The 1-1 pattern
Two 1s side by side, starting at the edge of the field, share one mine. Learn to find the safe square that the 1-1 pattern gives you. Patterns and guessing · lesson 2 of 3.
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The lesson in words
Look at the two highlighted 1s against the left edge. The first touches only two covered squares, and one of them is a mine.
The second 1 touches those same two squares plus one more. It already has its mine among the shared two, so the extra square is safe.
Use the highlighted 1-1.
Try it: Tap the square the second 1 sees but the first one can’t.
The pattern works from any edge.
Try it: Find the 1-1 against the right edge and tap the square it proves safe.
The first 1 sees two squares, the second sees three: the extra square is safe. Next: what to do when the numbers can’t decide.
Questions
Why is that extra square safe?
The shared squares already hold the second 1’s mine. Comparing what two numbers share solves many tricky spots.