Hidden Pair Practice Puzzles

A Hidden Pair is two digits that can each only go in the same two cells of a row, column, or box. All other candidates can be removed from those two cells, leaving just the pair.

Every puzzle below is verified to feature the Hidden Pair as its hardest required technique — of the 65,284 puzzles in our library, 20,397 require it and 8,624 need nothing harder. New to the pattern? Learn the Hidden Pair or see a worked example first.

Curated Hidden Pair puzzles

  1. Practice puzzle #1 — 25 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  2. Practice puzzle #2 — 24 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  3. Practice puzzle #3 — 23 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  4. Practice puzzle #4 — 24 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  5. Practice puzzle #5 — 24 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  6. Practice puzzle #6 — 25 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  7. Practice puzzle #7 — 24 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  8. Practice puzzle #8 — 26 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  9. Practice puzzle #9 — 26 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  10. Practice puzzle #10 — 24 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  11. Practice puzzle #11 — 26 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
  12. Practice puzzle #12 — 24 givens · needs Naked Single, Hidden Single, Hidden Pair
Get a fresh Hidden Pair puzzle →

Hidden Pair practice FAQ

How many Sudoku puzzles require the Hidden Pair technique?
Of the 65,284 puzzles in the Precision Sudoku library, 20,397 require the Hidden Pair to solve, and 8,624 can be completed with nothing harder than the Hidden Pair. Every puzzle is verified by a solver that records the exact techniques needed.
What is the best way to practice the Hidden Pair?
Play puzzles where the Hidden Pair is the hardest move required, so every sticking point is an opportunity to apply it. Use it when a unit looks crowded; a Hidden Pair cleans two cells down to just the pair and often unlocks further moves.
Can I play a Sudoku puzzle that needs exactly the Hidden Pair?
Yes. The curated puzzles on this page all feature the Hidden Pair as their most advanced required technique, and the practice button serves a fresh puzzle from the same verified pool whenever you want another.