Tokyo: Maki Kaji, the Japanese man known as the “Godfather of Sudoku,” has died at the age of 69. On Monday, ‘Nikoli,’ the first puzzle magazine in Japan published a statement on its website saying Kaji had died at his home in Tokyo from bile duct cancer on Aug. 10, 2021. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters.
Kaji gave the number puzzle its name after publishing it in his magazine Nikoli in the 1980s. Since then the popular game - involving placing the numbers 1 to 9 in each row, column and square of a 9 by 9 grid - has spread around the globe. Tournaments take place across the world and it is estimated that millions play versions of the game each day.
