Carol Vorderman's Sudoku Game Rules

INTRODUCTION

I am Carol Vorderman and I admit I have a Sudoku "habit". If you have read my book, "How to do Sudoku" (Ebury Press) you will know all about how I became an addict. You will also know how to play Sudoku - and hopefully, be pretty good at it by now.

These rules do give a very brief outline of what you are meant to do with Sudoku puzzles, but they are not meant to be an in-depth lesson.

If you use this game board and its disks as a "large print" way of solving Sudoku puzzles from my book, you CAN write number notes on the white board in HB pencil then rub them off with a rubber after each game.

This game is a fun way to enjoy Sudoku with a friend - good luck and good Sudoku-ing!

SETTING UP

Lay out the plastic board and select a single card from the pack on which you will see the set-up grid of numbers to start the game.

Decide if you are going to use the EASY or MEDIUM set-up. If it is the MEDIUM, slide the EASY half of the card under the side of the board to hide the extra numbers.

Place all 81 double sided (blue and red backed) number disks on the table by the board along with the timer.

Use the green number disks to put the starter numbers from the card into the corresponding spots in the board.

Fold up the cardboard filter sleeve (the cut and creased card with the long narrow slot in it) then slip the red filter into it.

HANDICAPPING

If one player is much better than the other, put the MEDIUM set-up numbers on the plastic board, then pass the card to the less experienced player who can use the additional numbers in the EASY set-up grid without showing them to their opponent.

BONUS NUMBERS RED FILTERED

On the EASY set-up grid there is one extra obscured number in each 3X3 "mini-grid" of the board. If play is slowing down or stalling, either player can forego a turn to "buy" a row of these extra numbers.

Put the filter window over the top third of the EASY grid on the puzzle card. You will see the top row of 3X3 mini-grids. Read off the three 3 bonus numbers and use your coloured number disks to put them on the plastic board.

The next player to "buy" 3 bonus numbers uses those across the middle third of the set-up grid. The third and last time a player "buys" bonus numbers they use the bottom third of the set-up grid.

HOW TO PLAY BASIC SUDOKU

The puzzle shows a 9X9 grid, split into 9 mini-grids each of which is 3X3.

In each 3X3 mini-grid you must place the numbers 1 to 9 once each. Also in each Column you must place the numbers 1 to 9 and in each Row you must place the numbers 1 to 9 once each.

To start each puzzle the "set-up" numbers are shown on the cards.

HOW TO PLAY THE BOARD GAME

Decide who will go first by mutual consent. Flip the timer. The first player now has one minute to place any number disks - with their colour facing up - that they think are correct. (You can decide on 2 minute turns if you want).

When the timer runs out, turn it over and the next player continues solving the puzzle, placing coloured number disks (with THEIR colour up) on the board as they work out numbers.

If a player believes that their opponent has got a number wrong, they can lift up that number and replace it with the "right" number in their own colour. Equally they can replace one of their own numbers if they decide that it is wrong.

LENGTH OF GAME

At the start of the game players agree on a number of rounds to be played. If for example that number is 10. Play stops when each player had had 10 one-minute turns.

WINNING

Turn over the puzzle card to reveal the entire solution. Players score one point for each correct number disk of their colour on the board. Each player must subtract one point from their total for each WRONG number disk of their colour to get the final total. The player with the highest total wins.