Hard technique

Naked Triple

Three squares in a unit that only hold three numbers between them.

A Naked Triple extends the naked pair to three squares. If three squares in a unit only contain candidates from the same three numbers, for example {1,4}, {4,8} and {1,8}, then those three numbers belong to those three squares. Every other square in the unit loses them.

Not every square in a triple needs all three numbers; what matters is that together they use only three. This is a classic Hard technique.

Step by step

  1. Write pencil marks for a unit.
  2. Find three squares whose candidates together use just three numbers.
  3. Remove those three numbers from every other square in the unit.