GridWits
Easy tier Technique 1 of 20 Used by Smart Hint

Naked Single

Only one candidate value remains for this cell — place it.

How it works

  1. 1The top row already holds 2, 3 and 4.
  2. 2A row holds each number from 1 to 4 exactly once, so the only number left for the first cell is 1.
  3. 3Nothing about the signs was needed — this is pure row bookkeeping, and it is the move that finishes most cells on most boards.
1 2 3 4
  • Number this technique proves
  • Cells read together — The connecting line shows which cells combine to make the deduction.
  • Conclusion — The coloured candidate, or the final arrow when it lands outside the pattern, shows the result.
Next in the ladder Hidden Single →

A value has only one possible cell left in this row or column, even though that cell has other candidates too.