From You're a Smart Bunch!
It took countless hours of reading, studying, and head-scratching, but we are pleased to announce to the world that we have discovered the one true secret to solving Sudoku puzzles.Coffee.
"When the puzzle gets tough, the tough get coffee," said one of roughly 2,000 contest finalists who submitted their best Sudoku-solving secret as part of the first Reader's Digest Super Samurai Challenge. In fact, at least 50 people mentioned coffee as part of their answer. By comparison, there were merely two mentions of tea.
Last spring, Reader's Digest invited Americans to solve an extra hard Samurai Sudoku (five standard Sudoku puzzles clustered together into one oversized puzzle). The prize for the winner: $10,000 in cash. However, knowing that a fair number of Sudoku lovers would be able to solve the puzzle, we also provided two tough math questions to serve as tiebreakers.
You're a smart bunch, though. In total, we received roughly 4,000 entries, far beyond our expectations, given the toughness of the puzzles. Of those, about 3,200 had the Samurai puzzle correct, the two tiebreakers correct, and the entry form properly filled in.
On to tiebreaker No. 2, the final one, in which we asked these finalists to submit their best secret for solving Sudoku (maximum length: 150 words). Again, we were naive. Sure, there are lots of great puzzle masters out there. But how many of them can write well?, we smugly thought to ourselves.
Mistaken yet again! We received more than 2,000 short essays from the finalists on how to solve Sudoku. Their creativity was stunning, even humbling. It is clear that folks read the judging criteria. We slyly made viability and practicality of the advice a mere 20 percent of the scoring equation. The other 80 percent was focused on creativity and use of language. In other words, we weren't looking for a precise scientific methodology or algorithm, but rather creativity and inspiration. Here's a review of what we received and, to conclude, the winning submission.
Creativity
She strolled into my office like she owned the joint, all legs and lipstick, giving me a smoky look that makes a man want to put on shiny shoes and take up the tango.
"Tell me your Sudoku secret," she purred.
"No dice, doll face," I growled.
So began the contest entry from Linda Robinson of Illinois, quickly proving that Sudoku lovers are hardly the math geeks that non- Sudoku folks suggest. In fact, we were highly amused at the humor that hundreds of finalists revealed in their essays.
Essays came in all shapes and forms. Several entrants used the grid form of a Sudoku as a framework for essays or poems. The entry of Linda Hiltenbeitel was a good example, cleverly and simply presenting the nine characters "P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E-!" in a correct Sudoku format. Then there were the creative writers. This wonderful ode to erasers came from Jared Deaton of Idaho:
I have an eraser crumb problem. My wife thinks it's a Sudoku problem, but that's not quite right. The problem is not the Sudoku; it's the eraser crumbs. They're starting to take over. I shovel a path through them to my car every morning, we vacuum small mountains of them off our kitchen table daily, and my kids spend their evenings building eraser crumb castles in the living room. I'm not one of those casual Sudoku puzzlers -- the kind who do a few on a long plane ride, or half a puzzle after the comics and Sunday brunch. For me, it's an obsession, and with that kind of commitment and dedication come the eraser crumbs. That's my Sudoku secret: a good guess and a large gum eraser .. . works every time. Then all that's left is to figure out which eraser crumb pile the barbecue is under.
We enjoyed many entries that were cleverly packaged as well. Lance Yunkin of Pennsylvania burned the edges of his paper to give the feeling of a centuries-old document and wrote in fine Elizabethan form:
Thou logic test! Thou Worthiest of foes!
Hear this: Thy lofty state thou must resign
If I should place the numbers one through nine ..
Penelope Wilkie of Florida went contemporary, using the tools of modern motivation to convince us of her essay's superiority: She sent her essay beautifully displayed on an official-looking prize certificate, replete with an "excellence award" ribbon.
Finally, there were the metaphors. Sudoku is like a romance. Sudoku is like piloting an airplane. One entrant, a diehard baseball fan, used nothing but baseball analogies and then supplied "Give Me a Fun Sudoku!" lyrics to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
But in the metaphor category, we favored this particularly tasty comparison that started the entry of Rochel Burstyn of Michigan:
Explaining Sudoku by writing is like eating fried chicken with a fork and a knife. Possible, but it's just easier to use your fingers!
Profound Thoughts
If coffee is the magic elixir of Sudoku, then the magical trait is patience. Over and over, essayists noted that the only valid secret to Sudoku is in honing the right Zen-like personality traits. Among our favorite entries on this theme came from Preston Shamblen of Texas:Solving Sudoku puzzles cultivates a human attribute that has long been overlooked: patience. Strict time constraints have become the signature aspects of not only our games but our lives as well. Fast food, fast money, fast relationships -- this has become our way, especially in Western civilization, so there's little wonder that this simple riddle has become such a success. There is something deeply pleasing to me in deriving unity and order from chaos. It does not require esoteric knowledge of mathematics or tricks. The information to complete the puzzle is right in front of my eyes. My only "secret" is allowing myself the luxury of ignoring time. If I'm ever unable to find the next clue, I stop long enough to realize that there are no unsolvable Sudokus, and that in the future I have already solved it. Then I continue watching the puzzle unravel itself to me.
Another entry quoted John Quincy Adams on the same subject to good effect:
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
Dave Whipple of Kentucky was eloquent in his focus on simple human attributes rather than fancy mathematical systems:
I have spent countless hours reading Sudoku logic guides, chatting at the office water cooler, and searching the Web for Sudoku secrets. While there are numerous opinions on how to solve a Sudoku quickly, I have yet to find a foolproof, works-every-time solution. And yet, as I throw my hands up in absolute frustration or tap my pencil anxiously looking for the one number that will make all the others materialize, I find myself reflecting on how knowing life's most treasured secrets is the key to solving any Sudoku: Be willing to take risks and know that you will make mistakes. Take your time. Be willing to ask for help. Practice, practice, practice. If frustrated, take a break, and when you return, the solution will usually be right there in front of you. The more time you put into something, the greater the reward you will get out of it.
Human Drama
We never would have guessed that tears would come to our eyes reading about Sudoku-solving secrets, but many people used the contest as a chance to share some highly personal emotions and stories.
More than a few entries talked of the power of Sudoku to divert the entrant's mind during a battle with cancer. One essay spoke of a sister and a brother competing with Sudoku, with a stunning last paragraph:
When working my puzzles, I use a pencil; my brother, Dave, uses a pen. I write "possible" numbers on the top of cells; Dave writes them on the side. Dave also adds notes, thoughts, and an occasional"attaboy" to each puzzle... I completed my book; my brother did not. Dave lost his battle with cancer on August 18, 2006. His book is now a family treasure. Sudoku is more than just a game; it's a family memory.
To the Hampton family of Michigan, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sadness showed up in other ways. One entrant wrote us a lovely six-page, single-spaced letter telling of her battles with a bipolar personality -- and how one side of her personality was so much better at Sudoku than the other! Another entry came from a woman who was in the midst of helping her father rebuild his New Orleans neighborhood, ruined by Hurricane Katrina. Her entry was a bittersweet ode to the numbers 1 through 9:
Seven stoves soaked, we salvaged two! Six sinks needed, three will do.
Five fabulous roofs to face the new season, four left alone against all reason.
There were emotional entries of a more upbeat nature as well. Sara Bickerton of Georgia not only told us about introducing Sudoku to her kindergarten class, but sent some wonderful photos. And we particularly liked the entry from Scott Crudele of California, who told us of a wonderful Sudoku-solving secret that is his alone to cherish:
What is the "secret" to solve a Sudoku? To find out, I start my Sunday morning ritual with a cup of coffee and a Sudoku. As workweek anxieties subside, I hear the pitter-patter of little feet; Allison, age four, is awake.
"Daddy, can I help?" she asks in a sleepy little voice.
Afraid my peace and quiet is over, I hesitantly reply, "Sure, sweetheart!"
She anxiously climbs into my lap. "Daddy, tell me which numbers to write!"
The puzzle become easier as she helps fill numbers (except 5's; she says she doesn't know how to write 5's yet). She also puts numbers next to rows and columns, as "reminders" when the exact box is unknown. More important, I am reminded that it's time with Allison, no longer the "secret," that's meaningful. A four-year-old daughter's love (and help) can solve anything -- especially a Sudoko.
Poetry
Another surprise was the number of poems we received -- hundreds, in fact. Brandon Tucker of Connecticut explained why in the opening verse of his submission:An essay was requested
But those are boring
If I write one for you
I assure you'll be snoring
Many of the poems we received were parodies of world-famous rhymes. For example, Teri Page of Missouri titled her entry "The Midnight Call of Sudoku" and started her entry with:
Listen all samurai and you shall hear
Of how I did Sudoku this previous year.
Rebecca Pepperman of Pennsylvania charmed us with her simple, childlike (in a good way!) rhymes, starting with:
Sudoku is great,
It is so much fun.
When I begin a puzzle
I start with number one.
I see where it fits,
I go through and through.
When there is nowhere left
I switch to two.
Lori Jirles revealed a more adult playfulness with her sequence of limericks, which began:
There once was a girl from Lore City,
Who thought she was sitting pretty.
She knew she would win
With the answers sent in,
But now she's here writing this ditty.
We also enjoyed the poem from Bruce LeRoy of Wisconsin, written in the voice of the numbers themselves. It started with:
We are the digits, and we like to play
We like to Sudoku, at least once a day
We watch you puzzle, but it's hard to gauge
If you're having fun, from the back of the page
Haiku was also a popular form; sequences of this Japanese poetry style came from far and wide. John Drebus of Michigan used haiku in a serious way, laying out a complete puzzle-solving method, fully illustrated, with his 11-haiku answer. His opening and closing haikus were:
The puzzle beckons.
Empty cells demand answers.
A true path is sought.
Fear not the journey.
The most complex Sudoku
Begins with one cell.
Finally, we appreciated the honesty of Brad Pletcher of Indiana, who told in poetry form of his working on Sudoku puzzles at 2 a.m. at an all-night restaurant, apparently far from home. We liked how it started, but howled at the ending:
'Twas a dark, rainy night,
Town was two miles ahead.
My stomach was growling,
My eyes turning red....
... Alas, I'm a truck driver,
No scholar am I,
But ten grand would make me
A happier guy!
The Winner
Given 2,000 well-written essays, picking just one to be the winner was a task we wouldn't wish on anyone. In winnowing the selections down, we relied on the criteria stated in the rules, a precise blend of creativity, practicality, and best use of language.At the end, we chose the entry from Sharon Stoliaroff in Maryland. Her submission was creative -- no other entry was remotely like it in form or style. It was wise, capturing the best collective secrets of Sudoku with wonderful simplicity and clarity.
And the writing was economical and compelling. As veteran professional writers and editors, we judges felt this was one essay we could not improve on. So our congratulations -- and a $10,000 check! -- to Sharon, for the following submission:
Dear Sensei,
What is the secret of Sudoku?
-- Humble Beginner
Dear Humble,
There are many answers for the beginner:
Use a sharp pencil with a clean eraser.
Respect the rules of logic.
Scan nearby values for patterns.
Start in the regions, rows, and columns with the most numbers.
Re-count after completing each set to check for errors.
With practice, your eyes and your mind will see the answers.
Dear Sensei,
I have solved many puzzles with nearby values, counting, marking, elimination, logic, and guessing, but some I cannot solve. What is the secret of Sudoku?
-- Skilled Solver
Dear Skilled,
There is one answer for the skilled:
The secret of Sudoku lies within yourself.
Practice patience, focus, flexibility, daring, perseverance, respect, and the willingness to erase and begin again.
Then will the beauty of each pattern emerge and all the Sudokus be solved.
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