{"id":36119,"date":"2026-07-28T00:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T07:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gmpuzzles.com\/blog\/?p=36119"},"modified":"2026-07-25T10:40:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T17:40:45","slug":"small-difference-loop-sudoku-by-bill-murphy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gmpuzzles.com\/blog\/2026\/07\/small-difference-loop-sudoku-by-bill-murphy\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Difference Loop Sudoku by Bill Murphy"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS)<\/a> series.)
\nThe loops in this puzzle indicate numbers that are pretty close together, just one or two apart. Can you see through all the logic to reach the unique solution?<\/em><\/p>\n

Small Difference Loop Sudoku by Bill Murphy<\/p>\n

PDF<\/a><\/p>\n

or solve online<\/a> (using SudokuPad)<\/p>\n

Author\/Opus:<\/b> This is the 142nd puzzle from Bill Murphy, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS<\/a>) team.<\/p>\n

Rules:<\/b> Standard Sudoku rules (insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). Each pair of adjacent numbers along a pink loop must differ by 1 or 2.<\/p>\n

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view):<\/b> Two party hats (\ud83c\udfa9\ud83e\udd73): 7:00<\/span>; One party hat (\ud83e\udd73): 13:00<\/span>. All other solvers earn a \ud83e\udd95: Circular Chirostenotes<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): <\/b> 2:38<\/span>, with SudokuPad replay file<\/a> shared as a download for now (requires loading via settings menu with improvements expected before people should use this regularly).<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/b> PDF<\/a>; solving video with explanation to be added later from GAS team.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/b> Follow this link for other less common variations of Sudoku<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Note 2:<\/b>\u00a0Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our\u00a0Daily GAS discussion<\/a>\u00a0post\u00a0on the GMPuzzles Discord. Not a member of the Discord? Click\u00a0this link<\/a>\u00a0for basic access.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.) The loops in this puzzle indicate numbers that are pretty close together, just one or two apart. Can you see through all the logic to reach the unique solution? PDF or solve online (using SudokuPad) Author\/Opus: This is the 142nd puzzle from Bill Murphy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":443,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,126],"tags":[8,15,56,237],"class_list":["post-36119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-puzzle","category-othersudoku","tag-sudoku-3","tag-wednesdaythursday","tag-variation-2","tag-gas"],"yoast_head":"\nSmall Difference Loop Sudoku by Bill Murphy - The Art of Puzzles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The loops in this puzzle indicate numbers that are pretty close together. 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