Description

A Naked Single is a cell that contains only one candidate, after filling in all the candidates for the puzzle.

Reasoning

Having only one candidate in a given cell, means that all other candidates have been elliminated, so the solution for the cell must be the remaining candidate.

If you already used the Single Search and the Snyder Notation strategies, it is unlikely you will find any Naked Singles.

Examples

Algorithm

1. Fill in all the pencil marks in the puzzle.
2. Look at every cell and if any of them has only one candidate, then it must be the solution for the cell.

Practice Puzzles

If you tap on the following links on an iOS device which has the Sudoku Tutor app installed, it will launch the app and open the practice puzzle. Tap hint once the puzzle is open to see the strategy in action.

Sample Puzzle 1
Sample Puzzle 2

Next Step

Back to Sudoku Solvers or continue to next algorithm Hidden Single