Straights Solver

Straights Solver — Step by Step

Click a square and type its number; press ■ (or B) to make it black, then type a number for a black clue. Press Solve. Or play a generated puzzle and send it here with one click.

Straights Solver: rules, how to use it, tips

Fill white cells so no digit repeats in a row or column, and each white compartment forms a straight — a set of consecutive numbers.

The rules

The grid (usually 9×9, sometimes 6×6) has white and black cells.
Fill white cells with 1–9 (1–6 on a 6×6). No digit repeats in any row or column.
A compartment is an unbroken run of white cells in a row or column. Its digits must form a straight — consecutive numbers in any order, like 4-6-5.
Black cells may show a digit. That digit is blocked: it cannot appear elsewhere in that row or column.

Using the solver

Choose the size, mark the black squares and type the numbers (or press Sample).
Press Solve and step through: repeats, compartment runs, runs that can’t overlap in a line, and sure numbers.

Tips

Big numbers in short compartments. A compartment of 4 containing a 9 must be 6, 7, 8, 9. One containing a 1 must be 1, 2, 3, 4.
Blocked digits split ranges. If 5 is blocked in a row, a 3-cell compartment there must be entirely below 5 or entirely above it.
Sure candidates. In a 6-cell compartment of a 9×9 grid, the digits 4, 5 and 6 are always present whatever the straight.
Compare compartments in a line. Two compartments in one row cannot share digits, which often pushes one high and one low.

The full guide, with a worked example and common mistakes: How to play Straights.

Questions

Does a straight have to be in order?

No. 7-5-6 is a valid straight: the digits only need to be consecutive as a set.

What is a blocked digit?

A digit printed in a black cell. It cannot appear in any white cell of that row or column.

How do I list the possible straights?

Use the compartment calculator: set the grid size and compartment length and mark blocked digits.