Sudoku puzzle fans left scratching their heads at the latest challenge need to know about the handy Y Wing technique. There are number of Sudoku techniques you can turn too – such as the X Wing and Phistomefel Ring methods – which will help you solve any puzzle you’re having problems with. And the Sudoku Y Wing method is another handy tool which will help you eliminate sections of the grid.
This clever Sudoku technique was explained in a post by the Sudoku.com website.
This technique can be used once you’ve gone through the entire puzzle and jotted down all the potential candidates for each grid.
You’ll be looking for a square in the Sudoku you’re trying to solve which was two potential candidates.
This square is called the pivot – you’ll then have to find two pincer squares.
Like the pivot, the pincers also have two potential candidates as well.
You will find the pincers in the same row, block or column as the pivot square.
One of the two numbers that you find in the pincer should also appear in the pivot square.
Let’s, for arguments sake, call this number X.
What you’ll then need to do is try to find where the two pincer squares intersect.
Once you find this square have a look at what candidates are in it.
In this square you should see number X – which appeared in the pincers – as one of the candidates.
You can then remove this candidate from the square, helping you solve the puzzle.
If you’re struggling to visual this then check out the diagram in this article showing the pivot and pinchers in green as well as the intersecting square.
