World Sudoku Championship

Summary

The World Sudoku Championship (WSC) is an annual international puzzle competition organised by a member of the World Puzzle Federation. The first event was held in Lucca in 2006. National teams are determined by local affiliates of the World Puzzle Federation. The competition typically consists of 100 or more puzzles solved by all competitors over multiple timed rounds, including classic sudoku, variations and other puzzle types, normally followed by a playoff for the top qualifiers to determine a champion. Examples of rounds include the Relay round, where an answer from one puzzle contributes digits to the start of the next sudoku, and the "World Record" round, in which solvers competed to set a Guinness World Record for fastest sudoku solution.

2015 World Sudoku Championship Sofia, Bulgaria

Of the 16 championships held so far, Kota Morinishi of Japan (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018) has been the most successful winner with four individual titles, over Thomas Snyder of United States (2007, 2008 and 2011) and Jan Mrozowski of Poland (2009, 2010 and 2012) who have each won three.

From 2007 there has also been a team competition. Japan is the most successful team, having won the title in 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2023; Czech Republic (2008, 2016, 2022), and China (2013, 2017, 2019) have won this title twice.

Starting from 2011, the event has been held alongside the World Puzzle Championship.

Participants edit

Currently, 30 countries are official members of the World Puzzle Federation. Individuals may also take part if their country is not already represented by a national team.[1]

Results summary edit

Year Host city Host nation Individual Team
Gold Silver Bronze Gold Silver Bronze
2023 Toronto Canada   Dai Tantan   Tiit Vunk   Kota Morinishi   Japan   Czech Republic   United States
2022 Kraków Poland   Tiit Vunk   Dai Tantan   Kota Morinishi   Czech Republic   Japan   Estonia
2021 Shanghai China Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[2]
2020
2019 Kirchheim Germany   Ken Endo   Kota Morinishi   Dai Tantan   China   Japan   Czech Republic
2018 Prague Czech Republic   Kota Morinishi   Bastien Vial-Jaime   Tiit Vunk   Japan   China   Germany
2017 Bangalore India   Kota Morinishi   Tiit Vunk   Qiu Yanzhe   China   Japan   France
2016 Senec Slovakia   Tiit Vunk   Jakub Ondroušek   Kota Morinishi   Czech Republic   China   Japan
2015 Sofia Bulgaria   Kota Morinishi   Tiit Vunk   Jakub Ondroušek   Japan   China   Czech Republic
2014 London United Kingdom   Kota Morinishi   Tiit Vunk   Bastien Vial-Jaime
  Jakub Ondroušek
  Japan   Germany   China
2013 Beijing China   Jin Ce   Kota Morinishi   Jakub Ondroušek   China   Czech Republic   Japan
2012 Kraljevica Croatia   Jan Mrozowski   Kota Morinishi   Hideaki Jo   Japan   Czech Republic   China
2011 Eger Hungary   Thomas Snyder   Kota Morinishi   Tiit Vunk   Germany   Czech Republic   United States
2010 Philadelphia United States   Jan Mrozowski   Jakub Ondroušek   Hideaki Jo   Germany   Czech Republic   Japan
2009 Žilina Slovakia   Jan Mrozowski   Branko Ceranic   Robert Babilon   Slovakia   Czech Republic   Serbia
2008 Goa India   Thomas Snyder   Yuhei Kusui   Jakub Ondroušek   Czech Republic   Japan   Germany
2007 Prague Czech Republic   Thomas Snyder   Yuhei Kusui   Peter Hudak   Japan   United States   Czech Republic
2006 Lucca Italy   Jana Tylova   Thomas Snyder   Wei-Hwa Huang - - -

Starting from 2013, titles have been awarded also for the best players in two age groups, Under 18 and Over 50 years of age.

Year Under 18 Over 50
Gold Silver Bronze Gold Silver Bronze
2023   Suzhe Qiu   Can Erturan   Tina Bratim   Mark Goodliffe   Philippe Meyer   Laura Tarchetti
2022   Nityant Agarwal   Can Erturan   Valerio Stancanelli   Mark Goodliffe   Taro Arimatsu   Philippe Meyer
2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020
2019   Ming Letian   Hu Yuxuan   Huang Mingrui   David McNeill   Zoran Tanasic   Joshua Zucker
2018   Ming Letian   Dai Tantan   Chen Shiyu   Michael Smit   Mark Goodliffe   Taro Arimatsu
2017   Dai Tantan   Hu Yuxuan   Ming Letian   David McNeill   Mark Goodliffe   Michael Smit
2016   Qiu Yanzhe   Chen Shiyu   Sun Cheran   Zoran Tanasic   Mark Goodliffe   Taro Arimatsu
2015   Sun Cheran   Dai Tantan   Chen Nuo   David McNeill   Mark Goodliffe   Zoran Tanasic
2014   Dai Tantan   Jin Ce   Sun Cheran   David McNeill   Jiri Hrdina   Stefano Forcolin
2013   Jin Ce   Sun Cheran   Qiu Yanzhe   Henning Kalsgaard Poulsen   Liang Yue   Stefano Forcolin

References edit

  1. ^ "WPF Members". World Puzzle Federation. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  2. ^ "World Sudoku Championships". Retrieved 2022-08-18.

External links edit

  • Official web site of the World Puzzle Federation
  • 2023: Official web site of the 16th WSC and 30th WPC
  • 2022: Official web site of the 15th WSC and 29th WPC
  • 2015: Official web site of the 10th WSC and 24th WPC
  • 2014: Official web site of the 9th WSC and 23rd WPC
  • 2013: Official web site of the 8th WSC and 22nd WPC
  • 2012: Official web site of the 7th WSC and 21st WPC
  • 2011: Official web site of the 6th WSC and 20th WPC
  • 2010: 5th WSC April 29-May 2, 2010 Philadelphia, United States
  • 4th WSC April 24–27, 2009 Žilina, Slovakia
  • 2008: 3rd WSC Goa, India
  • 2007: 2nd WSC Prague, Czech Republic
  • 2006: 1st WSC Lucca, Italy