Sudoku

Sudoku was always a game I was curious about. Even when I was younger I would watch people play this game and cringe at the very thought of getting the puzzle wrong. It wasn't Chess or Checkers, but it required just as much strategy and detail. I've heard people call this game "The Devil" because it can really be that tedious, depending on your strategy and mastery level.

Sudoku tests the mind as well as your thinking ability. The object of the game is to get numbers one through nine in a cell, row, or column, without repeating any of the numbers twice. The definition makes it sound very easy, but its actually harder than it looks.

One day I downloaded a Sudoku App onto my iPhone and started to play. Although I had no strategy I did ok, but I failed. I then realized that I liked the book better because it allowed me to write the numbers down to see all of my possibles. I went to Dollar General to purchase the book and the rest is history! I've been hooked every since!

This is one of the first puzzles I did, and it was not easy. I learned how to do these puzzles watching YouTube. Robin "The Sudoku" Guy is a older gentlemen who does YouTube videos about different Sudoku strategies. The strategies range from easy to hard and more advanced lessons. He teaches people of all ages and from all different backgrounds. He even tutors students from time to time.

His lessons really helped me get better and more efficient. One of the lessons he taught that really helped me was the "Left, Center, Right" strategy. It basically helps you when you are looking at the puzzle vertically. One number goes in the center, that same number goes to the right in the next column and cell below the previous cell, and the exact same number goes to the left in the next column and cell below that. I'll definitely leave a link for anyone who is interested in learning this strategy. Its a very powerful and beneficial tool to use when doing these puzzles.

One thing that I love about Sudoku is that it strengthens your mind, and it sharpens your critical thinking skills. It's a mental battle field where only the strong survive. Its like a war, the more strategies you have, the more successful you will be. Since I've started playing Sudoku I've found my memory and attention to detail has improved. I notice that Sudoku helps me look for other ways to solve a problem instead of avoiding it. Finishing a puzzle gives me the confidence to know that I can handle any problem that comes my way, all I have to do is use my mind.

Thats the basis of Sudoku. Everything is hidden in plain sight, you just have figure out how to see it. It challenges you to be better and think about your next move. It correlates to life as much as the game of Chess does. The better thinker you are, the more attentive to detail you are, and the better strategist you are, the better off your life will be! I definitely recommend Sudoku!

Here's a link to Robin "The Sudoku Guy's" YouTube channel for anyone who is interested in learning how to play!

Thank you everyone for reading my article! All opinions and comments are welcomed! I hope you have a great day! Happy Writing!