How to Solve Sudoku: Naked Triple

3 cells have only 3 digits between their notes. Then those 3 digits can be removed from the other cells of that column, row or box.

Also called simply a triple. On Puzzle Lounge it appears from Oni up.

See it step by step

  1. A board full of notes. Look at the bottom-left box (the small digits are the notes, or candidates)
  2. Only the notes in the bottom-left box are left (the large digits are the notes)
  3. These 3 cells' notes hold only 1, 4 and 8 between them
  4. 1, 4 and 8 can only go in these 3 ways (each puts one in each of the 3 cells)
  5. In every case, 1, 4 and 8 are used up by these 3 cells (they cannot go in other cells of the bottom-left box)
  6. So the other 1s, 4s and 8s can be removed (8 goes from row 8, column 1)

This is Oni No.85, partly solved.

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How to find it

  1. In a column (or row, or box), gather the cells with 2 or 3 candidates.
  2. Pick 3 of them and combine their candidates, looking for a set that makes exactly 3 different digits.
  3. If you find one, remove those 3 digits from the other cells of that column.

Things to watch

  • If there are 4 or more different digits, it does not work.
  • Even 3 cells with 2 candidates each make a Naked Triple, if together they hold 3 different digits. This form is easy to miss.
Read the full explanation

When 3 cells in a column, row or box have only 3 digits among their candidates, those 3 digits are used up by those 3 cells. They can be removed from the other cells.

This is the Naked Pair with 3 cells. If 3 cells have candidates such as {1, 4}, {4, 8} and {1, 8}, together they hold just the 3 digits 1, 4 and 8. The 3 digits can only go one to a cell in the 3 cells.

No cell needs to hold all 3 candidates. The condition is "3 cells' candidates together make 3 different digits".

In the bottom-left box, row 7, column 1 is {4, 8}, row 7, column 2 is {1, 4, 8} and row 8, column 3 is {1, 8}. Together that is just the 3 digits 1, 4 and 8, so these 3 cells use them up. So 8 can be removed from the candidates at row 8, column 1, in the same box.

Other techniques

Hidden SingleNaked SinglePointingClaimingHidden PairHidden TripleCage Combinations (Killer)Rule of 45 (Killer)Naked PairX-WingXY-WingSwordfishSkyscraper2-String KiteXYZ-WingW-WingJellyfish

For the basics and how to use notes, see how to solve sudoku, with tips. If you get stuck, the game's hints guide you step by step, starting with where to look.

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