2 added 82 characters in body

## JavaScript (ES6), 6868 66 bytes

f=a=>a[0]?[[b,c]=a[0][a[0],...f(a.filter(b=>!a[0].some(c=>~b.indexOf([dc))))]:a
f=([b,e]...a])=>b-d&&b-e&&c-d&&c-e?[b,...f(a.filter(c=>!c.some(c=>~b.indexOf(c))))]:a


I thought I'd give the recursive approach a go, and it was only 1 byte longerby stealing @ETHproduction's set intersection trick I managed to undercut his answer!

I was not the first to misread the original question, and I was about to submit the following recursive function which finds a maximal set of matching edges, rather than a set of maximal matching edges. Subtle difference, I know!

f=a=>a.map(([b,c])=>[[b,c],...f(a.filter(([d,e])=>b-d&&b-e&&c-d&&c-e))]).sort((d,e)=>e.length-d.length)[0]||[]


Simple recursive approach. For each input element, deletes all conflicting edges from the set and finds the maximal set of matching edges of the remaining subset, then finds the maximal result over each input element. Somewhat inefficient for large sets (9-byte speed-up possible).

## JavaScript (ES6), 68 bytes

f=a=>a[0]?[[b,c]=a[0],...f(a.filter(([d,e])=>b-d&&b-e&&c-d&&c-e))]:a


I thought I'd give the recursive approach a go, and it was only 1 byte longer!

I was not the first to misread the original question, and I was about to submit the following recursive function which finds a maximal set of matching edges, rather than a set of maximal matching edges. Subtle difference, I know!

f=a=>a.map(([b,c])=>[[b,c],...f(a.filter(([d,e])=>b-d&&b-e&&c-d&&c-e))]).sort((d,e)=>e.length-d.length)[0]||[]


Simple recursive approach. For each input element, deletes all conflicting edges from the set and finds the maximal set of matching edges of the remaining subset, then finds the maximal result over each input element. Somewhat inefficient for large sets (9-byte speed-up possible).

## JavaScript (ES6), 68 66 bytes

f=a=>a[0]?[a[0],...f(a.filter(b=>!a[0].some(c=>~b.indexOf(c))))]:a
f=([b,...a])=>b?[b,...f(a.filter(c=>!c.some(c=>~b.indexOf(c))))]:a


I thought I'd give the recursive approach a go, and by stealing @ETHproduction's set intersection trick I managed to undercut his answer!

I was not the first to misread the original question, and I was about to submit the following recursive function which finds a maximal set of matching edges, rather than a set of maximal matching edges. Subtle difference, I know!

f=a=>a.map(([b,c])=>[[b,c],...f(a.filter(([d,e])=>b-d&&b-e&&c-d&&c-e))]).sort((d,e)=>e.length-d.length)[0]||[]


Simple recursive approach. For each input element, deletes all conflicting edges from the set and finds the maximal set of matching edges of the remaining subset, then finds the maximal result over each input element. Somewhat inefficient for large sets (9-byte speed-up possible).

1

## JavaScript (ES6), 68 bytes

f=a=>a[0]?[[b,c]=a[0],...f(a.filter(([d,e])=>b-d&&b-e&&c-d&&c-e))]:a


I thought I'd give the recursive approach a go, and it was only 1 byte longer!

I was not the first to misread the original question, and I was about to submit the following recursive function which finds a maximal set of matching edges, rather than a set of maximal matching edges. Subtle difference, I know!

f=a=>a.map(([b,c])=>[[b,c],...f(a.filter(([d,e])=>b-d&&b-e&&c-d&&c-e))]).sort((d,e)=>e.length-d.length)[0]||[]


Simple recursive approach. For each input element, deletes all conflicting edges from the set and finds the maximal set of matching edges of the remaining subset, then finds the maximal result over each input element. Somewhat inefficient for large sets (9-byte speed-up possible).