Wayne Gould

DO YOU Su Doku? There has been a lot of hype about this game — “the most addictive in the world” — and many websites devoted to producing new Su Dokus every day for aficionados who need a regular fix.

The Times claims its Su Dokus are the original and the best, so it is not surprising its collections of “the crossword without words” have stormed the bestseller lists.

There are some who blithely fill in cryptic crosswords in pen, while the rest of us approach them with trepidation, and only when armed with pencil, eraser and dictionary. For those in the second category, fear not: Su Doku is also for you.

Do not be put off by the numbers — no mathematical or even arithmetic ability is needed: any nine symbols would do, but Arabian numerals are the most universally known. Su Doku is a game of pure logic; no general knowledge is required, it suits those of us who cannot spell, and a grounding in the classics, or even in youth culture, is of no value at all.

The introduction to one of the collections mentions that former Bletchley Park code breakers are among the number-placing puzzle enthusiasts — but don’t be intimidated; many of them also enjoy chocolate, which does not make it any less attractive to people whose IQs do not rank in high figures.

The Times Su Dokus are graded in four levels of difficulty, ranging from “Easy” to “Fiendish”. The only quibble I have is that 70% of the puzzles are “Difficult” or “Fiendish”, with only a few being “Mild” or “Easy”. English commuters might spend enough time in sufficient comfort to complete these, but as a general rule South Africans do not, and they are too tough to be finished during a tea break: for the addict, it is unthinkable not to finish a puzzle.

Twenty minutes of regular daily application to a logic or crossword puzzle should ensure against Alzheimer’s and premature senility. If you don’t Su Doku, petition your medical aid to allow you to claim on these books — for the good of your long-term sanity. Family and friends might object at first, until they become addicted themselves, and we all live to enjoy a sane and puzzling old age together.… (more)