GridWits

Kakuro techniques

17 techniques, all of which the solver can spot for you as a Smart Hint. Each one has a worked example.

Easy

Naked Single

Only one digit remains possible for this cell — place it.

Single Combination

This run's remaining sum has exactly one digit combination left — every empty cell must draw from it. The classic "17 in two cells is 8+9" move.

Medium

Hidden Single

A digit guaranteed to appear somewhere in this run has only one cell left that can hold it.

Combination Elimination

A digit that appears in none of this run's remaining sum combinations can be ruled out of every cell in it.

Partner Check

Only two cells of this run are empty, so they split the remaining sum between them — a digit whose partner (remaining sum minus it) can't go in the other cell is impossible.

Hard

Naked Pair

Two cells in a run share the exact same two candidate digits — remove those digits from the rest of the run.

Hidden Pair

Two digits guaranteed to appear in this run only fit in the same two cells — strip those cells down to just those two.

Arrangement Check

A combination has to fit the cells, not just the total: if every combination containing this digit leaves some other cell in the run with nothing it can take, the digit is impossible here.

Expert

Naked Triple

Three cells in a run whose candidates combine to exactly three digits — eliminate those digits elsewhere in the run.

Hidden Triple

Three guaranteed digits only fit in the same three cells of a run — strip those cells down to just those three.

Naked Quad

Four cells in a run whose candidates combine to exactly four digits — eliminate those digits elsewhere in the run.

Hidden Quad

Four guaranteed digits only fit in the same four cells of a run — strip those cells down to just those four.

Surface Sum

Two overlapping groups of runs differ by exactly one cell — subtracting their clue totals determines that cell's digit outright.

Extreme

Surface Pair

Two overlapping groups of runs differ by two cells — subtracting their clue totals fixes those cells' sum (or difference), ruling out any digit with no possible partner.

Surface Triple

Two overlapping groups of runs differ by three cells — subtracting their clue totals ties those three digits together, ruling out any that can't be completed.

Agreement

Whichever of a cell's candidates turns out true, every surviving line of play forces the same digit onto some other cell — so commit it.

Contradiction

Placing this digit here forces some run into an impossible position — so it can be ruled out.