Product Description

When the "Guardian" relaunched their new Berliner sized paper this autumn, they chose Kakuro as one of their launch vehicles. Kakuro (called Kakro in Japan and Cross Sums in the USA) has become the new puzzle phenomenon gathering millions of fans worldwide. Older than Sudoku and played for many years in Japan, Kakuro is best described as a kind of mathematical crossword. Like Sudoku, Kakuro is played on grids of varying sizes. Each grid consists of blank and filled squares similar to a crossword puzzle and the object of Kakuro is to fill in each of the white squares with the numbers 1-9 so that each set of blanks adds up to the total to the left or above. The same number cannot be used more than once in each set. Some filled in squares have a diagonal slash across them with two numbers - one above and one below the diagonal. These are the 'clues' - the number in the top right corner relates to a horizontal 'clue' and the one in the bottom left corner relates to a vertical one. "The Guardian Book of Kakuro" will feature over 100 different puzzles, graduating from 40 simple ones to 20 odd of medium difficulty and then finally featuring some really tough ones for everyone who has mastered the skill. Each puzzle has been hand crafted by a Japanese inventor and is wholly original. "The Guardian Book of Kakuro" will also include four pages of 'How To', explaining the rules and featuring example puzzles, plus a page of unique number combinations (saving the need to constantly add up!).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10329 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From the Publisher
The Guardian was the first UK newspaper to introduce Kakuro, the new Japanese number puzzle which is even more addictive and challenging than Sudoku

From the Inside Flap
100 original puzzles, handcrafted by Kakuro’s Japanese creator

Already more popular than Sudoku in Japan, Kakuro is the latest number puzzle craze to grip the UK – even more challenging, but no less addictive.

The rules are as simple as Sudoku – a step-by-step 'How to' section will help get you started, and the puzzles are graded according to difficulty, becoming ever more challenging as you master the skill.

For all Sudoku fanatics, this is the ultimate test...

About the Author
Copyright (c) Nikoli in association with Puzzler Media, 2005

Customer Reviews

the best Kakuro
I am a Kakuro addict and this was my first book and it is still the best despite trying others. The mix of difficulty but ability to succeed is brilliant. When is volume 2 coming out please

A good mix of puzzles
A good alternative to killer sudoku. They start off easy, get more difficult and then get easy again before they get harder again. All puzzles can be solved, unlike some other books out there that include puzzles that have more than one option.

Good for beginners
Having completed several kakuro books, this one was a bit too easy for me - I was only challenged by the puzzles a few times. Great if you are new to Kakuro, if not, go for the MENSA Kakuro, which is much more challenging.