How to read the grids
- Given - clues from the starting puzzle
- Subject - cells the technique focuses on
- Eliminated - candidates this technique removes
- Candidate - pencil marks shown for reference
How to spot it
In any row, column, or box, scan for two empty cells whose pencil-mark sets are identical and contain exactly two digits. Once spotted, sweep those two digits out of all other cells in the unit. Naked triples work the same way with three cells sharing the same three candidates.
3
8
9
3
8
3
4
8
2
3
5
8
1
8
1
Worked example
Two cells in this row both contain only {3, 8} as candidates. Therefore 3 and 8 cannot appear in any other cell of the row - eliminate them from the highlighted candidates.
Time to practice
Reading is half the work. Try a puzzle now and look for the techniques you just learned.