Easy XV Sudoku

X marks cells that sum to 10; V marks cells that sum to 5. All unmarked adjacent pairs must not sum to 5 or 10.

Easy Medium Hard Expert

New to XV Sudoku? X between cells means they sum to 10; V means they sum to 5. Start with V markers — they restrict cells to just 1 through 4.

8
3
9
4
2
2
8
1
9
6
9
6
5
8
1
9
5
4
8
7
7
9
8
5
7
2
5
6
1
7
5
4
7
3
8
3
9
4
X V X X V X V X V V V X
Mistakes
0/3
Score
-
Time
00:00
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Progress0%

What is XV Sudoku?

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

Solving Techniques for Easy Level

Technique Description Level
Negative Constraint Where no X or V appears between adjacent cells, their sum is neither 10 nor 5. This eliminates (1,9), (2,8), (3,7), (4,6) for X and (1,4), (2,3) for V. Beginner
Sum Pair Enumeration List all digit pairs that sum to 10 (for X) or 5 (for V), then use row/column placement to identify which pair must occupy each marked pair. Beginner

Ready to go deeper? Try Medium XV Sudoku to unlock Intermediate techniques.

Average Solve Time by Difficulty

Easy
8 min
Medium
18 min
Hard
35 min
Expert
62 min
Want a full walkthrough of rules, strategies, and solving steps? How to Play XV Sudoku →

Frequently Asked Questions — Easy XV Sudoku

What is XV Sudoku?
XV Sudoku is a Sudoku variant where small letters appear between adjacent cells. An X between two cells means those two digits sum to 10. A V between two cells means they sum to 5. Standard Sudoku rules still apply — every row, column, and 3x3 box must contain 1 through 9 exactly once. The XV markers give you extra constraints to work with.
What pairs of digits can form an X (sum to 10) in XV Sudoku?
The valid pairs that sum to 10 are: 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, and 4+6. Note that 5+5 is not valid because each digit must appear exactly once in each row, column, and box, making two 5s impossible in adjacent cells. When you see an X marker, the two cells must contain one of these four pairs.
What pairs of digits can form a V (sum to 5) in XV Sudoku?
The valid pairs that sum to 5 are: 1+4 and 2+3. Both pairs use small digits, which means V-marked cells are always filled with numbers from 1 to 4. When you see a V marker, immediately rule out any digit from 5 to 9 in both connected cells.
What does it mean when two adjacent cells have no X or V marker?
In XV Sudoku, the absence of a marker is meaningful. If two adjacent cells have no marker, they are guaranteed not to sum to 10 and not to sum to 5. This rules out the X-pair and V-pair combinations for those two cells, giving you extra elimination opportunities even in unmarked regions.
How do I start solving an easy XV Sudoku?
Start with V markers — they restrict cells to the narrow range 1-4, immediately eliminating five candidates from each connected cell. Then look at X markers adjacent to already-placed digits: if a cell is confirmed as 3 and has an X with its neighbor, the neighbor must be 7. Work from the most constrained cells outward.

More questions? See the full XV Sudoku guide.