I'm having a bit of trouble with this puzzle. Can anyone help?
Code:
080010740700430008005000300006800400000269050002001900008000000900586000001020000
074010080600089001001000500002007800080125000006400700000000200000953004000060900
000080000000000000000000000005907800000126000002308600000000000000000000000030000
007090000200456000008000000003008500000563090004700300001000400400180002090030710
000020300000561008000000200004600800010847000007003500002000100600058000078030060
I've gotten to this point:
Code:
.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.
| 6 8 3 | 9 1 2 | 7 4 5 |
| 7 1 9 | 4 3 5 | 2 6 8 |
| 2 4 5 | 6 7 8 | 3 9 1 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 3 9 6 | 8 5 7 | 4 1 2 |
| 1 7 4 | 2 6 9 | 8 5 3 |
| 8 5 2 | 3 4 1 | 9 7 6 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 45 36 8 | 1 9 34 | 56 2 7 |
| 9 2 7 | 5 8 6 | 1 3 4 |
| 45 36 1 | 7 2 34 | 56 8 9 |
'-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------'
.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.
| 39 7 4 | 5 1 26 | 36 8 2369 |
| 6 235 35 | 7 8 9 | 34 234 1 |
| 8 29 1 | 3 4 26 | 5 269 7 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 3459 13459 2 | 6 39 7 | 8 1359 359 |
| 7 8 39 | 1 2 5 | 346 3469 369 |
| 359 1359 6 | 4 39 8 | 7 12359 2359 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 13459 3459 359 | 8 7 14 | 2 356 356 |
| 2 6 8 | 9 5 3 | 1 7 4 |
| 1345 345 7 | 2 6 14 | 9 35 8 |
'-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------'
.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.
| 56 2 7 | 46 8 134 | 13459 3459 359 |
| 1 3 4 | 57 79 59 | 2 6 8 |
| 56 8 9 | 2 16 134 | 1345 345 7 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 3 6 5 | 9 4 7 | 8 1 2 |
| 47 9 8 | 1 2 6 | 35 357 345 |
| 47 1 2 | 3 5 8 | 6 79 49 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 2 45 3 | 47 179 149 | 459 8 6 |
| 8 7 1 | 456 69 459 | 349 2 39 |
| 9 45 6 | 8 3 2 | 7 45 1 |
'-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------'
.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.
| 56 46 7 | 8 9 1 | 2 45 3 |
| 2 3 9 | 4 5 6 | 8 7 1 |
| 15 14 8 | 3 2 7 | 9 45 6 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 16 16 3 | 9 4 8 | 5 2 7 |
| 7 8 2 | 5 6 3 | 1 9 4 |
| 9 5 4 | 7 1 2 | 3 6 8 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 3 2 1 | 6 7 5 | 4 8 9 |
| 4 7 5 | 1 8 9 | 6 3 2 |
| 8 9 6 | 2 3 4 | 7 1 5 |
'-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------'
.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------.
| 459 8 6 | 7 2 49 | 3 1459 149 |
| 349 2 39 | 5 6 1 | 479 479 8 |
| 7 45 1 | 3 8 49 | 2 459 6 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 239 39 4 | 6 19 5 | 8 12379 12379 |
| 239 1 5 | 8 4 7 | 6 239 239 |
| 8 6 7 | 2 19 3 | 5 149 149 |
:-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------:
| 3459 3459 2 | 49 7 6 | 1 8 349 |
| 6 349 39 | 1 5 8 | 479 23479 23479 |
| 1 7 8 | 49 3 2 | 49 6 5 |
'-------------------------------.-------------------------------.-------------------------------'
SudokuSolver suggests that the next move should be an ALS in Grid 3: [r2c46]=7=[r7c247]
1. Is there no way to complete this puzzle without getting into Master-level solving techniques?
2. I haven't gotten to ALS, and I can't seem to grasp the logic.
Incidentally, this is the first puzzle I've come across in a long while that has an X-wing that actually eliminates some candidates.