Based on your formula... I was able to figure it out...

i.e. searching for the number 1 in affected row, showing that it was used
and displaying the number if it is not used.

=IF(COUNTIF(B2:J2,1),"Used","1")

Thanks much for your assistance. This group rocks!

"Peo Sjoblom" wrote:

What do you want to return if the value is present? Nothing?

=IF(COUNTIF($B$2:$B$10,ROWS($B$1:B1))=0,ROWS($B$1: B1),"")

copy down

btw one of the MS Excel developers (Dan Cory) has constructed a Sudoko
solver using built in functions

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/te...809721033.aspx

another one using code is here (by MVP Andy Pope)

http://andypope.info/fun/sudoku.htm



--
Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

(No private emails please)


"antwash" wrote in message
...
Simple question...I am looking for a value within a range of nine cells in
a
row. If the value is not present I would like for the value that is not
present (false) to be displayed. I tried a nested if statement, but the
will
only work on 7 conditions.

For example: Take your average Suduko game. In Row1, numbers 1-9 can
appear in a random order. If I want to know if the number 1 has been
entered
in any of the nine row cells, logically I would say "If the contents
within
B2:B10<1, display 1" and repeat in the next cell, "If the contents within
B2:B10<2,display 2" and so on...up to the number 9. This way the person
doing the puzzle will know what entries are left.

B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10 B11 B15 MISSING
VALUE
Row1 6 7 9 2 1 5
=formula to check for value

If not present, value is

displays