Sudoku Tips

Sudoku is an addictive game of logic.

A typical Sudoku puzzle is a large square containing nine medium squares, or 'regions', three on each side. Each region in turn contains nine small squares or cells, three on each side.

And the game starts with a sprinkling of single-digit numbers in the cells, and with most of the cells blank.

The rules for Sudoku are simple:

• Place one digit (from 1 - 9) in each cell

• A number can only appear once in each row

• A number can only appear once in each column

• A number can only appear once in each 3x3 region

Most sources of provide Sudoku puzzles over a range of difficulties from easy to fiendishly difficult.

If you're a beginner, start with the easy puzzles. Maybe even the 'mini' Sudoku with fewer cells to solve.

Once you find that level is too easy, progress to the next level. Before long, you'll be hooked, and progressing to the most difficult puzzles.

You'll probably start working on your Sudoku by scanning the cells, and identifying some obvious number placements. You might feel confident in using a pen to write in these numbers.

But then comes the stage when scanning is no longer enough. There are multiple possibilities for each of the remaining empy cells, and its far too much information to keep in your head.

You need to mark up the cells in some way, to record the different possibilities, and to do this, its best to use a soft pencil, plus an eraser, to remove your markings as you logically eliminate them from the possibilities.

Counting is a simple technique that is a good place to start for solving your Sudoku.

You can choose a row, column or region, particularly one that has only one blank cell, and count through the numbers from 1 to 9 to identify the missing numbers.

Alertnatively, you can choose a blank cell, and work through the numbers 1 to 9, checking each number to see if if can go in that cell, in an attempt to identify the single unique number that belongs in that cell