1 “Sudoku is math.”
Truth: It’s placement logic; digits are labels. No arithmetic required.
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Sudoku Myths Busted: 12 Common Misconceptions and the Truth
Sudoku is logic, not arithmetic. We dismantle 12 myths—from guessing to clue count—and share practical tips for clean, fast progress.
Sudoku Myths Busted: 12 Misconceptions and the Truth
sudoku myths • logic not math • candidates • difficulty grading • clean solving
2 “Hard puzzles force guessing.”
Truth: Quality puzzles are guess-free with techniques like hidden/naked sets, pointing, X-Wing and chains.
3 “More givens = easier.”
Truth: Distribution matters more than raw count; poor layouts can still lock you up.
4 “Pencil marks are cheating.”
Truth: They’re core tooling to document deduction and prevent errors.
5 “Speed equals skill.”
Truth: Clean logic and low error rate beat raw time for real mastery.
6 “Symmetry makes it harder.”
Truth: Aesthetic only; difficulty depends on technique demands.
7 “One mistake ruins everything.”
Truth: Early detection + rollback + candidate refresh isolates errors.
8 “There’s only one Sudoku.”
Truth: Many variants—Killer, Diagonal, Thermo, Kropki—apply the same logic under new constraints.
9 “Computers ‘think’ better.”
Truth: Search ≠ human-explainable logic. Good editors curate for human flow.
10 “Always start in corners / with 1s.”
Truth: Start where restriction is highest: dense units, low-candidate cells.
11 “Guessing is faster.”
Truth: Usually slower due to backtracking; elimination scales better.
12 “Sudoku is therapy.”
Truth: Great mental exercise, not medical treatment.
Practice these truths on Ozerlyn Sudoku and keep candidates fresh after every move.