Pointing Pairs and Pointing Triples - Advanced Techniques for Solving Sudoku Puzzles
Pointing Pairs involve finding two cells within a that contain the same pair of . If one of those candidates also appears in another cell in the same row, column, or box, then that candidate can be eliminated from the other cells in the row, column, or box.
In the image, the yellow cells only contain the candidates 5 in the 3x3 box that they are a part of. This means there cannot be any 5s on the rest of the row. Therefore, you can eliminate 5 as a candidate in those cells.
If there are multiple boxes with Pointing Pairs, you'll need to examine the affected row, column, or box carefully to determine which candidates can be removed.
Pointing Triples, on the other hand, involve identifying three candidates that appear in three different cells within a box, and then looking for the candidate that appears in other cells in the same row or column. If you find that one of the three candidates appears in another cell in the same row or column, then that candidate can be eliminated from the other cells in the box. By eliminating candidates in this way, you can make progress towards solving the puzzle.
To summarize, Pointing Pairs and Pointing Triples are advanced techniques that help you eliminate candidates in Sudoku puzzles. By identifying pairs or triples of candidates within a box, and looking for candidates that appear in other cells in the same row, column, or 3x3 box, you can eliminate candidates from other cells and make progress in solving the puzzle. These techniques may take some time to master, but they can be invaluable when it comes to solving challenging Sudoku puzzles.
