How To Solve Kakuro Puzzles - step 1
The best way to learn how to solve Kakuro puzzles is to actually solve them, and in this tutorial we'll look at a puzzle and work through every step. Here's the puzzle:
Although it's a pretty simple example, the techniques you learn here will help you with every Kakuro puzzle you ever come across. Here goes!
Combinations
Kakuro puzzles are all about Combinations. For example: in the puzzle above, look at the block leading down from C3. It has five squares, and the Target is 32 (that's known as 32-in-5). What combinations can fit?
Remember, a number can't appear twice in the same block - so for example you can't do this:
9 + 8 + 7 + 4 + 4 = 32
Although it adds up to 32, it uses the 4 twice - no good. The valid combinations are:
9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 2 = 32
9 + 8 + 7 + 5 + 3 = 32
9 + 8 + 6 + 5 + 4 = 32
How does this help us? And even if we knew the right combination of numbers, how can we work out the right order? Relax, and remember - you never have to guess.
32-in-5 is no use to us - too many combinations and possibilities to worry about. We need something a bit more useful, and fortunately these things exist, and we call them Kakuro Blocks.