Teknik XYZ-Wing: Kombinasi Sel Tiga dan Dua Kandidat
XYZ-Wing is an extension of the XY-Wing technique. Unlike XY-Wing which uses three double-candidate cells, XYZ-Wing uses one triple-candidate cell (pivot) and two double-candidate cells (wings) for logical elimination.
XYZ-Wing consists of three cells: a Pivot containing candidates {X,Y,Z}, and two Wings containing {X,Z} and {Y,Z} respectively. The pivot must "see" both wing cells. Regardless of whether the pivot is X, Y, or Z, Z must be in the pivot or one of the wing cells. Therefore, any cell that can see all three cells can have candidate Z eliminated.
Before reading this article, it\'s recommended to understand the XY-Wing concept first, as XYZ-Wing is its natural extension.
Difference between XYZ-Wing and XY-Wing
The main differences between XYZ-Wing and XY-Wing:
| Feature | XY-Wing | XYZ-Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Pivot Candidates | {X,Y} - 2 candidates | {X,Y,Z} - 3 candidates |
| Elimination Range | Cells that see both wing cells | Cells that see pivot and both wing cells |
| Elimination Scope | Larger | Smaller (must see 3 cells) |
Structure of XYZ-Wing
XYZ-Wing consists of three key elements:
- Pivot: The central cell with candidates {X,Y,Z}, must see both wing cells
- Wing 1: Candidates {X,Z}, shares row, column, or box with pivot
- Wing 2: Candidates {Y,Z}, shares row, column, or box with pivot
Key feature: The pivot contains three candidates X, Y, Z, and each wing contains Z plus one other candidate from the pivot.
Why Does XYZ-Wing Work?
Example 1: XYZ-Wing with R5C6 as Pivot
Let\'s look at the first example showing a typical XYZ-Wing structure.
Analysis Process
- R5C1 (Wing 1): candidates {3, 7}, same row as pivot (Row 5)
- R4C6 (Wing 2): candidates {5, 7}, same column as pivot (Column 6)
- Pivot {3,5,7} contains all three digits
- Wing 1 {3,7} contains Z=7 and another pivot digit 3
- Wing 2 {5,7} contains Z=7 and another pivot digit 5
- Pivot sees both wing cells (Row 5 and Column 6)
- Common digit Z = 7
- If R5C6=3 → R5C1 cannot be 3 → R5C1=7
- If R5C6=5 → R4C6 cannot be 5 → R4C6=7
- If R5C6=7 → Pivot itself is 7
- In all cases, one of R5C6, R5C1, or R4C6 must be 7
XYZ-Wing: Pivot R5C6({3,5,7}), Wings R5C1({3,7}) and R4C6({5,7}).
Eliminate candidate 7 from R5C4.
Example 2: XYZ-Wing with R3C7 as Pivot
Now let\'s look at another example showing XYZ-Wing with different positional relationships.
Analysis Process
- R3C6 (Wing 1): candidates {1, 4}, same row as pivot (Row 3)
- R2C7 (Wing 2): candidates {4, 6}, same column as pivot (Column 7)
- Pivot {1,4,6} contains all three digits
- Wing 1 {1,4} contains Z=4 and another pivot digit 1
- Wing 2 {4,6} contains Z=4 and another pivot digit 6
- Pivot sees both wing cells (Row 3 and Column 7)
- Common digit Z = 4
- If R3C7=1 → R3C6 cannot be 1 → R3C6=4
- If R3C7=6 → R2C7 cannot be 6 → R2C7=4
- If R3C7=4 → Pivot itself is 4
- In all cases, one of R3C7, R3C6, or R2C7 must be 4
XYZ-Wing: Pivot R3C7({1,4,6}), Wings R3C6({1,4}) and R2C7({4,6}).
Eliminate candidate 4 from R3C9.
How to Find XYZ-Wing?
Finding XYZ-Wing requires a systematic approach:
- Pivot must be a triple-candidate cell (3 candidates)
- Both wings must be double-candidate cells (2 candidates)
- Pivot must see both wing cells
- Elimination target must see pivot and both wings (this limits the elimination range)
- Since it must see 3 cells, elimination targets are usually within the pivot\'s box
Technique Summary
Key points for applying XYZ-Wing:
- Identification: One triple-candidate cell {X,Y,Z} and two double-candidate cells {X,Z}, {Y,Z}
- Structure requirement: Pivot {X,Y,Z} sees both wings
- Elimination target: Common digit Z
- Elimination range: All cells that can see pivot and both wings
XYZ-Wing is an extension of XY-Wing. If you\'ve mastered XY-Wing, XYZ-Wing only requires considering the additional case where the pivot itself is Z.
You can also learn WXYZ-Wing (four-candidate extension) and other advanced Wing techniques.
Start a Sudoku game and try using XYZ-Wing! When you find triple-candidate cells and nearby double-candidate cells, check if they can form an XYZ-Wing structure.