Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Hooked to Sudoku

I am getting hooked to Sudoku, the number game that is very popular in Japan and that is becoming a craze around the world. At least two Indian newspapers have it The Hindu and The Times of India.

Yesterday, was my first day at it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. At first I got psyched by the game. I took me some 1 and a half hours... I put numbers arbitrarily, and made a mess of it. Then it dawned on me that I should go about it by the method of elimination. I did it in some 45 minutes. Today I could do it in lesser time.

It is actually very. simple. Start filling up each blank square with possible numbers. To know which are these possible numbers, look at the numbers already printed in the horizontal row, vertical column and the square... and write the remaining numbers. There will be one or two or three, or rarely four possible numbers. For some of these empty squares, there can be only one possible number.

As you fill up one grid after the other, by the method of elimination you get the solution.

It's fun!

4 comments:

  1. And now, I just downloaded it.

    Oh my goodness, this game is addicting. But fun! Makes me feel smart.

    ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. They staryed this game in "Deccan chronicle" newspaper also,first day i messed it up properly and then gaveup:( But now after reading u r psot i am gonna try again:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hmmm, i saw this in the Hindu, maybe I will give it a shot

    ReplyDelete

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