Beginner

Naked Pair

Two cells in a unit sharing the same two candidates lock those digits out of every other cell in that unit.

When two cells in the same row, column, or box contain exactly the same two candidates — and only those two — those two digits must occupy those two cells between them. They can therefore be eliminated from every other cell in the shared unit.

The naked pair does not place a digit directly; it is an elimination technique that creates singles elsewhere.

How to spot it

Scan a unit for two cells whose pencil marks are identical pairs, e.g. both show only {3,8}. Whatever order they end up in, 3 and 8 are used up by those two cells, so strike 3 and 8 from the rest of the unit.

  • Find two cells in one unit with the same two candidates.
  • Both candidates are confined to those two cells.
  • Remove both candidates from all other cells in the unit.
Two cells share {3,8}, so a third cell in the row loses both — and becomes a 9.

Worked example

  1. In a column, two cells both show exactly {2,5}.
  2. Between them they must take 2 and 5.
  3. A third cell in the column shows {2,5,9}.
  4. Remove 2 and 5 from it, leaving {9}.
  5. That third cell is now a naked single: place 9.

Try it yourself

5
6
9
1
3
8
5
1
2
9
6
5
7
1
4
4
3
8
1
5
9
3
2
8
3
1
9
9
4
5
6
8

Tap a cell, then a number, to practise.

Frequently asked questions

Do the pair cells need identical candidates?
Yes — for a naked pair both cells must show exactly the same two candidates and nothing else.
Does the pair place any number?
Not directly. It removes candidates elsewhere, which often turns nearby cells into singles.

Related techniques

Practice: Naked Pair

Put the Naked Pair to work on a live board — free puzzles with notes, hints and four difficulty levels.

Try it on a live board

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