I Kendu, Can you?

The newest craze involving numbers and logical thinking was once again developed in Japan. It is literally like the ordinary Sudoku except for the twists included. Its official name is KenKen or Kendoku or Kendu which means “cleverness” in Japanese. It is a brain booster which enhances the mind’s capability to think in a wider range and logically.

It is in the year 2004 that a Japanese math ace teacher named Tetsuya Miyamoto invented this to allow oneself to test his/her puzzle acumen and to improve mathematical skills. He is an innovator and believes in “the art of teaching without teaching” principle.

KenKen takes Sudoku to a new level by adding elementary arithmetic to exercise your brain. Each puzzle grid contains rows, columns, and bordered regions.

To solve a KenKen puzzle, you must combine numbers in each bordered region with the given math operation to obtain the region’s given answer while not repeating any number in any row or column.

The goal of each puzzle is to fill a grid with digits –– 1 through 4 for a 4x4 grid, 1 through 5 for a 5x5, etc. –– so that no digit appears more than once in any row or column. Grids range in size from 3x3 to 9x9. Additionally, KenKen grids are divided into heavily outlined groups of cells which are often called “cages” and the numbers in the cells of each cage must produce a certain “target” number when combined using a specified mathematical operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division). For example, a three-cell cage specifying addition and a target number of 6 in a 4x4 puzzle might be satisfied with the digits 1, 2, and 3. Digits may be repeated within a cage, as long as they are not in the same row or column. No operation is relevant for a single-cell cage: placing the "target" in the cell is the only possibility. The target number and operation appear in the upper left-hand corner of the cage.

For those who are eager to try this game you can now download it on your Iphones just visit the website for more information.

Though it is not yet that recognized as a global addicting game, countries in the western region are now advertising it, letting it be known worldwide. Start boosting your minds with Kendu! I’m sure, if you like Sudoku, you’ll love Kendu! After every puzzle, I assure you you’ll shout and say “I Kendu!” ##