The Sudoku Craze: The Origins, Interesting Facts, Rules for Play & a Few Sudoku Games
by www.SixWise.com
Sudoku is a challenging, fun and incredibly addictive number
game that may very well become the crossword puzzle of the
21st century. Meaning "single number" in Japanese,
Sudoku (which is also sometimes called Sodoku, which means
"numbers singly") consists of a 9x9 grid (81 squares),
which is further divided into 3x3 sub-grids.
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This Sodoku game board is ideal for Sodoku lovers --
you don't have to erase the pattern over and over like
you do when working on the puzzles in newspapers or
puzzle books. The attractive and sturdy wooden box lets
you set up the identical puzzle and move the numbered
pegs into the sequence pattern to test your solution.
Pegs store conveniently inside the box, and best of
all it costs under $30!
Learn
more about the Sodoku game board now.
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In every sodoku puzzle, the player gets a few "givens,"
which are numbers already filled in on the grid. The rules
are simple (and there's absolutely no math involved):
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Fill in the puzzle so that every row, column and 3x3
sub-grid contains the digits 1 through 9.
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Each digit, therefore, only appears once in each row,
column and sub-grid.
Where Did Sudoku Come From?
Sudoku appeared seemingly out of nowhere and today is incredibly
popular in the United States, the UK and many other countries.
The original "sudoku" game, however, was called
"Number Place," and it first appeared in Dell Magazines'
"Dell Pencil Puzzles & Word Games" in 1979.
A retired architect named Howard Garns created the puzzle
at the age of 74 (and, sadly, passed away in 1989 before the
game experienced its surge in popularity).
Today sudoku puzzles can be found in newspapers, puzzle books,
online and in video game form, and range in difficulty from
easy to hard. Many variations have also popped up, such as
diagonal sudoku, even-odd sudoku and "greater than"
sudoku.
Why Sudoku?
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Sudoku games can be found in newspapers, puzzle books,
hand-held electronic versions, and game boards, so pick
your favorite style and try your hand at sudoku today
(and don't miss the three puzzles at the end of this
article, for starters).
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Board
games and puzzles like sudoku are incredibly good "exercise"
for your mind. Challenging your mind to "learn new tricks"
and keep on its toes can actually help you prevent Alzheimer's
disease and dementia as you age. It can also relieve stress
and keep you mentally balanced and socially connected.
No matter what style you prefer, electronic or old-fashioned
pen and paper, there's a sudoku game waiting to challenge
you:
Sodoku
Game Board
Try Sudoku Right Now!
Try your hand, and positively challenge your mind, with these
addictive and highly entertaining sudoku puzzles -- choose
easy, medium or hard.
Easy Sudoku
Medium Sudoku
Hard Sudoku
Recommended Reading
The
Amazing Health Benefits of Board Games ... for Adults as Well
as Kids
Some
Very Fun Exercises for Your Brain ... With an Amazing Little
Test at the End
Sources
Mathematical
Association of America (MMA)
SodokuWeb.com
Sudoku:
The Game That's Taking the World by Storm