What is a Kenken Puzzle?
Author of KenKen Tetsuya Miyamoto is a Japanese math teacher who wanted to make his lessons more interesting and effective for children. Then he came up with this intellectual simulator, which became so popular. KenKen develops cognitive abilities, improves memory, attention and logical thinking. Suitable for children and adults.
It’s a stretch to call these puzzles new: math teacher from Yokohama Tetsuya Miyamoto formulated the principle of playing KenKen back in 2004. Many progressive ideas created in Japan remain there, but KenKen has successfully spread to the West. It is played not only in Korea, Thailand or China, but also in Western Europe and America.
How to Play Kenken Puzzle?
The KenKen puzzle is a square grid with empty blocks. In the upper left corner of each block there is a number and an arithmetic sign. It is necessary to fill the grid so that the numbers are not repeated in the rows and columns, while the numbers inside the block as a result of the specified arithmetic operation should give the answer to the left of the sign. The number of different numbers is equal to the number of rows or columns. This means that the numbers 1 to 4 will be located in a 4 × 4 square.
Rules KenKen Puzzle
The puzzle consists of a grid with numbers and signs of four arithmetic operations. You need to fill the rows and columns with numbers so that they contain a complete set of numbers, but are not repeated. But in the block circled with a bold line, the numbers may be repeated. The number of numbers that can be used depends on the grid size. The sign of an arithmetic operation in a block means that if this action is performed on all the numbers in the block, the number in the upper left corner of the block will be obtained. In the most complex puzzles there are no arithmetic symbols at all. Usually tasks are completed for a while. The best players fill out the grid in just a minute. And this, of course, is a real challenge for all intellectuals.
How does Kenken Puzzle Work?
“Ken” means “wisdom” in Japanese, and “KenKen” means “wisdom squared.” Solving puzzles teaches you to think flexibly and practically. The creator of KenKen, Tetsuya Miyamoto, believed that often in mathematics lessons they give some formulas that you don’t really understand, you simply demonstrate the ability to produce some artificial things that you have memorized. But when you solve KenKen, you really understand what you did. You begin to understand mathematics.
Learning to play KenKen is as easy as learning to play tic-tac-toe; everyone can do KenKen. You don’t have to be good at math. You just need to know how to fold. KenKen contains all the elements of Sudoku, but when solving KenKen the brain works differently. The easiest KenKen level is much easier than Sudoku, but the hardest level can be much more challenging.
Why You Should Pay Attention to KenKen Puzzle?
The main advantage of this puzzle is that it is interesting to solve. If you’re passionate about crossword puzzles and like to challenge yourself mentally, you’ll definitely enjoy KenKen.
The principle of filling a grid with numbers is used in much more popular Sudoku. But KenKen outperforms its famous brother in a number of characteristics. Firstly, the brain works more actively when solving KenKen. The fact is that the player here must not only exclude inappropriate options, but also make calculations, as well as keep many alternative solutions in mind. If Sudoku of average difficulty level can be easily solved using a template, then KenKen leaves no other option but to think and guess.
Puzzles That Make You Smarter – this inscription appears on the covers of books with KenKen puzzles for a reason. Mathematics teachers in many countries have noted the positive effects of these logic puzzles. Sometimes such puzzles can not only improve the overall level of arithmetic and logical skills in the class, but also reveal hidden potential in individual students. It has also been proven that intellectual activity helps prevent senile dementia . KenKen is perfect for this too: it captivates both children and adults.
Solving a KenKen puzzle requires logical thinking and a bit of strategy. For some useful gaming tips and tricks, start by filling in the obvious numbers based on the cage totals and constraints, then use the process of elimination to narrow down options and ensure each row and column contains unique numbers.
