Pencil Marks

Sudoku Pencil Marks

Pencil marks are small candidate numbers written in empty squares. They can help, but on senior-friendly boards they must stay readable.

Print Medium Puzzle Read Strategies

Pencil mark profile

Search intent: How and when to use candidate notes in large print Sudoku.
Senior fit: Notes are helpful only when the board still leaves enough writing space.
Best use: Medium and Hard puzzles, or paper play where the player likes to write candidates.
Avoid: Tiny cramped notes that make the board harder to read.

Very Easy puzzles may not need notes. Medium and Hard puzzles often benefit from tracking possible numbers.

Large print paper sheets are useful because they leave more room for written candidates.

Use notes only in squares where the candidate list is still short enough to read easily.

If the notes start to crowd the board, it is better to erase and rescan than to keep writing smaller text.

Start with rows, columns, and boxes before writing candidates.

Scanning

Return to the basics when notes stop helping.

Beginner Strategy

Use notes on a readable mid-level board.

Play Medium

Paper sheets give more room for written candidates.

Printable

Usually not. Easy puzzles are often clearer if you solve by scanning first.

No. They are a way to track possible numbers before making a safe choice.