Expert technique · Technique Academy

XY-Wing

An XY-Wing is three cells with two candidates each: a pivot holding X and Y, and two pincers, one holding X and Z and the other Y and Z, each seeing the pivot. Whatever the pivot turns out to be, one pincer must become Z.

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

The reasoning

Why does the XY-Wing work?

If the pivot is X, the first pincer is forced to Z, and if it is Y, the second one is. Either way, any cell that sees both pincers cannot be Z.

A worked example

What does the XY-Wing look like on a real board?

XY-Wing worked exampleA sudoku board with pencil marks. The XY-Wing uses R6C7, R3C7, R6C4 and digit 2 (pivot R6C7). The move strikes candidate 2 in R3C4.278396145413528728968959624148287316947348527882765943134527281789663284579179954173682781962354
The move strikes candidate 2 in R3C4. Digit 2, pivot R6C7.
  • Cells that form the pattern
  • Cells that lose a candidate
  • Struck digit: ruled out

Make it stick

How can you practise the XY-Wing?

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.

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