How to Play Sudoku

Sudoku is a numbers game. It's a logic game played on a 9 x 9 box grid.

Contrary to popular belief, Sudoku is not a Japanese puzzle. It actually appeared in France before anywhere else. Although, the French puzzle game was not quite the same as the modern- day Sudoku puzzle, the game that appear in 1892, featured the same 9 x 9 box grid.

In 1979, Howard Garns modernized the puzzle to its current form, and named it "Number Place." The puzzle was featured in by Dell Magazines.

It wasn't until 1984, that the puzzle was introduced to Japan by Nikoli as Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru, which loosely translates to "the digits must be single."

In Japan, the numbers puzzle hit it big. This is where most of the popularity began, until the United States published one of its first Sudoku puzzles in The Conway Daily Sun by Wayne Gould in 2004.

Not long after, Sudoku board games and electronic hand held games were produced, and the puzzle books were mass produced.

Although, it looks easy, the puzzle game takes a little thought and logic. You can't just play numbers willy- nilly in boxes. There's a little skill to the game.

The basic premise of the puzzle is to get the number 1 through 9 into the columns, rows, and 3 x 3 box without repeating.

You will be given a box partially filled in with numbers, depending on the skill level of the particular puzzle, it will depend on how many numbers you're given and to where they are placed on the puzzle board.

Remember that a completed puzzle has the numbers 1 through 9 in every row, column, and 3 x 3 box. You can't repeat numbers or you have to start over.

TIP: Before you start, look for the the row or column that has the most numbers already provided, and start from there.

I used to do it when I was working a desk job. It was fun and during the slow parts of the day, it passed the time. There are a few sits that I would recommend, but my favorite way to really complete a Sudoku puzzle is to purchase a good Sudoku puzzle book.

But, I found myself using the online Sudoku puzzles to get myself in the hand out finding my own tricks to successfully completing a puzzle.

Sites I'd recommend include:

• Web Sudoku
• Daily Sukoku- Printable puzzles
• USA- Today Sudoku
• MiniClip Sudoku Puzzles
• Free Sudokus
• Sudoku Puzzles