happy_tiger
Well-known member
Peter Brock passed away 20 years ago today
King of the Mountain
King of the Mountain
And today is .......
- Thread starter tiger_one
- Start date
International Sudoku Day puzzles onto our calendars each September 9. International Sudoku Day was officially established in 2013 by the World Puzzle Federation. They believed September 9th was the most appropriate day since the game consists of a 9 x 9 grid of numbers.
Today highlights the classic, logic-based number-placement puzzle enjoyed by millions around the globe. Whether you are a lifelong solver or a complete beginner, today is the perfect day to challenge your brain with a new grid.
Sudoku is played on a 9x9 grid divided into nine 3x3 sub grids, totaling 81 individual cells. The goal of the game is to fill every row, column and 3x3 box with the numbers 1 through 9. No number can repeat within the same row, column, or 3x3 box. Every puzzle comes with pre-filled numbers and the more numbers provided at the start, the easier the puzzle is to solve.
From casual beach solvers to elite international competitors, Australians have a vibrant and unique connection to Sudoku. The puzzle is a staple of Australian morning routines, competitive sport culture, and elite athletic preparation.
A morning cup of coffee isn't complete without the daily Mind Games section of national papers like The Australian or the Herald Sun.
Sudoku has also carved out a niche in elite Australian sports culture. Australian Dolphins commonwealth swimmer Alex Perkins famously uses Sudoku as a core part of her pre-race preparation. She treats the puzzle as a form of "active meditation" to escape the intense pressure of the pool.
Beyond being a fun and engaging pastime, playing Sudoku offers several great benefits:
It exercises logical reasoning and helps keep your brain active, which benefits mental health.
Provides a calming, meditative break from daily distractions. The strict rules and grid layout require gentle, single-focused concentration. This active meditation blocks out distracting thoughts and emotional overwhelm. Sitting down for 15 to 30 minutes to fill in a grid acts as a quiet, meditative break from daily stress.
Helps with focusing and critical thinking.
Solving each small square or completing a section gives an immediate reward. This provides the brain chemical dopamine.
A Sudoku puzzle is easy to carry on a phone and fills empty waiting times with a fun challenge.
The logic-based rules rely on visual patterns rather than big blocks of text, which fits well with how many neurodivergent brains process information.
Sudoku is not an exclusive test for high IQ, as solving it relies heavily on practice, logic, and learned techniques rather than general intelligence.
Doing puzzles regularly helps create a higher baseline of mental function, meaning your brain stays active and adaptable.
Studies show older adults who solve puzzles often have better short-term memory and faster processing speeds.
The most common Sudoku mistake is guessing instead of using logical deduction, which often ruins the entire puzzle several steps later.
Playing Sudoku every day improves your logical thinking, strengthens your memory, and gives you a calm, focused mental break.
Replacing phone scrolling with a quick paper or digital puzzle helps wake your brain up in the morning or wind down at night.
At the championships the team finished last.
In 2009 team vice-captain Mick Colliss wrote a book, published by HarperCollins Australia called Full Contact Sudoku based on the team's experience in Goa.
A documentary Colour by Numbers detailing their exploits aired on ABC Television in April 2010.
Our brains are always searching for more.
Sodoku can be the map to keep the journey going.
Fun Facts about Sudoku:
“I do Sudoku to relax. Now I'm relaxed – and everything is wrong”
“My secret vice is Sudoku puzzles. Can't stop playing them. My parents are accountants. I blame them entirely”
“My favourite extreme sport is writing a number in pen on a hard Sudoku without checking the rest of the row”
"Life is a puzzle - let's solve it together"
Today highlights the classic, logic-based number-placement puzzle enjoyed by millions around the globe. Whether you are a lifelong solver or a complete beginner, today is the perfect day to challenge your brain with a new grid.
Sudoku is played on a 9x9 grid divided into nine 3x3 sub grids, totaling 81 individual cells. The goal of the game is to fill every row, column and 3x3 box with the numbers 1 through 9. No number can repeat within the same row, column, or 3x3 box. Every puzzle comes with pre-filled numbers and the more numbers provided at the start, the easier the puzzle is to solve.
From casual beach solvers to elite international competitors, Australians have a vibrant and unique connection to Sudoku. The puzzle is a staple of Australian morning routines, competitive sport culture, and elite athletic preparation.
A morning cup of coffee isn't complete without the daily Mind Games section of national papers like The Australian or the Herald Sun.
Sudoku has also carved out a niche in elite Australian sports culture. Australian Dolphins commonwealth swimmer Alex Perkins famously uses Sudoku as a core part of her pre-race preparation. She treats the puzzle as a form of "active meditation" to escape the intense pressure of the pool.
Beyond being a fun and engaging pastime, playing Sudoku offers several great benefits:
It exercises logical reasoning and helps keep your brain active, which benefits mental health.
Provides a calming, meditative break from daily distractions. The strict rules and grid layout require gentle, single-focused concentration. This active meditation blocks out distracting thoughts and emotional overwhelm. Sitting down for 15 to 30 minutes to fill in a grid acts as a quiet, meditative break from daily stress.
Helps with focusing and critical thinking.
Solving each small square or completing a section gives an immediate reward. This provides the brain chemical dopamine.
A Sudoku puzzle is easy to carry on a phone and fills empty waiting times with a fun challenge.
The logic-based rules rely on visual patterns rather than big blocks of text, which fits well with how many neurodivergent brains process information.
Sudoku is not an exclusive test for high IQ, as solving it relies heavily on practice, logic, and learned techniques rather than general intelligence.
Doing puzzles regularly helps create a higher baseline of mental function, meaning your brain stays active and adaptable.
Studies show older adults who solve puzzles often have better short-term memory and faster processing speeds.
The most common Sudoku mistake is guessing instead of using logical deduction, which often ruins the entire puzzle several steps later.
Playing Sudoku every day improves your logical thinking, strengthens your memory, and gives you a calm, focused mental break.
Replacing phone scrolling with a quick paper or digital puzzle helps wake your brain up in the morning or wind down at night.
2008 World Sudoku Championships – Our Aussie Connection
In 2008 a group of former University of Western Australia Rugby Club players decided to form a team to send to the World Sudoku Championship in Goa, India despite three of the four team members, Mick Colliss, Hamish Sutherland, Mark Skiffington and Sandy Sutherland, not having played the game before. Dubbed the Numbats, after a small Australian marsupial, the four worked to gain corporate sponsorship for their endeavour. They eventually raised enough money to cover their trip and to provide distinctive uniforms including sporting blazers that closely resembled those worn by Australia's team at the 1936 Olympic Games.At the championships the team finished last.
In 2009 team vice-captain Mick Colliss wrote a book, published by HarperCollins Australia called Full Contact Sudoku based on the team's experience in Goa.
A documentary Colour by Numbers detailing their exploits aired on ABC Television in April 2010.
Our brains are always searching for more.
Sodoku can be the map to keep the journey going.
Fun Facts about Sudoku:
- Sudoku was formerly called "Number Place." It was created by an American architect named Howard Garns in the 1970s. It was later introduced to Japan by a puzzle publisher named Maki Kaji, who called it "Sudoku," a combination of the Japanese words "su," meaning "number," and "doku," meaning "single."
- Sudoku has been used in a number of educational settings as a way to teach math and logic kills to students. It has also been shown to have a number of cognitive benefits, including improving memory and problem-solving skills.
- In 2006, the inaugural World Sudoku Championship was held in Lucca, Italy, with competitors from over 40 countries.
“I do Sudoku to relax. Now I'm relaxed – and everything is wrong”
“My secret vice is Sudoku puzzles. Can't stop playing them. My parents are accountants. I blame them entirely”
“My favourite extreme sport is writing a number in pen on a hard Sudoku without checking the rest of the row”
"Life is a puzzle - let's solve it together"
Buttface
Well-known member
I went to a car accessory shop opening once and he was there signing “one item” person. (Before selfies were a thing). So I stood in line and everyone is asking him stupid shite like what’s your fav colour, and he is signing and barely looks up as they move along. Then I get there and say “G’day Pete, do ya still get a woody when ya get sideways?” And he shoots a look at me and spends the next 5 minutes telling me how sick it is getting sideways at a 10000 clicks and reining that beast in. Then signs everything I had in my arms plus the shirt and hat I was wearing. You could tell he still loved it and it gives me goosebumps telling you about it.
Thanks for the memories Brocky.
Champion @Buttface - you are (without doubt) the WTF outright legend when it comes to getting hats signed! 😉
Buttface
Well-known member
I don’t know Brock’s career never recovered and some would say JL’s has crashed since.
I wonder if I can get Nath to sign a hat?
Losing two aussie legends in Brocky and the croc man in the space of a few days 20 years back
Still remember where i was at the time...both at the same.place and time ...in the car, 3pm news ...a few days apart...couldnt beleiev it
Still remember where i was at the time...both at the same.place and time ...in the car, 3pm news ...a few days apart...couldnt beleiev it
