The case notes
Subtract an overlapping cage from an arrow
This arrow and this Killer cage overlap. The arrow’s circle is nine. The little cage at the far end of its shaft sums to four. Watch a worked example, then try the idea in a puzzle.
Put it into practice
Arrow = 9 · cage = 4
This arrow and this Killer cage overlap. The arrow’s circle is nine. The little cage at the far end of its shaft sums to four.
Whole shaft = 9
The three shaft cells together equal nine. Think of that as the whole sum. The two caged shaft cells are one known part of it.
9 − 4 = 5
The cage gives that shared part a total of four. Subtract its four from the arrow’s nine. Only the first shaft cell remains.
The uncaged shaft cell is 5
So this cell is five. When two sum clues overlap, remove their shared cells and see what the difference tells you.
Read the transcript
This arrow and this Killer cage overlap. The arrow’s circle is nine. The little cage at the far end of its shaft sums to four. The three shaft cells together equal nine. Think of that as the whole sum. The two caged shaft cells are one known part of it. The cage gives that shared part a total of four. Subtract its four from the arrow’s nine. Only the first shaft cell remains. So this cell is five. When two sum clues overlap, remove their shared cells and see what the difference tells you.
Keep following the clues
- Killer Sudoku rules: cage sums and no repeated digits →
- Killer Sudoku cage combinations: find the digits in a small cage →
- Killer Sudoku rule of 45: find a missing digit in a row →
- Killer Sudoku: Find an outie from a Killer box →
- Arrow Sudoku: How an arrow adds up →
- Killer Sudoku: add cage sums to find a shared digit set →
- Killer Sudoku: Use a box to constrain a crossing Killer cage →
- Killer Sudoku: Compare two Killer cages through their shared row →
- Killer Sudoku: Let a Killer cage rule out digits nearby →
- Killer Sudoku: Use a sum you worked out as an invisible cage →
- Killer Sudoku: Use a modular line to choose a Killer cage pair →
- Killer Sudoku: Find two missing cells with the rule of 45 →
- Arrow Sudoku: Reject an arrow bulb that empties its box →
- Arrow Sudoku: Use the rule of 45 to find an arrow circle →