More about Sudoku
The history of Sudoku
Sudoku looks ancient, but the modern puzzle is only about fifty years old, and it became a global hit in the 2000s.
The modern Sudoku was invented by Howard Garns, an American, and first printed in 1979 as Number Place. A Japanese publisher, Nikoli, later popularized it under the name Sudoku. It became a worldwide craze after newspapers such as The Times of London printed it in 2004.
Number Place (1979)
Howard Garns, a retired architect from the United States, created the puzzle and it appeared in Dell Magazines under the name Number Place. It used the same rule you know today: digits 1 to 9 once per row, column and box.
Nikoli and the name (1980s)
A Japanese puzzle company, Nikoli, brought it to Japan, where it became popular. The name is a shortened form of a longer Japanese phrase, usually explained as meaning that the digits must remain single. The short name stuck.
The world discovers Sudoku (2004)
In 2004 a retired judge, Wayne Gould, wrote a program that generated puzzles and persuaded The Times of London to print them. Other papers followed quickly, and Sudoku spread across the world in months.
Common myths
- It is not an ancient Japanese puzzle. Its Japanese name came from the company that made it popular.
- It was not invented by Euler, though his Latin squares are related.
Sudoku today
Today there are thousands of apps and many variants such as Killer Sudoku. A lot of attention now goes to difficulty grading: see how difficulty is measured and why a puzzle has one solution.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented Sudoku?
Howard Garns, an American puzzle designer, in 1979, under the name Number Place.
Is Sudoku Japanese?
The name is Japanese and the puzzle became popular in Japan, but the modern puzzle was created in the United States.
When did Sudoku become popular worldwide?
Around 2004, after British newspapers began printing it.