Scanning Is Inevitable In Suduko

When you start playing Suduko, do not be fooled by its simple rules. This puzzle is full of complexities. It will leave you with a staggered mind. However, no matter how complex Suduko is, once you start playing it, you will not get up without completing it! Such is the magic of Suduko.

For those who want to try their hand, (or mind!) in playing the high level Suduko puzzles, there is something you need to know about scanning.

Scanning is carried out at the beginning and, from time to time, throughout the game. You have to conduct scans a number of times when you sit to analyze the situation while playing. There are two ways of scanning. Let us have a look at them.

Scanning Techniques
• Cross-hatching: It is a technique to scan rows or columns to detect which one of them contains a certain digit through an elimination process. If you want a speedy result, then it is better to scan the digits according to their rate of recurrence. You have to carry out a systematic scanning for all the numbers from 1 to 9 for an effective outcome.
• Counting: In this technique, you count 1 to 9 numbers that are written in blocks, columns, and rows, in order to find out the missing digits. For speedy scanning, the trick is to start counting on the basis of the last digit written. In more complicated puzzles, you can also calculate the value of a block, row, or column by counting in a reverse manner. In other words, you scan the block, row, or column for values that are not possible, in order to identify the next digit.

Contingencies In Scanning
The sophisticated players of Suduko are not contented with a simple scanning procedure. They search for contingencies. What they do is narrow down the location of a digit within a block, column, or row to two or three square spaces. When all these spaces are arranged in a line or in the same block, the players apply cross-hatching or counting techniques of scanning, and use the spaces for carrying out the elimination process. More tricky puzzles may call for compound contingencies.

Puzzles that can be solved by simple scanning and do not need any identification of contingencies are considered "easy" puzzles. In fact, the difficult ones cannot be solved by a simple scanning procedure.

So, wake up your gray cells and get ready to wobble your mind!

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