Lovers of puzzles and logic will come into their own. International Sudoku Day falls on 9 September. It belongs to everyone who likes to play it or wants to learn how to play this fun number game. In the last century, it boomed and is still a gaming sensation today.

International Sudoku Day was not chosen randomly on 9 September. It is a deliberate choice that refers to the principle of Sudoku. Connoisseurs will undoubtedly notice the obvious symbolism. Sudoku consists of filling the boxes with numbers, thus forming a 9×9 grid. In total, there are 81 boxes. Each row, column and square is then filled with numbers from 1 to 9.

History of Sudoku

The origin of Sudoku dates back to approximately the 18th century. The Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler invented a game in a similar vein. It was called Latin Squares and was not divided into blocks of nine at the time.

Around two hundred years later, the French newspaper “La Siècle” published another version of Sudoku. For a time, however, it was a fairly popular game, but it declined during World War I. A revival came in 1979, when Howard Garns published his own version in “Dell Magazine”, which has survived in its form to this day.

Today there are a number of sudoku apps. ━━ Today there are a number of sudoku apps. ( Source: diego_cervo /  iStockphoto )

Sudoku Awards

Today, Sudoku is considered a sensation. It not only fills the pages of magazines and newspapers, but can be played on the internet and mobile apps. In 2013, the World Federation of Logic Puzzles designated 9 September as International Sudoku Day.

And why is Sudoku so popular all over the world? This is a question that has been asked many times, but no one has been able to answer it clearly. It is often said to be a human instinct that leads it to find order in chaos. The feeling after completing a sudoku is extra great and heart-warming.

Interestingly, back in the 1980s, sudoku was already significantly popular in Japan. To this day, over 600,000 magazines containing the game are purchased by locals every month.

Health benefits

Solving sudoku is good for your brain as it keeps the mind sharp. It helps to increase focus and concentration, while also having a calming effect as it relieves stress. Many studies also refer to its ability to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.