LinkedIn 6x6 Sudoku #248 Pro-Tips Speed-Run

LinkedIn 6x6 Sudoku #248: Speed-Run Breakdown

Grid hits you with a solid opener: row 1 locked at 4-?-5-6-?-?, row 2 3-?-?-?-?-5, row 3 ?-?-?-?-?-6, row 4 2-?-?-?-?-?, row 5 1-?-?-?-?-2, row 6 ?-?-3-4-?-1. Numbers 1-6, 2x3 boxes. No fluff, just precision strikes to shave seconds.

Pro-Tip 1: Cross-Hatch the Openers

Start with 1. Row 5 has 1 in column 1, row 6 has 1 in column 6. Cross-hatch column 2: scan rows for blocks. Box 1 (rows 1-3, cols 1-3) sees 1 blocked by row 5 col 1. Only r1c2 or r2c2 or r3c2 possible, but row 1's 4-5 kills extras. Drop 1 into r1c2. Chain reaction: box 2 (rows 1-3, cols 4-6) cross-hatch excludes via row 1's 6 and row 2's 5. Hidden single 1 in r2c4.

Flip to 6. Row 3 col 6 owns it. Cross-hatch row 1 box 2: column exclusions from row 2 col 6 (5) and row 3 col 6 pin 6 in r1c5. Momentum builds fast in 6x6.

Pro-Tip 2: Hidden Singles in Tight Boxes

Box 3 (rows 4-6, cols 4-6): givens 2 (r5c6), 4 (r6c4), 1 (r6c6). Cross-hatch 3: row 6's 3 in col 3 blocks r6c5. Column 5 empty there, but row 4-5 exclusions leave hidden single 3 in r5c2? Wait, pivot to box scan. Actually, row 6 3 cross-hatches box 3 col 5: only r4c5 or r5c5, but peers kill. Standard hidden single: 3 only fits r4c2 after early fills.

Key: In 6x6, boxes fill quicker. Pencil possibles mentally: row with 4 givens screams hidden singles. After 1s and 6s, row 2 exposes 6 in r2c2 as column 2's lone spot.

Crucial Square: Row 5's r5c5 Break

The difficult row is row 5: 1-?-?-?-?-2. Early cross-hatching fills r5c2=5 (hidden via box 1 peers), r5c4=3 (column 4 scan). Stalls at r5c3 and r5c5. Here's the crack: after box 2 chains 2 in r2c3, 4 in r3c2, column 3 cross-hatch for 4 pins exclusions. Row 5 col 3 sees 4 blocked everywhere but r5c5=4? No, the aha: hidden single 4 in r5c3 from row peers (1,2,5 already placed/forced).

Row 5 col 5 becomes the crucial square. With 1-5-4-3-?-2, only 6 left for r5c5. Boom. Row 5 complete: 1-5-4-3-6-2. This naked single floods column 5 with eliminations, dropping 1 in r3c5, 2 in r4c5. Grid unravels: box 3 fills via cross-hatch 5 in r4c6, then row 4 2-3-6-5-1-4.

Pro-Tip 3: 6x6 Speed Chains

Post row 5: naked pairs emerge in column 1. Rows 3 and 6 duel 5-6; box exclusions pick 5 in r3c1, 6 in r6c1. Final box 1: 5-4-1 across row 3. Column 2 chains 2 in r6c2. Done in under 90 seconds with practice.

Tactical edge: Always hit rows with 4+ givens first. Cross-hatch one number per box pass. Row 5's stubborn middle cracked the vault. Drill this on #248 repeats: feel the flow.