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Sudoku Hike

Naked triple

Three cells in a unit hold only three digits between them.

A technique for Hard puzzles. Play a Hard puzzle

What it does

Like a naked pair, with three cells. If three cells of a row, column or box together hold only three different digits, say 2, 5 and 8, they take those three digits between them. No cell needs all three: 2 and 5, 5 and 8, and 2 and 8 still make a triple.

How to spot it

With your notes written in, look in each unit for three cells whose candidates, put together, are only three digits. Cells with two candidates are the usual building blocks.

These are the notes after the easier steps: some candidates are already removed, as they would be in your game.Only 1, 3 and 8 fit in the three blue cells of row 2. Those digits must go there, so no other cell in row 2 can hold them.It removes 1, 3 and 8 from row 2, column 2; 1 and 3 from row 2, column 5; 1 and 3 from row 2, column 9.

What it lets you do

You remove those three digits from every other cell of the unit, and of a second unit the three cells share, such as a box.

Try it

Find the Naked triple on this board. Pick the cells it clears, mark the candidates it removes, then check.

These are the notes after the easier steps: some candidates are already removed, as they would be in your game.

Practise it

The best way to learn a technique is to meet it in a real game. Practice puzzles are sure to need it, at Hard level; any Hard puzzle may need it too.