{"id":409,"date":"2025-12-16T16:19:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T03:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesudoku.com\/blog\/?page_id=409"},"modified":"2026-07-13T16:20:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T04:20:49","slug":"last-remaining-number","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thesudoku.com\/blog\/last-remaining-number\/","title":{"rendered":"Last Remaining Number"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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< Back<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to Find the Last Remaining Number<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Last Remaining Number<\/strong> strategy\u2014widely known in the Sudoku community as a Sole Candidate<\/strong>\u2014is a powerful and essential technique for solving puzzles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Last Free Cell<\/em> strategy focuses on scanning a single nearly complete row, column, or block, this technique requires a broader view. You need to look at the intersection<\/strong> of all three units at once to figure out what belongs in a specific empty cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Sudoku<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Logic Behind the Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Sudoku, a single cell is always part of three distinct units simultaneously:<\/p>\n\n\n\n