What's the secret of Sudoku's success?
With a classic grid layout, Sudoku is similar to strategy games such as chess. In a way, it's a sort of numerical version of a crossword

However, what often puts people off crosswords is knowing that there's probably something that will stop them completing the puzzle. There's no such obstacles with Sudoku, and it appeals to people who like games that don't depend on specific knowledge of a subject.

To play it, you only need the ability to distinguish between the numbers 1 to 9 and a logical mind. Once you've solved the first couple of numbers and proved to yourself that you can do it, the challenge to complete the puzzle is irresistible.

So who, what, where did it come from?
Sudoku is a Japanese word sometimes spelt "Su Doku". A placement puzzle, Sudoku was actually first published in the USA in the late 1970s as "Number Place" by New York-based publisher Dell in "Math Puzzles and Logic Problems Magazine".

The puzzle next became popular in Japan in 1986, just two years after it was introduced under the name Suji wa dokushin ni kagiru (!!?), which means "numbers must be single". The name was then abbreviated to Sudoku, meaning "single".

In 1997, a retired judge from New Zealand called Wayne Gould began work on a computer program that could automatically generate puzzles. Six years later, Wayne was able to sell his product to The Times which launched Sudoku in the UK on 12 November 2004.

Just a few days later, The Daily Mail followed suit with a "Codenumber" quiz. The Daily Telegraph started to publish its own version in May 2005 and now it's an international phenomenon, published in newspapers and magazines all over the world.

Hmmm... I might try it. How do you play?
The aim of the puzzle is to fill numbers from 1 to 9 in each cell of a grid. They are mostly 9×9 grids split into 3×3 sub-grids (also called "regions"). The puzzle starts with different numbers already given in some cells (the "givens"). Each row, column and region must contain only one instance of each number. It's all about patience and logic.

Sudoku beginner tips

Use a pencil to take notes of numbers that might be in a square

Be prepared for a lot of rubbing out!

Look at the rows, columns and boxes that are well-populated with clues; that's where you'll get the best chances of solving more

Try to section the grid off in your mind - look at the first three rows and see if there is anything, then the second three, and so on

Repeat this process with the columns