SUDOKU PLACE FAQ

• 1. How do I solve the puzzle?
• 2. Where are the answers?
• 3. Why do you put out only one puzzle per day?
• 4. But I really want more!
• 5. Can I print your puzzles in my newspaper/magazine/calendar?
• 6. Is sudoku different than number place?
• 7. How can I support your website?
• 8. How do you rank the puzzle's difficulty?

1. How do I solve the puzzle?

You have 81 cells -- 9 rows, 9 columns, and 9 boxes (3 cells by 3 cells). Arrange the digits 1-9 in such a way that each digit occurs only once in each row, only once in each column, and only once in each box.

The tricky part is how to figure that out. One tip to start: count how many times each digit appears in the entire puzzle. If there are a lot of 7's, for example, it should be relatively easier to find the remaining 7's. And of course, the more cells you have filled in, the easier it becomes.

2. Where are the answers?

Once you have solved the puzzle, you can verify for yourself that you have done it correctly. Thus, I do not bother publishing answers. Saves me disk space, that way, too.

3. Why do you put out only one puzzle per day?

We live in an amazing world, filled with many beautiful things to see and do. Some of these things, like popcorn and sudoku, are addictive. We can become so wrapped up in them that we lose sight of everything else, and our lives become smaller rather than larger as a result.

Let today's sudoku puzzle be enough. Take the feeling of pride in accomplishment you get from it, and let that carry over into happiness in all your other activities. Let the anticipation of a new puzzle mingle with the other excitements of a new day when you arise each morning.

4. But I really want more!

Purchase one of my e-books via the shop page. Or go to the links page.

5. Can I print your puzzles in my newspaper/magazine/calendar?

I do provide puzzles for syndication, in a variety of formats, for very modest fees. See the syndication page for details.

6. Is sudoku different than number place?

As far as I know, I am the first American producer of sudoku puzzles. In the US, though, Dell magazines have been publishing a similar puzzle called "number place" for decades.

I say "similar" instead of "same" because of two key differences. First, "number place" puzzles have their clues set in at random, while sudoku has clues set in a symmetric pattern. Second, "number place" puzzles rarely have fewer than 30 clues, while sudoku rarely has as many as 30.

7. How can I support your website?

Don't worry about it, just enjoy the puzzles. Tell your friends about sudoku so they'll stop by as well. If you have a website, you could link to sudokuplace, and I would appreciate it.

8. How do you rank the puzzle's difficulty?

Some people have guessed it is based on how many clues are showing. Not quite, although generally more clues makes for an easier puzzle. Most of my SuDoku have 25-29 clues, so not much wiggle room there.

The main thing is not the number of clues, but the number of cells which can be immediately derived from the clues. For more details, see the article on sudoku scoring