Sudoku FlowSudoku technique lessons / Naked Pair
Lesson 8
Naked Pair
The rule
Two cells in the same row, column, or box that have only the same two candidates keep those numbers for themselves.
Step by step
- In this row, each of these two cells has only the candidates 2, 5.
- These two cells together must contain 2, 5, so we can remove the marked candidates from the other cells in this row.
- Done! We've cleaned up the extra candidates and the board is simpler now.
Try it on more boards
Each board is a real puzzle from our app, at a moment where Naked Pair applies. Find the step yourself, or tap Hint and the app's own hint walks you through it.
Want more boards like this?
We also make a Sudoku app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. There are no ads in it at all, it works offline, and when you ask for a hint it shows you the technique instead of just filling in a number.
Sudoku Flow is made by Rubigo Games, the developer of the Sudoku app recommended on this site.