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The Hidden Pairs Technique in Sudoku

Spotting Hidden Pairs

Hidden pairs become evident when noted candidates (pencil mark) are made alive on the grid.

For example, when marking candidate 4 in a filled grid and 8 as candidates enabled, cell R3C4 becomes R3C6, making it intuitive to assume no further fills are applicable for those cells.

Sudoku rule Hidden Pairs

Hidden vs Naked subsets

Tracking multiple candidates throughout cells can be complicated needing stronger pattern recognition as in larger hidden subsets (triples, quads). + Personally dependent strategies leave many with marking all possibilities and seeing groups, thus prefer naked subsets (visible groups of candidates).

How Hidden Pairs Work A hidden pair occurs within specific house living arrangements that two candidates, select must exclusively occupy enabling all else to be removed, rendering the switch resets the house switches.

Example 1 (Column 9):

Candidates 1 and 9 are restricted to R5C9 and R7C9. Even though 1 and 9 are available in Rows 5/7 and Blocks 6/9, their positioning is only sensible within these two cells in Column 9. This clears out irrelevant candidates such as 6 from R5C9.

Sudoku rule Hidden Pairs

Example 2 (Row 1/Block 1):

Cells R1C1-2 hide a pair with 4 and 7 concealed behind 10 other candidates. All other candidates aside from 4 and 7 can be eliminated in these cells.

Sudoku rule Hidden Pairs