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Sudoku set

Windoku 9×9 — Hard

Vocabulary List with 20 words

Practice 9x9 hard with this printable vocabulary list. Perfect for classroom or home use!

Sudoku play tools

  • Pencil marks
  • Grid state
  • Candidate digits
  • Elapsed time
  • Completion state

Variant rule

  • Rows, columns, and boxes contain every digit once.
  • One valid solution
  • Variant constraint validator
  • Visible rule support
  • Rows, columns, boxes

How to Use This Worksheet

  • Print: Click the print button to get a clean printout perfect for students
  • Practice: Complete the practice exercises
  • Check Answers: Review with students or use for self-checking
  • Download PDF: Save a copy for offline use or printing later

Learning Benefits

This sudoku puzzles builds focused practice, confidence, and independent problem-solving skills.

Windoku — Free Online & Printable

Windoku, also known as Window Sudoku or NRC Sudoku, adds four fixed 3×3 window regions to the standard 9×9 grid. The windows are positioned symmetrically: top-left at rows 2-4, columns 2-4; top-right at rows 2-4, columns 6-8; bottom-left at rows 6-8, columns 2-4; bottom-right at rows 6-8, columns 6-8. Every window must contain digits 1-9 without repetition, in addition to standard row, column, and box constraints. The overlapping nature of windows and standard boxes creates rich constraint chains that experienced solvers find deeply satisfying.

About the 9×9 Grid

The 9×9 grid is the full standard size for all sudoku variants. With 81 cells in 3×3 boxes, a 9×9 variant puzzle takes 10 to 60+ minutes depending on difficulty level and variant type. All variant rules reach their full expressive potential at this size: Killer cages create complex arithmetic networks, Jigsaw regions form visually distinctive shapes, and diagonal constraints span the entire grid. The 9×9 is where experienced solvers spend most of their time, and where the depth and elegance of each variant rule is fully revealed.

Hard Difficulty

Hard difficulty introduces multi-step deductions where you must track constraint chains across multiple regions simultaneously. Required techniques include naked pairs and triples (two or three cells sharing the same possible values), pointing pairs (where a candidate is confined to one row or column within a region), and intersection removal. For Killer Hard, expect cage combination analysis where several possibilities exist and must be eliminated systematically. Average time: 20-40 minutes for 9×9. Most solvers begin using candidate notation at this level.

How to Get Started

  1. Choose "New Puzzle" to generate a fresh Windoku puzzle with a unique solution
  2. Click or tap cells to enter numbers (1–9)
  3. Use the constraint highlights to track which numbers are still available
  4. Print the puzzle if you prefer solving on paper

How to use this printable Sudoku set

Best for logic practice, print-and-solve puzzle books, classroom challenges, and variant Sudoku exploration.

  • Print the grid, solve with notes, then reveal or compare answers only after a full solving attempt.
  • Start with classic Sudoku, then branch into X, Hyper, Jigsaw, Killer, and other rule variants.
  • Use the previous and next set links to stay inside the same page family before jumping to broader hubs.

Answer key policy

Answer support is available for review after a real attempt; printable answer-key behavior depends on the activity type.

Same-family next steps

Use the previous and next set links to stay inside the same page family before jumping to broader hubs.

Measurement events

This page should measure landed, started, used hint, checked answer, completed, printed/downloaded, shared, and clicked next events when the matching controls exist.

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