Sudoku is a popular number-placement puzzle game that challenges players to fill a 9×9 grid with digits from 1 to 9. The grid is divided into nine 3×3 subgrids (called "boxes" or "regions"). The objective is simple:
Rules:
Each row must contain all digits from 1 to 9 without repetition.
Each column must contain all digits from 1 to 9 without repetition.
Each 3×3 subgrid must also contain every digit from 1 to 9 exactly once.
Gameplay:
The puzzle starts with some cells pre-filled (called "givens").
Using logic and elimination, players deduce the correct numbers for empty cells.
No guessing is required—only deduction!
Origins:
Modern Sudoku was popularized in Japan in the 1980s (the name "Sudoku" means "single number" in Japanese).
Its roots trace back to 18th-century Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler's "Latin Squares."
Appeal:
Sudoku enhances logical thinking, concentration, and pattern recognition.
It has multiple difficulty levels, from beginner to expert.
Variants include larger grids (e.g., 16×16) or additional rules (e.g., Diagonal Sudoku).
Whether in newspapers, apps, or competitions, Sudoku remains a timeless brain teaser loved worldwide!
Would you like a puzzle to try? 😊