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Intermediate clue

These two items must swap between two options

Also known in the clue library as Double Either-Or.

double-either-or
Clue pattern
Two people or items split across two possibilities in one of two arrangements.
What to mark first
Treat it as a swap: branch A or branch B.
Common mistake
Forgetting that the clue constrains both items together, not just one of them.
Mini-example
Mina and Theo are split between the red and blue houses.
Print-book tip
Sketch the two branches in the page margin if the swap is hard to hold in your head.

When and where this clue pays off

Two questions matter more than the pattern itself: does this clue give you everything now, or only later — and does it become a mark on the board, or a note you have to keep separately?

Builds as the board fills in

The eliminations against everyone else arrive immediately, but which of the two arrangements is correct stays open until later marks decide it.

Partly on the board, partly a note

The eliminations go on the board now. The pairing itself has to be tracked until it resolves.

Techniques that use this clue

Reading the clue is half the job. These are the methods that turn it into board progress.

Put it to work

See this clue type on a live board, or go back and browse the rest of the library.

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