20 puzzles · 26–28 given numbers
Hard Sudoku (Large Print)
Our hard Sudoku collection begins with 26–28 givens per grid. With more empty cells, it rewards a careful look at how rows, columns, and boxes constrain one another. These are still standard nine-by-nine puzzles: place each digit from 1 through 9 once in every row, column, and three-by-three box. There are twenty numbered puzzles, each generated with a single verified solution.
Download the whole set
Each PDF holds all 20 puzzles first, then the matching answer pages. US Letter size.
All 20 hard puzzles
Use “Print this one” under any grid to print just that puzzle on its own page.
Hard Sudoku 1
Hard Sudoku 2
Hard Sudoku 3
Hard Sudoku 4
Hard Sudoku 5
Hard Sudoku 6
Hard Sudoku 7
Hard Sudoku 8
Hard Sudoku 9
Hard Sudoku 10
Hard Sudoku 11
Hard Sudoku 12
Hard Sudoku 13
Hard Sudoku 14
Hard Sudoku 15
Hard Sudoku 16
Hard Sudoku 17
Hard Sudoku 18
Hard Sudoku 19
Hard Sudoku 20
About the hard level
Give yourself enough writing space for candidates if that is how you like to solve. The one-per-page pack is the clearest choice for detailed pencil notes. Before committing a number, check all three areas it belongs to, and revisit older notes when a new digit changes the possibilities. A neat pause can be more useful than crowding a cell with guesses.
Hard refers to the smaller clue range, not to a certified rating of specific solving techniques. Some grids may feel more approachable than others. The answer pages at the back let you check one section or compare a finished solution. Keep an easier sheet available if you would rather spend the afternoon chatting than following a longer chain of deductions.
The rules in one minute
- Every row must contain the digits 1 to 9 once each.
- Every column must contain the digits 1 to 9 once each.
- Every 3 by 3 box, outlined with a heavier line, must contain the digits 1 to 9 once each.
- Numbers are used as symbols. You never add or compare them.
Try another level
Want help deciding? Read how to choose puzzle difficulty. For paper, printer settings and sleeves, see printing large-print puzzles. Looking for something different? Try a word search or a maze.