2-String Kite

Hard

A conjugate pair in a row and one in a column intersect in a box; cells seeing both free ends can have the digit eliminated.

How It Works

For a digit, a conjugate pair exists in one row and another in one column. If one end of each pair is in the same box, the two free ends form a virtual conjugate pair. Any cell seeing both free ends can have the digit eliminated.

Example

4
58
36
91
58
2
36
7
15
2
36
4
56
7
136
89
7
18
923
68
16
45
261
58
58
3974
874192
36
5
36
395674812
56
35
27
68
149
368
169
13
7
38
4
69
52
1368
169
48
35
2
569
7
36
136
Key cells of the techniqueCells where elimination is appliedCandidate to be placedEliminated candidate (crossed out)

Practice with a Real Puzzle

This 9×9 puzzle is solver-verified to require this technique on its solution path.

Medium26 givens