The Rules of Sudoku

If you are a fan of logic puzzles then you may be aware by now of sudoku, the hottest new puzzle. Many of the world's top newspapers are carrying daily sudoku puzzles, and more publications for sudoku are available. The rules of sudoku are also easy to understand, and by knowing them the puzzle can be completed with ease, or it will at least be easier to handle tougher puzzles.

Sudoku is a Japanese term, where “su” means “number” and “doku” means “single place.” While the game first became popular in Japan in the 1980s it has gotten to be popular in North America and Europe in the twenty-first century.

Sudoku is a game where the goal is to get the puzzle completely filled. The puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid of squares that contains nine separate 3x3 grids linked together. There are some numbers in some of the empty squares, which are known as givens. The rest of the squares that are blank will need to be filled.

The numbers 1 to 9 will need to be placed throughout the empty boxes. However, each number can only be used once in a single row or column. Also, each number can be used only once in a single 3x3 grid.

There are various different difficulty levels that are used in sudoku, thus making this one of the logic puzzles that can be solved by people of different skill levels. For instance, a puzzle with more givens can be tough in that the positioning of the givens can make an impact on how well one will be able to solve the puzzle with ease. The difficult levels can be divided in easy, medium, hard and challenging skills.

There are also some different strategic methods used in logic puzzles that are common in sudoku. Scanning is a common technique in that cross-hatching can be used to check a region to see what numbers can be eliminated from the area. Counting the region is also useful in that missing numbers are identified.

Marking up is a common strategy. It is used in that possible numbers in a space are filled in on an empty space. Analysis is also used in that numbers from multiple cells are eliminated so that only one choice is left based on a check on the contingencies that are involved in the result. In some cases the solver will use a “what if” approach to try with one of two numbers in a box and if the number does not work initially then the other is used.

Those are the rules of sudoku to follow. As it can be seen this game is quickly becoming one of the most popular logic puzzles in that it is easy to play yet challenging to solve.

Sudoku Magic: Endless puzzles await - USA TODAY (blog)

USA TODAY (blog)

Sudoku Magic: Endless puzzles await USA TODAY (blog) By Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY Sudoku games are a dime a dozen at the App Store, so fans of the popular Japanese number puzzles have no shortage of options for the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. But one called Sudoku Magic might give you more bang for your ...

3 Girls Win Sudoku Championship - Manila Bulletin

3 Girls Win Sudoku Championship Manila Bulletin By JONATHAN M. HICAP MANILA, Philippines — Three young girls, one 11-year-old and two 15-year-olds, were declared champions in the 6th Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge National Finals held on Jan. 28 at SM City North EDSA. Organized by SM Supermalls ... and more »

Game on: Foodies can get their fix with these brainteasers - nwitimes.com

Game on: Foodies can get their fix with these brainteasers nwitimes.com "It's like Sudoku, in a hands-on fun way," says Charlotte Fixler, communications manager at ThinkFun. "This is a game you'll want to keep out on your coffee table." Educational games like Chocolate Fix may just as well be kept on the kitchen table.

iOS Apps Gone Free: Climate, Sudoku, Planet Minesweeper, And More - AppAdvice

iOS Apps Gone Free: Climate, Sudoku, Planet Minesweeper, And More AppAdvice If you've become hopelessly addicted to Sudoku, then now's the time to grab EA's stunning digital recreation of the game for absolutely free. We have another classic for you, and it's Minesweeper. However, now it has been three-dimensionalized.

We Love Coffee - KIMT

We Love Coffee KIMT Tieszen says, "It gives me a chance while I am drinking coffee to read the newspaper, do my daily Sudoku habit."> Coffee Cat Owner Catherine Fields says, "I think it's kind of a transition from the industrial age where it was kind of the caffeinated ... and more »