Su Doku: A game with good taste

It's already gripped a nation but on Tuesday morning last week it gripped the Newsnight office.

Granted, it was a very slight grip but, as is typical of the Newsnight team first thing in the morning, questions were rife. What is this game? How do you play it? Has anyone seen my stapler?

And when one member of staff admitted to overshooting his tube stop the previous night because he was so engrossed in the game, Newsnight's editor decided it was time to find out more.

On Tuesday 10 May, Newsnight's Greg Neale set out to learn all he could about the Su Doku puzzle.

Jeremy Paxman - full of sauce

But we on the web team wanted to throw our own version of the game into the ring. Another chance to test the minds of the Newsnight audience.

Our version is presented with a difference - instead of nine numbers we're using letters. This is because, thanks to the foresight of the programme's originators 25 years ago, there are nine letters in the name Newsnight.

So, the game remains simple: every row, every column and every 3x3 box should contain the letters N e w s n i g h t - and the capital N should be regarded as distinct from its lower case companion.

Fabulous prizes to be won!

To add a touch of spice to the proceedings, and for the sake of marrying two entirely unrelated subjects, we're offering half a dozen wonderful prizes to the first six correct entries pulled out of Jeremy Paxman's tie drawer.

Mr Paxman recently learned that he had been awarded the Grand Order of the Grill by the National BBQ Association for his grillin' of various politicians during the election campaign. In addition to a certificate, that hangs proudly from Jeremy's office wall, he's been presented with six bottles of GrillMaster's Revenge sauces.

Jeremy only ever grills politicians on behalf of Newsnight's attentive viewers, though, so it seems only appropriate that we give those viewers the opportunity to share in Jeremy's hot sauces.

Print off the page, complete the puzzle and send it to:

Newsnight Su Doku Sauces competition
Room G680
Newsnight
BBC TV Centre
Wood Lane
London W12 7RJ

What are you waiting for? Play the game and share in the sauce!

This competition is now closed.

Greg Neale's film was shown on Newsnight at 10.30pm on Tuesday 10 May 2005. Web viewers can watch it again by clicking on the media link at the top of the right-hand column.