When judge Wayne Gould retired in Hong Kong in 1997, he had no idea that another career still lay ahead.
A keen puzzle fan, Gould stumbled across the logic puzzle sudoku (sue-doe-koo) while traveling in Tokyo. Instantly intrigued, he spent the next six years developing a computer program that could generate an endless supply of games.
In 2004, Gould walked into The Times of London newspaper offices and asked to see the features editor. The rest, as they say, is history. Sudoku now appears in nearly 400 newspapers in 58 countries.
PT:
People call you the "father of sudoku." Is that a fair description?
Gould: I'm really more like the stepfather. I came across this puzzle that needed a lot of help and encouragement.
How do people react when they find out who you are?
Some people go weak at the knees and start screaming.
Why the global craze?
Because there is no language involved, sudoku can spread around the world with no barrier. As far as popularity goes, I think it's because it is the most stripped-down puzzle that we have. Other puzzles are dressed up with unnecessary information and of course many do require expertise. They test what you know, whereas sudoku tests how you think.
What's your idea of fun?
I'm the sort of person who can get interested in the first thing that catches my eye. If I'm short of something to do, I go into the nearest library and find the nonfiction section. The first thing I see can be my interest for the next year or so. In the past, that has included codebreaking, printing and archery.
It took a long time to develop the computer program. Was there a risk that you'd lose interest?
No, once I take on a project, I see it through to the end. The trouble is that I'm a perfectionist. I'm slowed down by that. It's a terrible combination, having an interest in everything and being a perfectionist.
Are certain personality traits common to puzzlers?
I used to think that there was a certain puzzler type, but since sudoku came along, I'm not so sure. In the past, we've thought of puzzle people as people who do crosswords, yet there is a large portion of the population that just doesn't like doing word puzzles.
What advice do you have for the sudoku-obsessed?
Pace yourself. I don't think it's addictive, but it is consuming. Maybe decide you'll do one or two a day and limit yourself to that.
Fad or Forever?
Will Shortz, crossword editor for The New York Times, first thought sudoku would go the way of the Rubik's cube. Now he thinks the game has the staying power of the crossword.
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Sudoku is a meme, a mental "virus" that infects huge numbers of people. Other memes, such as catch phrases, e-mail hoaxes and even religious beliefs, may be short-lived or they may "mutate" and find a permanent place in human culture.
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Sudoku's sticking power may be rooted in how it makes people feel. Unlike other puzzles, sudoku requires no knowledge, math skills or even literacy, and yet people feel that playing it makes them smarter. It also inspires camaraderie, as gamers often play during spare moments—in line at the bank, on buses or in airport lounges. "It's about interactions and shared experiences with others using it, rather than the puzzle itself," says Carol Graham, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
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Shortz suggests another reason for sudoku's success: Amid everyday challenges, the puzzle offers the satisfaction of a neatly solved problem in just 15 minutes.
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