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.
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 thrice.
Starting from 2011, the event has been held alongside the World Puzzle Championship.
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]
Year | Host city | Host nation | Individual | Team | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | Silver | Bronze | Gold | Silver | Bronze | ||||
2024 | China | Upcoming competition | |||||||
2023 | Canada | Dai Tantan | Tiit Vunk | Kota Morinishi | |||||
2022 | Poland | Tiit Vunk | Dai Tantan | Kota Morinishi | |||||
2021 | China | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[2] | |||||||
2020 | |||||||||
2019 | Germany | Ken Endo | Kota Morinishi | Dai Tantan | |||||
2018 | Czech Republic | Kota Morinishi | Bastien Vial-Jaime | Tiit Vunk | |||||
2017 | India | Kota Morinishi | Tiit Vunk | Qiu Yanzhe | |||||
2016 | Slovakia | Tiit Vunk | Jakub Ondroušek | Kota Morinishi | |||||
2015 | Bulgaria | Kota Morinishi | Tiit Vunk | Jakub Ondroušek | |||||
2014 | United Kingdom | Kota Morinishi | Tiit Vunk | Bastien Vial-Jaime Jakub Ondroušek | |||||
2013 | China | Jin Ce | Kota Morinishi | Jakub Ondroušek | |||||
2012 | Croatia | Jan Mrozowski | Kota Morinishi | Hideaki Jo | |||||
2011 | Hungary | Thomas Snyder | Kota Morinishi | Tiit Vunk | |||||
2010 | United States | Jan Mrozowski | Jakub Ondroušek | Hideaki Jo | |||||
2009 | Slovakia | Jan Mrozowski | Branko Ceranic | Robert Babilon | |||||
2008 | India | Thomas Snyder | Yuhei Kusui | Jakub Ondroušek | |||||
2007 | Czech Republic | Thomas Snyder | Yuhei Kusui | Peter Hudák | |||||
2006 | 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 | Philippe Meyer | Laura Tarchetti | ||
2022 | Nityant Agarwal | Can Erturan | Valerio Stancanelli | 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 | Taro Arimatsu | ||
2017 | Dai Tantan | Hu Yuxuan | Ming Letian | David McNeill | Michael Smit | ||
2016 | Qiu Yanzhe | Chen Shiyu | Sun Cheran | Zoran Tanasic | Taro Arimatsu | ||
2015 | Sun Cheran | Dai Tantan | Chen Nuo | David McNeill | 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 |
See main article: world championships.