Naked triple | SudokuSudoku

A naked triple is three cells in one house that use only three digits between them. Each cell can hold two of the digits, or all three. What matters is the union: three digits, three cells, nothing else.

Those three digits are then deleted from the other cells in the house. The same pattern with two cells is a naked pair. With four, it is a naked quad.

When it shows up

A naked triple is a Hard technique. Triples share the Hard grade with pairs. Expert is where quads, fish, and wings begin.

Triples, naked or hidden, are the hardest step on 6% of NYT Hard. The archive never needs a harder idea than that.

See it on a real puzzle

The marks are the candidates left when this is the next step in the solve. Step through it: the pattern, what leaves, and what that forces.

See the pattern

Look at these three cells.

4

9

8

2

1

3

9

2

6

1

3

4

1

3

8

4

7

5

9

2

6

5

9

6

4

1

2

1

9

4

8

4

5

1

9

8

7

4

4

1

3

9

7

2

5

4

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