: Cross-Hatching in 6x6 Boxes

In 6x6, boxes are tighter, so cross-hatching hits harder. Hunt 6 in row 3: it's blocked in column 3 by the given 6. Slash across row 3, down column 2 (empty after givens), lands on empty cells only in box 2. Pin 6 to (3,2). That's your first cross-hatch win: eliminate vertically then horizontally within the 2x3 block constraints. Row 2 now begs for 6 next door.

Mid-Game Stall: The Difficult Row 4

Row 4 is your beast: just 3 in column 4, 5 in column 6. Numbers 1,2,4,6 float everywhere. Boxes 4 and 5 are sparse. Resist filling singles blindly. Instead, tally box 4 candidates: givens force 1,4,2 into first three cells. Peek row 5's 4 in column 6 blocks downward. Hidden single emerges for 1 in (4,1): only spot left after column 1 exclusions from top boxes.

Crucial Square: (4,2) Hidden Single Crack

Here's the crucial square: (4,2). Row 4 needs 4, column 2 misses it after row 1's 2 and row 3's 3. Box 4 candidates shrink: 4 can't go elsewhere without duplicating row 5's trailing 4. Slam 4 into (4,2). This hidden single (only valid home despite multiple candidates) cascades: row 4 unlocks 2 to (4,3), box 4 fills 6,5 tail. Row 5 and 6 chains fire off naked triples.

Closing the Speed-Run: Chain Reactions

With (4,2) nailed, column 5 gets 3 locked via box 5 exclusions. Row 6's 1,2,3 givens pair with row 5's 4 to force 6,5 upfront. Final boxes drop via box-line reduction: column 4's 3 givens leave 1 nowhere but (6,4). Full grid snaps in under 90 seconds. Pro move: always circle that difficult row 4 early. Practice cross-hatching on empties; it'll shave your PR.

Next #203 run: target row 4 first. You've got the edge now.