Sudoku rocks the Columbia Basin Herald

COLUMBIA BASIN — Sudoku, a number game, is a logic-based placement puzzle starts in the Columbia Basin Herald today on page eight.

"A number of the Hagadone newspapers have started using Sudoku puzzles and have seen the readers really enjoy it, so we decided to try it," said Columbia Basin Herald Publisher Harlan Beagley, "Sudoku is a puzzle that doesn't require particular math skills or word knowledge so anyone can play."

The aim of the canonical puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell of a 9x9 grid made up of 3x3 subgrids, starting with various digits given in some cells.

Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral. The bottom line is a given number should appear only once per row, column or area.

Completing the puzzle requires patience and logical ability, he said.

"It's highly addictive, like a Rubik's Cube. It's also good for the kids, it will help them excel in reasoning," said Beagley.

Sudoku is published in the main news section of the Columbia Basin Herald.

— Staff report