Medium technique · Technique Academy

Pointing

Pointing happens when a digit's remaining places in a box all lie along a single row or column. That digit must therefore land on that line, inside the box.

Professor Cryptic, the owl who teaches in the app
Professor Cryptic is thinking

The reasoning

Why does the Pointing work?

So the same digit cannot appear anywhere else along that line, outside the box. Rub it out of those cells' notes.

A worked example

What does the Pointing look like on a real board?

Pointing worked exampleA sudoku board with pencil marks. The Pointing uses R1C2, R2C2 and digit 5 (box 1). The move strikes candidate 5 in R7C2.25813584769435961591577921387389396182413558125894365973564359159157679859256875958926934135357261984164798523928435176
The move strikes candidate 5 in R7C2. Digit 5, box 1.
  • Cells that form the pattern
  • Cells that lose a candidate
  • Struck digit: ruled out

Make it stick

How can you practise the Pointing?

The Technique Academy in Cryptic gives every technique its own lesson and 5 practice boards that need exactly this move.

Get it onGoogle PlayPlay Cryptic on the web

Further reading: HoDoKu's page on this family of techniques.

EasierHidden PairHarderClaiming