Sudoku King
Lesson 15 of 15Advanced Strategy

"Swordfish" technique.

The "Swordfish" technique is an advanced Sudoku strategy. It's usually applied in the hard levels of Sudoku puzzles to eliminate candidates. "Swordfish" is similar to X-wing but uses three sets of cells instead of two.

Strategy Breakdown & Step-by-Step Guide

The "Swordfish" technique is an advanced Sudoku strategy. It's usually applied in the hard levels of Sudoku puzzles to eliminate candidates. "Swordfish" is similar to X-wing but uses three sets of cells instead of two.

To understand better, let's take a look at the example.

In this puzzle 6 is our "fish digit" and rows 1, 6 and 9 are the base sets. The candidates for number 6 also align up perfectly in 3 columns. So, there are two options for number 6 to reside.

Either this way

Or this way

Either way, those 3 sets cover the aligned columns meaning 6 cannot appear twice there. Hence, we can safely eliminate 6 from all other notes in these columns.

Now you know how to apply "Swordfish" technique in Sudoku. It's very hard to spot but tremendously useful for your sudoku-solving arsenal.

Board Illustrations (4 examples)

Swordfish step 1
Step 1 of 4
Swordfish step 2
Step 2 of 4
Swordfish step 3
Step 3 of 4
Swordfish step 4
Step 4 of 4
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Pro Strategy Tip

When you encounter a difficult board, scan rows and columns first before looking at 3×3 blocks. Using notes (pencil marks) systematically is the cornerstone of spotting both obvious and hidden patterns!