---
title: "Y-Wing: Sudoku Technique #16 | Sudoku Flow"
description: "Y-Wing: A pivot forces at least one of its two wings to hold their shared number, so any cell that sees both wings loses that candidate."
url: https://sudokuflow.com/lessons/yWing/
language: en
---

[Sudoku technique lessons](https://sudokuflow.com/lessons/) / Y-Wing

Lesson 16

# Y-Wing

## The rule

A pivot forces at least one of its two wings to hold their shared number, so any cell that sees both wings loses that candidate.

## Step by step

1. The pivot is a bivalue cell with 3 and 7, and it sees two bivalue wings: one with 3 and 5, the other with 7 and 5. This forms a Y-Wing!
2. Since at least one of the two wings must be 5, we can remove the candidate 5 from any other cell that sees both wings.

[Read the full lesson, with more examples →](https://sudoku.rubigogames.com/techniques/y-wing.html)

In our app, when this technique is the next step, the hint names it and shows you why, step by step. No ads, free to download.

[App Store iPhone, iPad, Mac](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6502922368?pt=125379530&ct=sudokuflow_cta&mt=8) [Google Play Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rubigogames.sudoku&referrer=utm_source%3Dsudokuflow%26utm_medium%3Dcta%26utm_campaign%3Dlesson)

## Try it on more boards

Each board is a real puzzle from our app, at a moment where Y-Wing applies. Find the step yourself, or tap Hint and the app's own hint walks you through it.

Y-Wing practice board:

```text
3  1* 6* | 2  .  .  | .  .  8
9  4* 5* | .  .  .  | 1  6  2*
2* 7  8* | 1* 6  .  | .  .  .
---------+----------+---------
.  9* 4  | .  3  6* | 2* 8  .
.  3* 7  | 4* 2* 8* | .  .  5
.  8  2  | 9  .  1  | .  .  .
---------+----------+---------
4  6  3  | .  1  2* | 8* .  .
7* 2* .  | .  .  .  | 4  .  6
8  5* .  | 6  .  .  | .  2  .
```
Digits marked * were filled in by a player; the others were printed with the puzzle.

![Sudoku app icon](https://sudokuflow.com/assets/app-icon.png)

## 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.

[App Store iPhone, iPad, Mac](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6502922368?pt=125379530&ct=sudokuflow_web&mt=8) [Google Play Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rubigogames.sudoku&referrer=utm_source%3Dsudokuflow%26utm_medium%3Dweb%26utm_campaign%3Dsite)

Sudoku Flow is made by Rubigo Games, the developer of the Sudoku app recommended on this site.