The World Sudoku Championship (WSC) is an event that has been bringing puzzle lovers together since 2006. The World Sudoku Championship started out as a competition for individual players. Since 2007, teams have also been able to take part.
What is the World Sudoku Championship and why is it interesting?
The first World Cup under the International Puzzle Organization (World Puzzle Federation) was held in Lucca, Italy, in 2006. Since then, the event has been held in the USA, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, China, Bulgaria, Canada, and other countries. Canada will be hosting the World Sudoku Championship in 2023. There'll be competitions between teams and individual players in Toronto. Some of the world champions are Japanese, American, and Polish.
Kota Morinishi from Japan has won the World Sudoku Championship four times: in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. He's regarded as the most successful individual competitor in the World Cup. Thomas Snyder from the USA has the second-most wins. Thomas Snyder has three wins to his name: in 2007, 2008, and 2011. Jan Mrozowski from Poland is also in the top three. Jan Mrozowski took home the World Championship title in 2009, 2010, and 2012.
The Japanese are thought to be the most successful in the team competition. They've won the competition five times: in 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2018.
What makes the World Sudoku Championship interesting for regular players? It's really quite straightforward: it's a great way to keep track of the different logical solutions and approaches.
How the World Sudoku Championship works
Participants tackle a range of puzzles, from easy to medium to hard Sudoku.
The organizers set a time limit for solving the puzzle. We evaluate participants based on how quickly they can solve the puzzle. The winner is the person who solves Sudoku correctly in the shortest amount of time.
The competition conditions can vary depending on who's taking part and other factors.
For instance, in 2007, Thomas Snyder, an American, won the first US National Sudoku Championship and got to go to the World Cup as a result. Just to give you an idea: Thomas solved three puzzles—easy, medium, and hard—in just 9 minutes and 59 seconds.
It's interesting to watch the World Sudoku Championships, where the participants solve puzzles on large playing fields. Over a thousand spectators watched the masters analyze the fields and try to find the right numbers. Playing at the World Championships is more challenging than playing in a magazine, on a cell phone, or on a computer. This is down to more than just the rules of the event. It's also down to the emotional pressure.
World record in Sudoku
Kota Morinishi from Japan currently holds the record for the most champion titles. But the fastest Sudoku solution was solved by Thomas Snyder from the US in the shortest time. He solved the puzzle in the shortest amount of time—just 90 seconds! Thomas Snyder was duly recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for this accomplishment.
Prize fund of the World Sudoku Championship
If you think you're going to get rich quick on Sudoku and then go live on the sea, think again. The reason is that the event isn't as popular as the Olympics or similar sporting events. That means it doesn't have any sponsors, and their money is used to fund the prize money.
Thomas Snyder took home $10,000 in prize money for winning the championship in 2007. It's pretty tough to make a fortune off this money. It's also worth noting that the 2007 World Cup was held in the Czech Republic, and the flights from the USA alone would have cost about half that amount.
If the rumors are true, Snyder went right to new Sudoku tournaments after getting the prize money and spent almost all of it on travel and lodging.
Sudoku championships have a special atmosphere
For those taking part, puzzles are a kind of "sport" in themselves. World championships and regional competitions attract a unique audience. Thomas Snyder has said in interviews that he enjoys meeting enthusiasts from other countries, and the competitions are always a pleasant and friendly experience.
If you enjoy solving Sudoku and "cracking problems like peanuts," we encourage you to give it a try. What if your name is among the champions in 2024 or 2025?
