PUZZLE TECHNIQUES

EASY AS ABC SOLVING TECHNIQUES

Learn advanced technqiues to solve Easy as ABC puzzles. When you know several of our solving methods, then you can try your skills with our online Easy as ABC puzzles.

We have also created a sudoku variant of this puzzle. You can play it online at Easy as ABC sudoku.

We will work with ABCD puzzles. They are just like the ABC ones, but are on a 6x6 grid with D as additional letter. There are always two empty cells in each row and column that we will mark with an X. Difficult puzzles somethimes don't have a letter at the start/end of a row or column, but the same rules apply.

LOOK FOR COMMON CLUES

When you find common clues, than only one of them can be in the first cell and the other first cell has to be empty and get an X. So when you have found two pairs of common clues at the same side, then the 2 empty cells are taken and the other clues must be in the first cell.

We have colored the common clues. So the remaining clues must be in the first cell.

CORNERS WITH DIFFERENT CLUES

Look for corners with different clues. That cell must contain an X to avoid conflict with the clues of the corner.

The bottom right corner has clues A and C. Neither of them is allowed in the corner cell, because then you get a conflict. So we can only place an X.

CROSS-REFERENCING BETWEEN ROWS AND COLUMNS

By cross-referencing between the clues in the rows and columns we can find the candidates for each cell. This is the key to solving the puzzle.

Wait as long as possible to use this technique. This way you limit the number of candidates per cell and the puzzle remains clear.

In an Easy as ABC puzzle with a 6x6-grid and the letters A, B, C and D the clue must always be in the first, second or third cell because you have only 2 empty cells in each row and column.

DOUBLE CLUE WITH COMMON CLUE IN ROW OR COLUMN

We immediately start with the example to explain this technique.

We have a double D in the clues at the top and a D at the end of the first row. Because of the D in the first row, we may place an X in R1C2 with absolute certainty. At the bottom of the puzzle we have a similar situation.