Sudoku game
Sudoku (数独) is a popular logic-based puzzle game with numbers. It is a great brain exercise that improves thinking speed and logic, enhances concentration skills, and helps develop patience in completing tasks.
The name consists of the Japanese characters 数 (sū, number) and 独 (doku, single). Sūdoku can be translated as "numbers with a single position." However, the game did not originate in Japan; it was first created in Switzerland and later reached the Land of the Rising Sun via the United States.
Game history
The Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler invented the game "Latin Square" (Carré latin) in the 18th century. Based on this idea, American architect Howard Garns developed the puzzle "Number Place." The game was published in Dell Puzzle Magazine in 1979.
The puzzle became truly popular after Nikoli publishing house released it in 1984 under the name 数字は独身に限る ("A number must be single") in the Japanese newspaper Monthly Nikolist. Later, the company’s president, Maki Kaji, shortened the name to simply 数独 (Sūdoku), taking only the first characters of the compound words.
The game quickly captivated the Japanese audience, and after a few years, it returned to the U.S., from where it spread to Europe and Australia.
Today, the game is widespread across the world. It is published in numerous magazines, digital versions are developed for PCs and mobile devices, gaming clubs are established, competitions are held, and even world championships take place.
Interesting facts
- Bertram Felgenhauer calculated the number of possible Sudoku combinations in a standard 9×9 grid and found that there are 6 670 903 752 021 072 936 960.
- The first World Sudoku Championship was held in Lucca, Italy, in 2006. The winner was Jana Tylová from the Czech Republic.
- The world's most difficult Sudoku was created in 2010 by Finnish mathematician and University of Helsinki professor Arto Inkala.
- In Japan, solving Sudoku is part of a health program for elderly people.
- In Sydney, Australia, a trial that lasted more than two months was disrupted because several jurors were solving Sudoku instead of following the proceedings. The jury foreman was forced to confirm this fact.
If you were looking for a place to play Sudoku online for free and without registration, congratulations, you have arrived at the right destination!
