Trial and Error

There are some that would argue trial and error is not a logical technique, and is no better than guessing. Although it's not a technique I like to use, I do consider it logical. When further moves seem impossible, trial and error may be the only way forward. Indeed, some Sudoku puzzles cannot be completed without it. However, all Krazydad Sudoku puzzles, up through and including "Super Tough" do not require Trial and Error. More on this below.

The Trial and Error technique involves selecting one candidate for a cell - without any particular reason for that selection - and then seeing whether the puzzle can then be completed. If it can, well done (although, there could also be other solutions - test the other candidates too.) If not, the trial and error move, and any subsequent moves, are undone, and a different choice is made. For some Sudoku puzzles, it may be necessary to use trial and error several times. For others, it may be required only once.

In order to better manage the complexity, it's usually best, if possible, to choose a cell with only two candidates, but that doesn't have to be the case.

It's worth noting, that this technique alone will always generate a solution if the Sudoku puzzle can be solved, no other technique can guarantee that. But when used alone, it becomes the equivalent of a brute-force attack, and is quite tedious, in my opinion.

The puzzles in my Insane collection generally require trial and error. I originally did not publish such puzzles, but I received correspondence from some “Insane” readers who like this kind of puzzle, so I published them. These puzzles also can also be used to discover newer strategies I have not yet encountered.