GridWits
Expert tier Technique 14 of 46 Used by Smart Hint

XYZ-Wing

Like XY-Wing, but the pivot keeps a third candidate, which tightens where the elimination applies.

How it works

  1. 1A1 is the tri-value pivot, {1, 2, 3}. A2 shares its column and holds {1, 3}; D1 shares its row and holds {2, 3}.
  2. 2The two wings share no unit with each other, so pivot and wings never sit in one unit together — there is no Naked Triple hiding under this.
  3. 3If A1 is 3 we are done. If A1 is 1, A2 must be 3; if A1 is 2, D1 must be 3. One of the three always holds it.
  4. 4Because the pivot itself could be the 3, only a cell seeing all three counts. B1 does — A1 and D1 along row 1, A2 through the box — so its 3 goes.

Play a Sudoku that needs this technique →

A 1 B 2 C 3 D 4 E 5 F 6 G 7 H 8 I 9 1 2 3 3 7 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 2 3 1 3 3
  • Cells that establish the pattern
  • Where the conclusion lands
  • Candidate ruled out
Next in the ladder Swordfish →

X-Wing's three-line cousin: a digit's candidates across three rows fit inside the same three columns (or vice versa).