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I am currently stuck at this point in the below Sudoku puzzle. What is my next move and why?

Thanks!

enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ There's already software to answer this type of question. $\endgroup$
    – Galen
    Apr 26, 2020 at 17:51
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    $\begingroup$ If your pencil marks are correct, then you have some obvious cells in the lower right. If they are not correct, then you need to fix them before asking for help. $\endgroup$
    – Daniel Mathias
    Apr 26, 2020 at 18:01
  • $\begingroup$ @DanielMathias I don't think all small numbers are correct. In that lower-right block there should still be a 1 somewhere, but I don't see the 1s anywhere in the hints. So I agree with you that the small hints should first be fixed before someone could be most efficiently help with a next move.. $\endgroup$
    – Kevin Cruijssen
    Apr 26, 2020 at 18:30
  • $\begingroup$ @Galen If there is a software that shows how to arrive at a move also, please let me know. There are software that just tell me the solution or the next move but doesn't explain how they reached to that point. So, it doesn't help me to learn. $\endgroup$
    – Varun Gupta
    Apr 27, 2020 at 12:31

1 Answer 1

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Firstly note in the bottom right with the cell currently only with 6 as a candidate, 1 is also a candidate, so the actual grid should look like this (there would be a lot more 1s, but for now lets just add this one):

enter image description here

Now in the second to bottom row,

we have a pair of cells with the only candidates being 1 and 6. This means that the numbers 1 and 6 MUST appear in one of these two cells, and using this, 1 and 6 can be removed from all the other candidates in this row. This method is known as a pointing pair. This leaves a naked 9 which can solve a row. The rest of the sudoku is simple after this, and I'll leave you to solve:

enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ I can't believe I missed a simple pointing pair and I have been spending time figuring out the XY wing and swordfish etc. Thanks for your help. $\endgroup$
    – Varun Gupta
    Apr 27, 2020 at 12:32
  • $\begingroup$ @VarunGupta no problem! Sometimes the simple options are easy to look over :) $\endgroup$
    – Beastly Gerbil
    Apr 27, 2020 at 12:47

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