Number Place Home / How to Solve
How to Solve Number Place Puzzles
This hub organizes strategy pages into Basics, Intermediate, and Advanced groups. The recommended flow is to learn one technique, then use it right away in the matching puzzle archive.
Basics
Start with coordinate reading, candidate discipline, and a steady Singles-based flow.
Grid Reading and Coordinate Basics
A-I / 1-9 references and unit boundaries.
Candidate Note-Taking Strategy
How to add, remove, and rescan notes efficiently.
Beginner Workflow
No-guess loop for stable early progress.
Naked Single
Most frequent forced placement pattern.
Hidden Single
Only location for one digit in a unit.
Intermediate
Use locked candidates and pair/triple patterns to get stalled grids moving again.
Pointing Pairs
Box-driven locked candidate eliminations.
Claiming
Row/column-driven locked candidate eliminations.
Naked Pair
Two-cell lock for candidate cleanup.
Hidden Pair
Digit-position restriction for two cells.
Naked Triple
Three-digit confinement across three cells.
Hidden Triple
Three-digit placement restriction pattern.
Advanced
Use structural and chain-based logic in Hard and Expert puzzles.
FAQ
Q. Does hint auto-fill a value?
A. No. Hints show the technique name, target cell(s), and reasoning. You enter the value yourself.
Q. Is progress saved?
A. Yes. Progress is auto-saved in browser storage and restored on the same device and browser.
Q. How does printing work?
A. Use "Print Puzzle Only" on the play page to print the grid only. Browser header/footer can be toggled in print settings.