Difficult Sudoku-15 Group Puzzle
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Place each element of the group (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E) exactly once in each row, each column, and each 5x3 rectangle.

Deductive steps to solve the puzzle

The moves within each step may be done in any order.

All of the moves within a particular step must be done before all of the moves in the subsequent step can be guaranteed to be completed.

Rows are numbered top to bottom, columns from left to right, and rectangles from left to right and then top to bottom. Coordinates are (col, row). Precise details on numbering within each group are specified in the on-line instructions .

Step 1. There are 20 independent moves.

• The only spot left for 9 in the 9th row is at (6, 9).
• The only spot left for 4 in the 10th row is at (3, 10).
• The only spot left for 4 in the 8th column is at (8, 5).
• The only spot left for 1 in the 8th column is at (8, 1).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 11th column is at (11, 4).
• The only spot left for B in the 12th column is at (12, 6).
• The only spot left for 9 in the 1st 5x3 rectangle is at (4, 3).
• The only spot left for 6 in the 1st 5x3 rectangle is at (2, 3).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 2nd 5x3 rectangle is at (6, 2).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 3rd 5x3 rectangle is at (14, 1).
• The only spot left for 6 in the 4th 5x3 rectangle is at (1, 5).
• The only spot left for 1 in the 8th 5x3 rectangle is at (7, 9).
• The only spot left for D in the 8th 5x3 rectangle is at (9, 8).
• The only spot left for 6 in the 8th 5x3 rectangle is at (8, 8).
• The only spot left for C in the 9th 5x3 rectangle is at (15, 8).
• The only spot left for 9 in the 9th 5x3 rectangle is at (14, 8).
• The only spot left for 4 in the 11th 5x3 rectangle is at (7, 12).
• The only spot left for 1 in the 13th 5x3 rectangle is at (3, 15).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 13th 5x3 rectangle is at (1, 13).
• The only spot left for C in the 15th 5x3 rectangle is at (12, 15).

Step 2. There are 17 independent moves.

• The only spot left for 5 in the 15th row is at (10, 15).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 1st column is at (1, 14).
• The only spot left for 4 in the 2nd column is at (2, 7).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 3rd column is at (3, 9).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 12th column is at (12, 7).
• The only spot left for D in the 14th column is at (14, 12).
• The only spot left for 4 in the 1st 5x3 rectangle is at (1, 1).
• The only spot left for 1 in the 3rd 5x3 rectangle is at (12, 2).
• The only spot left for D in the 3rd 5x3 rectangle is at (12, 1).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 4th 5x3 rectangle is at (3, 5).
• The only spot left for B in the 5th 5x3 rectangle is at (7, 5).
• The only spot left for 6 in the 6th 5x3 rectangle is at (15, 4).
• The only spot left for 6 in the 7th 5x3 rectangle is at (5, 9).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 8th 5x3 rectangle is at (7, 8).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 10th 5x3 rectangle is at (5, 10).
• The only spot left for 9 in the 11th 5x3 rectangle is at (9, 11).
• The only spot left for 1 in the 14th 5x3 rectangle is at (9, 13).

Step 3. There are 11 independent moves.

• The only spot left for E in the 1st row is at (10, 1).
• The only spot left for A in the 4th row is at (4, 4).
• The only spot left for 6 in the 11th column is at (11, 7).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 4th 5x3 rectangle is at (4, 5).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 5th 5x3 rectangle is at (7, 4).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 7th 5x3 rectangle is at (1, 9).
• The only spot left for D in the 10th 5x3 rectangle is at (3, 11).
• The only spot left for 6 in the 12th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 12).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 13th 5x3 rectangle is at (3, 14).
• The only spot left for B in the 14th 5x3 rectangle is at (6, 13).
• The only spot left for D in the 15th 5x3 rectangle is at (11, 13).

Step 4. There are 11 independent moves.

• The only spot left for C in the 1st row is at (3, 1).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 9th row is at (10, 9).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 7th column is at (7, 6).
• The only spot left for E in the 9th column is at (9, 10).
• The only spot left for C in the 10th column is at (10, 14).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 11th column is at (11, 15).
• The only spot left for C in the 2nd 5x3 rectangle is at (9, 2).
• The only spot left for B in the 7th 5x3 rectangle is at (4, 9).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 7th 5x3 rectangle is at (1, 7).
• The only spot left for E in the 8th 5x3 rectangle is at (7, 7).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 9th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 7).

Step 5. There are 14 independent moves.

• The only spot left for A in the 1st row is at (15, 1).
• The only spot left for E in the 1st column is at (1, 2).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 7th column is at (7, 13).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 9th column is at (9, 3).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 11th column is at (11, 9).
• The only spot left for E in the 14th column is at (14, 15).
• The only spot left for C in the 5th 5x3 rectangle is at (6, 4).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 6th 5x3 rectangle is at (14, 4).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 8th 5x3 rectangle is at (10, 7).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 9th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 9).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 10th 5x3 rectangle is at (2, 11).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 11th 5x3 rectangle is at (8, 11).
• The only spot left for E in the 12th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 11).
• The only spot left for E in the 14th 5x3 rectangle is at (8, 14).

Step 6. There are 17 independent moves.

• The only spot left for A in the 11th row is at (11, 11).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 15th row is at (6, 15).
• The only spot left for B in the 1st column is at (1, 11).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 6th column is at (6, 12).
• The only spot left for A in the 8th column is at (8, 3).
• The only spot left for B in the 9th column is at (9, 12).
• The only spot left for A in the 12th column is at (12, 13).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 14th column is at (14, 3).
• The only spot left for B in the 1st 5x3 rectangle is at (2, 2).
• The only spot left for B in the 2nd 5x3 rectangle is at (10, 3).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 5th 5x3 rectangle is at (9, 4).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 5th 5x3 rectangle is at (8, 4).
• The only spot left for A in the 11th 5x3 rectangle is at (10, 10).
• The only spot left for 5 in the 12th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 10).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 13th 5x3 rectangle is at (5, 14).
• The only spot left for A in the 14th 5x3 rectangle is at (7, 14).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 15th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 15).

Step 7. There are 13 independent moves.

• The only spot left for 0 in the 15th row is at (2, 15).
• The only spot left for D in the 5th column is at (5, 6).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 12th column is at (12, 3).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 14th column is at (14, 5).
• The only spot left for 7 in the 3rd 5x3 rectangle is at (15, 3).
• The only spot left for A in the 6th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 6).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 6th 5x3 rectangle is at (11, 6).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 11th 5x3 rectangle is at (6, 11).
• The only spot left for 3 in the 12th 5x3 rectangle is at (15, 12).
• The only spot left for B in the 12th 5x3 rectangle is at (15, 10).
• The only spot left for D in the 13th 5x3 rectangle is at (4, 14).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 14th 5x3 rectangle is at (6, 14).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 15th 5x3 rectangle is at (13, 13).

Step 8. There are 8 independent moves.

• The only spot left for 8 in the 3rd row is at (3, 3).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 4th column is at (4, 2).
• The only spot left for E in the 5th column is at (5, 8).
• The only spot left for 8 in the 3rd 5x3 rectangle is at (15, 2).
• The only spot left for E in the 4th 5x3 rectangle is at (2, 6).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 6th 5x3 rectangle is at (15, 5).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 10th 5x3 rectangle is at (5, 12).
• The only spot left for 0 in the 12th 5x3 rectangle is at (14, 10).

Step 9. There are 5 independent moves.

• The only spot left for 2 in the 2nd column is at (2, 8).
• The only spot left for A in the 5th column is at (5, 2).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 1st 5x3 rectangle is at (3, 2).
• The only spot left for 2 in the 4th 5x3 rectangle is at (4, 6).
• The only spot left for A in the 10th 5x3 rectangle is at (2, 12).

Step 10. There is 1 independent move.

• The only spot left for A in the 7th 5x3 rectangle is at (3, 8).

Monday October 21, 2024   https://www.grouppuzzles.com