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Naked pairs

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Naked pairs

● Teal: reasoning● Blue: affected cells

Understand the technique

Naked pairs

If two cells in the same row, column or box have exactly the same two candidates, they must share those digits. Eliminate both candidates from other cells in that unit.

Worked example

Two cells in the same row have exactly candidates {2, 8}. Together they must use 2 and 8. Those digits can therefore be removed from the row’s other empty cells.

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