LinkedIn Mini Sudoku #312 Answer & Analysis

Focus on the 2x3 box covering R3-4 and C1-3. Row 3 already contains 1 and 4, while row 4 already shows 3 and 2 in that same box. That leaves R3C2 and R3C3 as the missing pair {5,6}. Column 3 then forces R3C3 = 6, so R3C2 = 5. With those placed, the only number left in that box is R4C1 = 4.

Now look at the box covering R5-6 and C1-3. Row 6 is already complete in that box with 6, 4, and 3, and R5C3 is 5. That leaves only 1 and 2 for R5C1 and R5C2. Column 1 then forces R5C1 = 2, which makes R5C2 = 1.

Column 2 now has 2, 5, 3, 1, and 4 placed, so R1C2 must be 6. Column 3 is then almost complete: with 1, 6, 2, 5, and 3 already used, R2C3 must be 4. These are strong elimination moves that help the top rows take shape.

With the middle solved, the top-right and bottom-right 2x3 boxes become easy. In column 4, the remaining values force R5C4 = 4 and R1C4 = 5. Then column 6 gives R5C6 = 3 and R1C6 = 4. After that, column 5 must be R1C5 = 2 and R2C5 = 3.

At this stage, the last open cells are forced by row and column completion. R1C1 becomes 3, R2C1 becomes 5, and the top row and second row both finish cleanly. The final grid matches every Mini Sudoku rule: each row contains 1 to 6 once, each column contains 1 to 6 once, and each 2x3 box contains 1 to 6 once.