Prelims
a) R2C23 = {14/23}
b) R56C9 = {59/68}
c) 13(4) cage at R7C9 = {1237/1246/1345}, no 8,9
d) 39(6) cage at R1C3 = {456789}, no 1,2,3
1. 45 rule on N6 3 innies R4C7 + R6C78 = 6 = {123}, locked for N6
1a. Max R6C8 = 3 -> min R7C8 + R8C78 + R9C7 = 28, no 1,2,3 in R7C8 + R8C78 + R9C7
2. 45 rule on N3 1 innie R2C7 = 1 outie R4C7 + 7, R2C7 = {89}, R4C7 = {12}
2a. Min R2C7 = 8 -> max R2C6 + R3C56 = 9, no 7,8,9 in R2C6 + R3C56
2b. 3 in N6 only in R6C78, locked for R6
3. Hidden killer triple 1,2,3 in 17(4) cage at R2C6 and R3C4 for N2, 17(4) cage cannot contain all of 1,2,3 -> R3C4 = {123}
3a. 7,8,9 in N2 only in R1C456 + R2C45, locked for 39(6) cage at R1C3, no 7,8,9 in R1C3
4. 45 rule on N9 1 innie R7C7 = 1 outie R6C8 + 1, R6C8 = {123} -> R7C7 = {234}
4a. 31(5) cage at R6C8 cannot be {34789}, which clashes with R6C8 + R7C7 = [34], no 4 in R7C8 + R8C78 + R9C7
5. 45 rule on N69 3 innies R467C7 = 7 = {124} -> R7C7 = 4, placed for D\, R46C7 = {12}, locked for C7 and N6 -> R6C8 = 3, clean-up: no 1 in R2C3
5a. R7C7 = 4 -> R78C6 = 13 = {58/67}
5b. 3 in C7 only in R13C7, locked for N3
5c. Naked pair {12} in R46C7, CPE no 1,2 in R4C3
5d. 30(7) cage at R4C3 must contain 3 in R4C3 + R5C345, CPE no 3 in R5C2
6. 1,2,3 in N9 only in 13(4) cage at R7C9 = {1237}, 7 locked for N9
7. 45 rule on N78 2 remaining outies R56C1 = 6 = {15/24}
7a. 45 rule on N78 3 remaining innies R7C123 = 20 = {389/569/578}, no 1,2
7b. R7C123 + R7C8 must contain 8, locked for R7, clean-up: no 5 in R8C6 (step 5a)
8. 45 rule on N8 3 remaining innies R7C45 + R8C4 = 13 = {139/238/247} (cannot be {148} because 4,8 only in R8C4, cannot be {157/256} which clash with R78C6, cannot be {346} which clashes with R7C123 + R7C6), no 5,6 in R7C45 + R8C4
8a. 4,8 of {238/247} must be in R8C4 -> no 2,7 in R8C4
8b. 45 rule on N8 3 remaining outies R8C3 + R9C23 = 12 = {138/147/156/246} (cannot be {129/237/345} which clash with R7C45 + R8C4 (other part of 25(6) cage), no 9 in R8C3 + R9C23
8c. 13(3) cage at R8C1 must have the same combination as R7C45 + R8C4, because of interactions with R7C123 and R8C3 + R9C23 -> 13(3) cage = {139/238/247}, no 5,6
9. R8C3 + R9C23 (step 8b) = {138/147/156/246}, R7C45 + R8C4 (step 8) = {139/238/247}
9a. Consider combinations for R7C123 (step 7a) = {389/569/578}
R7C123 = {389/578}, 8 locked for N7
or R7C123 = {569}, locked for R7 => R7C6 = 7 => R7C45 + R8C4 = {139/238}, 3 locked for 25(6) cage at R7C4
-> R8C3 + R9C23 = {147/156/246}, no 3,8
[Note. I can see that 26(5) cage at R5C1 must contain 5 because {24}{389} clashes with 13(3) cage at R8C1 = {247}. However this doesn’t help at this stage.]
10. 17(4) cage at R2C6 = {1259/1268/1349/1358/2348} (other combinations don’t contain one of 8,9 for R2C7)
10a. 17(4) cage = {1259/1268/1349/2348} (cannot be {1358} because R3C4 = 2, 2 in N5 only in R5C5 + R6C56, R6C7 = 1, R4C7 = 2 clashes with R24C7 = [81/92], step 2)
11. Consider combinations for R2C23 = [14]/{23}
R2C23 = [14] => 4 in 39(6) cage at R1C3 must be in R1C456 and 1 in N2 in R3C56 => 18(4) cage at R1C7 must contain 1 but not 4
or R2C23 = {23} => 2,3 in N2 only in R3C456 => 2,3 in N3 only in 18(4) cage at R1C7
-> 18(4) cage = {1269/1278/1359/1368/2349/2358/2367} (cannot be {1458/1467/2457/3456}
11a. 18(4) cage = {1269/1278/1359/2358/2367} (cannot be {1368/2349} because R2C7 + R3C789 + R4C7 = {2457}1/{1567}2 don’t total 20), no 4
11b. 1 of {1269/1278/1359} must be in R1C89 -> no 1 in R2C9
11c. 3 of {1359/2358} must be in R1C7 -> no 5 in R1C7
12. Deleted; when I checked my walkthrough, I found that I’d carelessly omitted a combination in an earlier step.
13. 17(4) cage at R2C6 (step 10a) = {1259/1268/1349/2348}
13a. Consider combinations for R2C23 = [14]/{23}
R2C23 = [14] => 4 in 39(6) cage at R1C3 must be in R1C456, locked for N2 => 17(4) cage = {1259/1268} => R3C4 = 3 (hidden single in N2) => R1C7 = 3 (hidden single in N3)
or R2C23 = {23} => 2,3 in N2 only in R3C456 => R1C7 = 3 (hidden single in N3)
-> R1C7 = 3
13b. 7 in C7 only in R35C7, CPE no 7 in R5C5 using D/
14. R1C7 = 3 -> 18(4) cage at R1C7 (step 11a) = {1359/2358/2367}
14a. 18(4) cage = {1359/2358}, killer pair 8,9 in 18(4) cage and R2C7, locked for N3
or 18(4) cage = {2367} => 1 in N3 only in 20(5) cage at R2C8 => R4C7 = 2, R2C7 = 9 (step 2)
-> no 9 in R2C8 + R3C789
14b. 9 in R3 only in R3C123, locked for N1
15. Consider combinations for 17(4) cage at R2C6 (step 10a) = {1259/1268/1349/2348/2348}
15a. 17(4) cage = {1259/1268} => R3C4 = 3
or 17(4) cage {1349} => 4 in 39(6) cage at R1C3 only in R1C3 => R2C23 = {23}, locked for R2 and N1
-> no 3 in R2C6 + R3C123
26b. 3 in 32(7) cage at R3C2 only in R3C4 + R4C456 + R5C6, CPE no 3 in R5C4
[With hindsight I ought to have seen this next step earlier. After it the puzzle is cracked.]
16. 18(4) cage at R1C7 (step 14) = {1359/2358/2367}
16a. Hidden killer pair 1,2 in 31(5) cage at R1C1 and 18(4) cage for R1, 18(4) cage contains one of 1,2, 31(5) cage cannot contain both of 1,2 -> 31(5) cage contains one of 1,2 in R1C12, 18(4) cage contains one of 1,2 in R1C89, no 1,2 in R234C1, no 2 in R2C9
16b. Killer pair 1,2 in 31(5) cage and R2C23, locked for N1
16c. 31(5) cage at R1C1 contains one of 1,2 = {16789/25789}, no 3,4
17. Deleted
18. 3 in N1 only in R2C23 = {23}, locked for R2 and N1
18a. 2 in R1 only in R1C89, locked for N3
18b. 18(4) cage at R1C7 (step 12a) = {2358/2367}, no 1,9
19. 1 in N3 only in R2C8 + R3C89, locked for 20(5) cage at R2C8 -> R4C7 = 2, R2C7 = 9 (step 2), R6C7 = 1, clean-up: 5 in R5C1 (step 7)
19a. 9 in N9 only in R78C8, locked for C8
20. R2C8 = 9 -> 17(4) cage at R2C6 (step 10a) = {1259/1349}, no 6, 1 locked for N2
20a. 6 in N2 only in R1C456 + R2C45, locked for 39(6) cage at R1C3, no 6 in R1C3
21. 31(5) cage at R1C1 (step 16c) = {16789} (only remaining combination), no 5, 9 locked for C1
21a. 3 in C1 only in R789C1, locked for N7
22. 1 in C3 only in R89C3, locked for N7 and 25(6) cage at R7C4, no 1 in R7C45 + R8C4
22a. R7C45 + R8C4 (step 8) = {238/247}, no 9, 2 locked for R7, N8 and 25(6) cage at R7C4, no 2 in R8C3 + R9C23
22b. 4,8 of {238/247} must be in R8C4 -> R8C4 = {48}
23. R7C9 = 1 (hidden single in R7)
23a. 1 on D/ only in R2C8 + R4C6, CPE no 1 in R2C6
23b. 1 in N2 only in R3C56, locked for R3
23c. R2C8 = 1 (hidden single in N3), placed for D/
24. 4 in N3 only in R3C89, locked for R3
24a. R1C3 = 4 (hidden single in N1)
24b. R2C6 = 4 (hidden single in N2) -> 17(4) cage at R2C6 (step 20) = {1349} (only remaining combination)
25. R3C4 = 2 (hidden single in N2), R7C5 = 2 (hidden single in R7)
25a. R6C6 = 2 (hidden single in N5), placed for D\ -> R2C2 = 3, placed for D\, R2C3 = 2, R9C9 = 7, placed for D\, R9C8 = 2, R8C9 = 3, clean-up: no 4 in R5C1 (step 7)
26. R1C9 = 2 (hidden single in C9), placed for D/
26a. R8C1 = 2 (hidden single in N7), R5C1 = 1, R6C1 = 5 (step 7), clean-up: no 9 in R5C9
26b. R7C123 (step 7a) = {389} (only remaining combination) -> R7C1 = 3, R7C23 = {89}, locked for R7 and N7, R7C4 = 7, R9C1 = 4, R8C2 = 7, both placed for D/, clean-up: no 6 in R78C6 (step 5a)
26c. R78C6 = [58], R8C4 = 4, R7C8 = 6, R8C7 = 5, R8C8 = 9, placed for D\, R9C7 = 8, R3C7 = 6, placed for D/, R5C7 = 7
27. Naked pair {89} in R6C4 + R7C3, locked for D/ -> R4C6 = 3, R5C5 = 5, placed for D\, clean-up: no 9 in R6C9
27a. R3C3 = 8, placed for D\, R7C3 = 9, placed for D/
27b. Naked pair {67} in R46C3, locked for N4 -> R5C3 = 3
28. Naked pair {68} in R56C9, locked for C9 and N6 -> R2C9 = 5
and the rest is naked singles, without using the diagonals.