No Options in Common

Going further, part 3 of 5 of How to Solve Logic Grid Puzzles.

This technique uses only the grid, with no clue involved. Pick two items from different categories and compare what is still open for each of them in the third category. If nothing is open for both, the two items can't go together. Puzzle Baron calls this cross elimination.

The example carries on with All-Star Hockey from the last part.

Compare what is left for each

Take Carson and the Monsters, and look at the goals still open for each.

• Carson: 6, 7 and 9 are crossed out in his column, so he scored 8 or 10.
• The Monsters player: 8, 9 and 10 are crossed out in the Monsters column, so he scored 6 or 7.

No goal total is open for both of them. Whatever Carson scored, the Monsters player didn't score it, so Carson doesn't play for the Monsters.

What it leads to

One X can be all a row needs. Along the Monsters row in the bottom-left grid, Carson, Farrell, Underwood and Yang are now crossed out, so Guerra plays for the Monsters.

How to spot it

Look for an item with only two or three squares left in one of the small grids. Then look for an item from the remaining category that has X's on exactly those options. The two columns don't have to sit side by side, so it can take some hunting.

Next: Locked squares
Previous: Combining greater-than clues
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