Search technique · Intermediate
Stall Protocol
The fixed four-sweep checklist for when nothing is moving: grid sweep, re-read dynamic clues, ledger sweep, then re-check the ordered categories' boundaries.
Why it works
A stall almost always means one specific sweep was skipped, not that the puzzle needs a guess. Running the same four checks in the same order finds the missed deduction far more often than starting over from the top.
Trigger
No clue and no grid technique has produced a new mark on the last full pass.
Common mistake
Jumping straight to guessing when stuck, instead of working through the cheaper sweeps in order first.
Example
Sweep the grid for forced marks, re-read only the clues still marked dynamic, cross-check the ledger, then re-derive the boundaries of every ordered category. Only after all four turn up nothing is a harder technique actually justified.