Back
🧩 The History of Sudoku
Sudoku is one of the world’s most beloved logic puzzles — but did you know its roots go far deeper than Japan or mobile apps? Here’s a journey through Sudoku’s surprising history, from ancient grids to global fame.
🧮 1. Ancient & Mathematical Roots
Sudoku’s concept can be traced back to Ancient China’s Lo Shu magic square, a 3×3 grid where each row, column, and diagonal summed to the same number.
In the 18th century, Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler developed the theory of Latin Squares — a square where each symbol appears once per row and column. This laid the foundation for modern Sudoku.
📰 2. 19th-Century French Puzzles
In the late 1800s, French newspapers began publishing puzzle grids with striking similarities to Sudoku.
- In 1892, Le Siècle published a partially filled 9×9 grid with 3×3 regions.
- By 1895, La France debuted the carré magique diabolique — nearly identical to today’s Sudoku.
These puzzles faded from public view during the early 20th century.
🇺🇸 3. Birth of Modern Sudoku: “Number Place”
The first modern Sudoku appeared in 1979, credited to Howard Garns, an American architect. He created a puzzle called Number Place, published by Dell Puzzle Magazines.
Though Garns never saw Sudoku become a global craze, he is now recognized as one of its key originators.
🇯🇵 4. Japanese Adoption & the Name “Sudoku”
In 1984, Japanese puzzle publisher Nikoli introduced the game to Japan under the name:
"Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru"
(The digits must be single)
Later shortened to Sudoku (数独) — a blend of “su” (number) and “doku” (single).
Nikoli added new rules: a max of 32 given digits and symmetrical layouts for visual appeal.
🌍 5. Global Boom in the 2000s
In 1997, New Zealand-born judge Wayne Gould discovered Sudoku while visiting Japan. He built software to generate puzzles and spent years pitching it to newspapers.
On November 11, 2004, The Times in London published the first English-language Sudoku. It quickly spread across newspapers worldwide.
🏆 6. Competitions & Digital Expansion
Sudoku entered the competitive scene with the World Sudoku Championship in 2006, hosted by the World Puzzle Federation.
Meanwhile, Sudoku evolved digitally:
-
Mobile apps
-
Websites like sudoku.ph
-
Puzzle variations (e.g. Killer Sudoku, 16×16 grids, Wordoku)
🗓️ Timeline Summary
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| ~2200 BCE | Lo Shu magic square in Ancient China |
| 1776 | Euler’s Latin Squares |
| 1892–1895 | French newspapers publish early 9×9 puzzles |
| 1979 | “Number Place” by Howard Garns |
| 1984 | Nikoli publishes Sudoku in Japan |
| 2004 | The Times introduces Sudoku to UK readers |
| 2006 | First World Sudoku Championship |
💬 Final Thoughts
From mystical Chinese squares to handheld smartphones, Sudoku has evolved across centuries and cultures. Its logic-driven design, elegant rules, and infinite variation make it a timeless favorite.
Whether you're a casual solver or a competitive puzzler, Sudoku continues to challenge and delight minds all over the world.
Ready to play? Try it now at
👉 https://sudoku.ph