GridDay

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Pointing Pair

Intermediate Removes candidates Used in: Sudoku, Killer Sudoku

Pointing Pair

Inside one box, all candidates for a digit lie on a single row (or column). The digit must therefore end up on that line within the box, which means it cannot appear anywhere else along the same line outside the box — remove it there.

How to spot it

Inside a box, check whether all candidates for a digit fall on one row or one column.

What you can conclude

Delete that digit from the rest of that line outside the box.

Worked example

In a box, 3 can only sit in its top row, so 3 leaves the rest of that row in the neighbouring boxes.

Related techniques

Box-Line Reduction