June 27, 2005
Su-do-ku
Ever wish crossword puzzles involved more logic and less random trivia? Okay, so maybe I'm the only one, but at least for me, there's finally an answer. Sudoku. The puzzle game made its debut in the Washington Post today, as well as the Express (much to my excitement).
So what is it? It's a logic puzzle involving a 9 x 9 grid, divided into 9 3 x 3 boxes. You must fill in each row, column, and box with the number 1 through 9 without repeating any.
Where did it come from? Based on the name, you may assume it originated in Japan. In fact, Sudoku is a variation on an 18th century Swiss game called "Latin Squares," which in turn may be based on a Chinese game called "Magic Squares." In any case, Sudoku burst forth from Japan to the pages of Britain's Times (and many other publications) where its popularity has been compared to the Rubik's Cube.
I'm actually really excited about this one, particularly the fact that it'll be featured in the Express. Time to pack a pencil for those long Metro commutes.
Links:
www.sudoku.com
The Times
David Ely at June 28, 2005 08:20 AM
I think it's pretty cool, too. I fortunately had a metro delay yesterday which gave me time to do it before I got to work.
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Jess at June 29, 2005 01:17 PM
Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I just finished and am hooked.
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kwc at June 29, 2005 01:31 PM
woohoo, I finished my first sudoku (http://www.sudoku.com/images/contestpuzz_jun05.gif)
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