Kakuro
Kakuro Sum 24 — All 3-Cell Combinations
Updated June 10, 2026 · 2 min read
A 3-cell Kakuro run with a clue of 24 has 1 valid combination. Each cell must contain a unique digit from 1 to 9, no repeats.
Forced combination. A 3-cell run summing to 24 can only use digits 7, 8, 9. Both values are fixed — only their order within the run remains.
Valid combinations
| Digits (any order) | Sum |
|---|
| 7 + 8 + 9 | = 24 |
What you know immediately
The digits 7, 8, 9 appear in every valid combination — certain in this run regardless of which combination applies.
Digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 never appear in any valid combination — eliminate them immediately from all intersecting clues.
Why this clue is special
Twenty-four over three cells is the maximum 3-cell clue and the mirror of 6-in-three: the three largest digits, no alternatives. Every shared cell with a crossing run must hold a 7, 8 or 9 — a brutal constraint on low crossing clues. When a 24-in-three crosses a 17-in-two, the shared cell is 8 or 9; if it also crosses a 16-in-two elsewhere, the combination algebra usually fixes the entire run in one pass.
Solving with this clue
- Cross out combinations made impossible by digits already placed in the run
- Find digits present in all remaining combinations — those are certain placements
- Find digits absent from all remaining combinations — remove from intersecting clues
- When one combination remains, all digits in the run are determined
Use intersections: A shared cell must satisfy both its row clue and column clue. Digits that don't appear in valid combinations for either clue are eliminated. This cross-elimination often reduces options to one quickly.
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