I often get the question: “do you play with a pencil or a pen?” The answer fits in one sentence, and I actually write it in one of my books: using a pen for Sudoku is living dangerously 😃
Sudoku rests on a chain of deductions, and everyone occasionally has to backtrack. With a normal pen that is impossible: you cross things out, the grid becomes unreadable, and often you have to start again. So here is what I genuinely use.
🖊️ For writing
A fine, erasable line, essential if you mark the candidates.
Pilot FriXion Ball 0.7, pack of 3
Thermosensitive ink that rubs away through friction, no eraser and no residue. Pen comfort with the right to make mistakes. Avoid direct sunlight, heat erases the ink.
View on Amazon →
BIC Matic Fun, 0.7 mm mechanical pencil
My everyday tool. Always the same fine line without ever sharpening, with a built-in eraser. This is what I have in hand in most of my videos.
View on Amazon →
Koh-I-Noor, SUDOKU 2B pencils
Pencils branded for Sudoku, 2B lead and eraser. I have not tested them, but reviews are good and the nod to the game makes a nice gift for an enthusiast.
View on Amazon →
Sudoku 9x9, 212 blank grids
Two grids per page, ready to fill in. Handy for copying a hard grid, testing an approach without spoiling the original, and solving it again later.
View on Amazon →🎧 For concentration
I like to solve to music, with a little jazz playlist. Being an audio enthusiast, I am fairly demanding here.
Apple AirPods Pro 3
What I use day to day. Very effective noise cancelling for an in-ear format, and perfect for a quiet session at home.
View on Amazon →
Sony WH-1000XM6
The active noise cancelling benchmark for several generations. Remarkable isolation in transport and long-session comfort.
View on Amazon →
Bose QuietComfort Ultra, 2nd generation
The other big name in noise cancelling, and the pioneer of the field. A gentler sound signature than Sony, with wearing comfort often cited as the best.
View on Amazon →❓ Frequently asked questions
With a pencil, or failing that with an erasable pen. Sudoku rests on a chain of deductions, and everyone occasionally has to backtrack. Playing with a normal pen means risking having to start the whole grid again.
The line stays equally fine without ever needing sharpening. That matters when marking candidates: you need to fit up to nine small digits in a single cell and still read them easily.
Yes. The thermosensitive ink of the Pilot FriXion disappears through friction, giving the writing comfort of a pen with the right to make mistakes of a pencil. Just avoid leaving the grid in direct sunlight or in a hot car.
To redraw a grid and work on it without spoiling the original, to copy a hard grid and test an approach, or to keep a clean record of grids you want to solve again later.
Gear will never replace technique, but it removes pointless friction. If you are starting out, begin with the rules and first reflexes, then learn to mark the candidates. That is where the mechanical pencil earns its place.
📘 The book where I write that a pen means living dangerously
All 40 solving techniques gathered in one memento, from beginner to expert, with the Sudoku Solver Pro software included.
