Medium Sudoku Printables

Plan on twenty to thirty minutes for a page, and print it for a lunch break or an evening wind-down. Use a sharp pencil and write candidate numbers small in the top of a cell, so they can be rubbed out cleanly. Start with the numbers that appear most often in the grid. When stuck, put the pencil down and walk away for a minute. The answer key is there to settle a disagreement or confirm a finished grid, so try not to peek midway.

Medium moves beyond spotting a lone number. The solver finds pairs of cells in a row or box that share the same two candidates, and removes those numbers from the cells around them. The common mistake is writing too many notes too early. Before this level comes Easy 9×9, and after it comes Hard, where such deductions chain together over many steps. It is the level where pencil notes start earning their keep.

If Easy now feels dull, move here. If medium feels punishing, drop to Easy and finish a few quickly to rebuild confidence. Mark candidates only in cells that really need them. Press New version for a fresh grid, or choose the 5 versions option to prepare a week of puzzles at once. A pen is only for the brave.

What makes a sudoku medium?

Fewer obvious placements. You can still avoid guessing, but you will need to track what each empty cell could hold, and sometimes remove a candidate because of a pair elsewhere. Scanning alone usually stalls part way.

Should I write pencil marks?

Yes, when scanning stops giving new numbers. Mark only the candidates for the cells in one row or box rather than the whole grid, and clear them as you place numbers. It keeps the page readable.

I can do Easy but not Medium. What now?

Practice one new idea at a time: finding a number that fits only one cell in a box. After that, look for two cells sharing the same pair of candidates. Mix an Easy puzzle in between so it stays enjoyable.