Sudoku solution - New York Times 20 December 2024 Hard level

[@johnmiller5629]

At the 14:39 mark, and almost by dumb luck, I discovered the 1,3,8 triple in Col 7 at R5C7, R8C7, and R9C7. This allowed placement of the 3 at R3C8 in Block 3. That then confined the 8s in Block 3 to R1C8 and R1C9, which in turn, confined the 8s in Block 1 to R2C2 and R3C2. That then gives you the 8 in Block 4 at R5C1. It was fairly easy after that, but the discovery of the 1,3,8 triple and finding its implications was a real stretch for me.

[@zekezebra]

This is how I completed it too

[@georgesthibaudeau1533]

At 5m30s, you find the 9 in r1c5 with your strange, blindfolded, method of "hole blocking". If you were simply following your digits by looking at them, you would have placed the next 9 in r7c4 at the same time. And from there, you would have done a good sidoku 101 placement of all the 9s in the grid. Another case of a repeat by NYT, which I remembered when I spotted the 457 triple in column 7 at rows 1,3 and 6. It was a more difficult puzzle than most NYT Hards, and was solved by Cracking the Cryptics years ago.

[@grahamfisher307]

I got practically nowhere with this one. Obviously the key was the triple in C7, but it was so well hidden.