Sudoku — Expert

Free printable expert sudoku puzzles as PDFs with answer pages. The hardest grids here, for solvers who know the techniques. No sign-up.

⬇ Download all 10 as one PDF — free, no sign-up

These are the hardest sudoku grids on the site and they are not a gentle way to spend a lunch break. Expect long stretches where a full candidate map produces no naked single at all and progress depends on the harder eliminations — X-wings, box-line reductions, chains that run across half the grid. They are still logic puzzles with a single solution and no guessing required, but they assume you already own the techniques rather than teaching them as you go.

One expert-level 9x9 sudoku per page, printed with the largest cells of any sudoku set here so a full nine-candidate map stays legible. The 3x3 box rules stay visible under heavy pencil work. Every puzzle has a matching answer page with the completed grid. Black and white on US Letter, one puzzle per sheet.

Sudoku 9x9 Expert 01 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 01Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 02 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 02Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 03 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 03Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 04 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 04Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 05 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 05Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 06 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 06Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 07 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 07Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 08 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 08Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 09 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 09Download PDF ↓ Sudoku 9x9 Expert 10 Sudoku 9x9 Expert 10Download PDF ↓

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Sudoku for Kids — 4x4Sudoku for Kids — 6x6Sudoku — EasySudokuSudoku — Hard

Frequently asked questions

What is an X-wing and when do I need it?
When a digit has candidates in exactly two cells in each of two different rows, and those cells line up in the same two columns, the digit must occupy opposite corners of that rectangle. That lets you eliminate it from the rest of both columns. Expert grids frequently reach a state where an X-wing is the only remaining elimination.
Is a puzzle with very few given digits automatically expert?
No. Given count correlates only loosely with difficulty. A 22-given puzzle can be easy and a 30-given puzzle can be brutal, because what matters is which techniques the solving path requires, not how much of the grid is pre-filled.
How do I recover from a mistake on an expert grid?
Honestly, usually by starting again — a bad candidate propagates silently and by the time it contradicts, the damage is everywhere. Some solvers photocopy the blank grid before marking candidates so a restart costs nothing. Printing two copies of the puzzle page achieves the same thing.
Are these solvable without trial and error?
Yes. Every one has a single solution reachable by logical deduction. Some solvers do use a short trial-and-error branch to shortcut a long chain, which is a legitimate personal choice, but it is never necessary.