Teaching LinkedIn Mini Sudoku #323: students cross-check row, column, and region before every pencil mark. Board has 14 givens on 6×6 cells. Walk through 22 forced fills using naked and hidden singles.
Board spotlight: Most fills come from scanning rows and columns for cells where only one digit fits — classic naked-single territory. Region geometry (6 regions, 6 cells each) shapes which unit yields the next hidden single.
Lesson segment 1: ask which unit is complete enough to force R1C6=6, R2C6=1, R3C3=6, R2C3=4. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 2: ask which unit is complete enough to force R1C1=5, R1C5=4, R2C2=6, R2C4=5. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 3: ask which unit is complete enough to force R2C5=2, R3C2=5, R3C5=3, R4C2=4. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 4: ask which unit is complete enough to force R4C4=6, R4C5=1, R5C2=3, R5C3=1. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 5: ask which unit is complete enough to force R5C4=4, R5C1=6, R5C5=5, R6C1=4. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 6: ask which unit is complete enough to force R6C2=2, R6C6=3. Highlight Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Mid-solve checkpoint: 11 cells remain after the first half of the chain. Row-scan heavy boards often accelerate once two or three regions close — watch for hidden singles in tight blocks.
Late game: final batches collapse quickly when rows and columns near completion. Every row, column, and region contains digits 1–6 with no repeats. Completed path: R1C6=6, R2C6=1, R3C3=6, R2C3=4, R1C1=5, R1C5=4, R2C2=6, R2C4=5, R2C5=2, R3C2=5, R3C5=3, R4C2=4, R4C4=6, R4C5=1, R5C2=3, R5C3=1, R5C4=4, R5C1=6, R5C5=5, R6C1=4, R6C2=2, R6C6=3.
Recap for students: 14 givens, 22 deductions, one unique grid. Practice naked singles first, then hidden singles per unit.