Letter to the Editor: Advice for Reader on Sudoku Difficulties

Posted

This is for Kate Allison and her Sudoku issues. Shortly after my retirement in 2001, I discovered Sudoku and have always completed one or more each day since.

I struggled at first but am now able to do the five- and six-star rated without too much difficulty. There are some "tricks" and shortcuts that you could better understand by talking with people  who regularly do them or, by going online and searching out Sudoku websites that actually solve puzzles. Some sites will let you put your numbers into a blank puzzle and then you can, number by number, solve the puzzle with help from the website.

There are only three rules to a game. They are: No duplicate numbers in a nine-segment square, or in a horizontal row or in a vertical row. Never let a puzzle best you, don't give up! If you are so inclined, don't even start Sudoku. And if you do these long enough, they practically solve themselves.

My wife created blank puzzle forms for me on Word which I copy and use to re-do Sudoku puzzles that have stumped me. I use them until I "win!" and the puzzles that I have great difficulty with, I go to a website and make sure that the puzzle is genuine.

It's a great game for using your grey matter and I believe it's a deterrent to age-related problems. I am going on 85 and I still do these daily while my wife works on her New York Times crosswords.



 

John Murphy 

Centralia