2-String Kite

Also called Two-String Kite, Kite, Turbot Fish (box form).

New to this shorthand? How to read a sudoku grid explains r4c7, houses, candidates and the rest.

What it means

Pick a digit. Find a row where it has two homes and a column where it has two homes. One home from each sits in the same box. The two far ends are left. One of them holds the digit. Squares that see both ends lose it.

The exact rule, for stronger players

The rule, stated exactly: For digit d, one row and one column each containing d in exactly two cells, where one cell from each shares a box. The two remaining cells are the endpoints, and d is eliminated from the cell seeing both.

What it removes: Remove d from cells that see both free-end cells, typically exactly one cell.

Why it works: The two cells sharing a box cannot both hold d, so at least one of the free ends does. The cell seeing both free ends is excluded.

Worked examples

These come from real Proven Sudoku boards. Nobody drew them by hand to make the pattern look neat. Each one is checked first, so the board is one you could really meet, the pattern is really there, and every digit it rules out is really wrong.

Sudoku grid showing 2-String Kite. If r6c5 is not 7 then r6c6 is, which stops r5c4 being 7 and forces r1c4. So 7 sits in r6c5 or r1c4, and any cell seeing both can be cleared of 7. — If r6c5 is not 7 then r6c6 is, which stops r5c4 being 7 and forces r1c4. So 7 sits in r6c5 or r1c4, and any cell seeing both can be cleared of 7.

Sudoku grid showing 2-String Kite. If r4c7 is not 5 then r4c9 is, which stops r6c8 being 5 and forces r2c8. So 5 sits in r4c7 or r2c8, and any cell seeing both can be cleared of 5. — If r4c7 is not 5 then r4c9 is, which stops r6c8 being 5 and forces r2c8. So 5 sits in r4c7 or r2c8, and any cell seeing both can be cleared of 5.

Learn these first

Turbot FishPick one digit.

Related single-digit patterns

3D MedusaColouring spread across every digit at once, not just one.
Empty RectangleIn one box, all the homes for a digit sit in one row and one column.
Multi-ColoringColouring marks a digit's spots in two shades.
Simple ColoringPick a digit.
SkyscraperPick a digit.

How often does it come up?

Our rough estimate: common, comparable to the Skyscraper.

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