Medium Greater Than Sudoku

Inequality signs between cells show which is larger. No given digits — all placements are deduced from the signs alone.

Easy Medium Hard Expert

Greater Than Sudoku at medium difficulty. Use range analysis: count how many neighbors each cell must be greater or less than to determine its minimum and maximum possible digit.

7
3
6
2
9
1
3
2
4
8
2
7
3
8
1
5
1
4
8
8
9
3
6
5
2
1
4
6
5
9
6
1
‹ ∨ ∨ ∨ › ‹ ∧ ‹ ‹ › › ∨ ∧ ∨ ∨ ∧ ∧ › ∨ ∧ › ›
Mistakes
0/3
Score
-
Time
00:00
Try Hard Greater Than Sudoku →
Progress0%

What is Greater Than / Less Than 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
Chain Inequality — Minimums Link inequalities in a chain: if A > B > C, then A ≥ 3, B ≥ 2, C ≥ 1. Use these minimums to prune candidates immediately. Beginner
Chain Inequality — Maximums In the chain A > B > C > D, also bound from above: A ≤ 9, B ≤ 8, C ≤ 7, D ≤ 6. Beginner
Inequality Propagation After placing a digit, check all inequality arrows from that cell and eliminate impossible values from its neighbours. Intermediate
Forced Single via Range When an inequality chain reduces a cell's valid range to a single digit, place it directly. Intermediate

Master these, then take on Hard Greater Than / Less Than Sudoku to learn Advanced techniques.

Techniques to Master at Medium

  • Hidden Singles technique — A cell with every arrow pointing away from it must hold the largest digit among its neighbours — combine that with a unit scan and 9's hidden single is usually forced.
  • Obvious Pairs technique — Cells at matching depths of two inequality chains often share the same two-digit range — treat them as a pair and clear those digits from the rest of the unit.

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 Greater Than / Less Than Sudoku →

Related Variants

Kropki Sudoku

Refines your adjacent-cell reasoning with exact relationships — difference of 1 and ratio of 2 instead of plain order.

XV Sudoku

Adjacent pairs constrained by sums rather than order, with a negative constraint on every unmarked edge.

Odd / Even Sudoku

Another value-property variant: parity shading halves candidates the way your inequality chains bound them.

Frequently Asked Questions — Medium Greater Than Sudoku

What techniques do I need for medium Greater Than Sudoku?
Medium puzzles require range analysis: for each cell, determine the minimum and maximum digit it can hold given all its inequality signs and neighbors. Combine this with standard row, column, and box elimination to progressively narrow each cell's candidate range.
How does range analysis work in Greater Than Sudoku?
If a cell has three neighbors it must be greater than, its minimum value is at least 4 (it must be larger than at least three distinct digits 1, 2, 3). If a cell has two neighbors it must be smaller than, its maximum value is at most 7. Combining these bounds often sharply restricts candidates.
What is a 'chain of inequalities' in Greater Than Sudoku?
A chain occurs when A › B › C — meaning A is greater than B, and B is greater than C. This forces A, B, and C to be three distinct values in descending order. If the chain has four or five links, the range of valid values narrows dramatically.
Why are medium Greater Than puzzles harder than medium regular Sudoku?
In regular Sudoku, given digits directly constrain adjacent cells. In Greater Than, you must first derive possible value ranges from the inequalities before any digit can be placed. This extra step increases the cognitive load even at medium difficulty.
How long does a medium Greater Than Sudoku take?
Most players finish in 15–30 minutes. The range analysis technique becomes faster with practice, so medium Greater Than puzzles are a good training ground before attempting hard.

More questions? See the full Greater Than Sudoku guide.