Medium Consecutive Sudoku

Marked cell pairs must contain consecutive digits. Unmarked pairs must not. Every dot or bar carries strategic weight.

Easy Medium Hard Expert

Consecutive Sudoku at medium difficulty. Use both the bars and the missing bars — every no-bar pair eliminates two candidates from each cell involved.

4
8
9
7
3
2
4
3
2
5
6
9
8
6
3
9
5
3
8
6
2
7
9
2
8
6
7
1
8
6
1
7
Mistakes
0/3
Score
-
Time
00:00
Try Hard Consecutive Sudoku →
Progress0%

What is Consecutive Sudoku?

Difficulty
★★★☆☆
3/5
Constraint Type
Cell Relationships
Typical Givens
18–24
Avg. Solve (Medium)
16 min

Solving Techniques for Medium Level

Technique Description Level
Negative Constraint Power Where no bar appears, the two cells are guaranteed non-consecutive. Every unmarked adjacent edge tells you something — treat absent bars as constraints. Beginner
Bar Pair Enumeration A bar means the digits differ by exactly 1. List all valid pairs: (1,2), (2,3), …, (8,9). Use row/column context to narrow which pair fits. Beginner
Consecutive Chain Three cells connected by two bars form a run of three consecutive digits (in some order). Enumerate the 7 possible runs: {1,2,3}, {2,3,4}, …, {7,8,9}. Intermediate

Master these, then take on Hard Consecutive Sudoku to learn Advanced techniques.

Techniques to Master at Medium

  • Hidden Singles technique — Bar chains force runs of consecutive digits (two bars = three consecutive values), evicting those digits from the rest of the unit — the displaced digits become hidden singles nearby.
  • Obvious Pairs technique — A barred pair narrowed to {4,5} is an obvious pair with a bonus: the bar's ±1 promise survives placement, so resolving either cell instantly resolves the other.

Average Solve Time by Difficulty

Easy
7 min
Medium
16 min
Hard
32 min
Expert
58 min
Want a full walkthrough of rules, strategies, and solving steps? How to Play Consecutive Sudoku →

Related Variants

Non-Consecutive Sudoku

The exact inverse rule — adjacent cells must never differ by 1 — so your bar logic flips into a global elimination engine.

Kropki Sudoku

Adds a second marker type (the doubling black dot) to the consecutive logic you already read fluently.

Anti-Consecutive Sudoku

Takes the no-bar half of this puzzle and applies it everywhere: no neighbouring cells may be consecutive, no markers given.

Frequently Asked Questions — Medium Consecutive Sudoku

What techniques do I need for medium Consecutive Sudoku?
Medium puzzles require combining the consecutive constraint with standard elimination. Use the 'no-bar means not consecutive' rule aggressively — in a cell with many neighbors without bars, large portions of the digit range can be ruled out. Pair this with naked singles and hidden singles.
How do I use 'not-consecutive' logic effectively?
For each cell, look at every neighbor without a bar. Each such neighbor eliminates two candidates from your cell (the digit and the one differing by 1). With 4 neighbors all lacking bars, only a small subset of digits can legally appear in the cell.
What is 'bar chain' analysis in Consecutive Sudoku?
A bar chain is a sequence of cells connected by consecutive bars. If a chain has length 3 (e.g., cells A–B–C all connected by bars), the cells must contain three consecutive digits in some order. You can enumerate the few valid triplets and cross-check with rows and columns to eliminate candidates.
Why are the digits 1 and 9 special in Consecutive Sudoku?
The digit 1 can only be consecutive with 2, and 9 can only be consecutive with 8. This means a bar next to a 1 or 9 forces the neighbor's value immediately. Also, if a cell has two neighbors without bars, it cannot be 1 or 9 if the two non-consecutive neighbors could otherwise force it.
How long does a medium Consecutive Sudoku take?
Most players finish in 15–25 minutes. The not-consecutive logic becomes very powerful once internalized, so medium Consecutive puzzles reward players who actively use absence-of-bar information rather than ignoring it.

More questions? See the full Consecutive Sudoku guide.