Pointing Pair / Triple
When a candidate inside a box is confined to a single row or column, it 'points' outward, letting you eliminate it from the rest of that line.
In this box, candidate 6 only fits these two cells — both in the same column.
How to spot it
- 1Find a box where a candidate appears in only two or three cells.
- 2Check that they all share one row or one column.
- 3Remove that candidate from the rest of that line beyond the box.
When to use
The moment singles dry up. Pointing pairs are the most productive intermediate pattern.
Common mistake
Eliminating inside the box too. The candidate stays live within the box — you only clear the line outside it.
Worked Example
Inside a box, candidate 6 might only fit two or three cells — and if those cells all sit in the same row or column, that's a pointing pair. Since the box must place its 6 somewhere along that line, the rest of that line — outside the box — can't also hold a 6.
Suppose a box's only two 6s are both in one column. The 6 belonging to that box will land in that column somewhere within it, which means the other six cells of the column outside the box can have their 6 candidate removed immediately. It's one of the highest-value intermediate techniques because it turns up constantly, the moment simple singles dry up.
From the Blog
- How to Solve Hard Sudoku Puzzles Without GuessingStuck on hard sudoku? The mental shift, the pencil-mark system, and six techniques that crack difficult puzzles — no guessing required.
- The 5 Sudoku Techniques Every Beginner Should Learn FirstSkip the overwhelm. Master these five techniques — scanning, naked singles, hidden singles, cross-hatching, and pointing pairs — with worked grid diagrams for each.