GridWits
Medium tier Technique 6 of 12 Used by Smart Hint

Gap Too Small

No ship still in the fleet can reach these cells in any direction — the gaps around them are too small, so they're water.

How it works

  1. 1Suppose every submarine is already placed, so the smallest ship still to find is 2 cells long.
  2. 2The corner cell is walled in by water on both sides — no remaining ship can reach it horizontally or vertically.
  3. 3A cell no remaining ship can cover is water.
  • Water
  • Cells that establish the pattern
  • Where the conclusion lands
Next in the ladder Placement Overlap →

Every spot the remaining ship could still occupy passes through these cells — they're ship no matter which spot is right. A finished ship already fenced in by water never counts as a spot for its same-sized twin, which is often what leaves just one place left.