The World Sudoku Championship (WSC) is an annual international puzzle competition organised by a national member of the World Puzzle Federation. The first event was held in Lucca, Italy, 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.
Kota Morinishi of Japan (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018) has been the most successful winner in the history of the event 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.
Since 2007 there has also been a team competition. Japan has been the most successful team, having won the title six times (in 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2023); China (2013, 2017, 2019, 2024 and 2025) won the title 5 times, where Czech Republic (2008, 2016, 2022) won the title three times.
Starting from 2011, the event has been held alongside the World Puzzle Championship series, which is also organised by the World Puzzle Federation.
Participants 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.
The 2025 World Sudoku Championship took place in Eger, Hungary.
The 2026 World Sudoku Championship is scheduled to take place in Kolkata, India.
Results summary
Year Host city Host nation Individual Team Gold Silver Bronze Gold Silver Bronze2026KolkataIndia 2025 Eger Hungary Dai Tantan Kota Morinishi Hu Yuxuan 2024 Beijing China Ming Letian Dai Tantan Hu Yuxuan 2023 Toronto Canada Dai Tantan Tiit Vunk Kota Morinishi 2022 Kraków Poland Tiit Vunk Dai Tantan Kota Morinishi 2021 Shanghai China Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2020 2019 Kirchheim Germany Ken Endo Kota Morinishi Dai Tantan 2018 Prague Czech Republic Kota Morinishi Bastien Vial-Jaime Tiit Vunk 2017 Bangalore India Kota Morinishi Tiit Vunk Qiu Yanzhe 2016 Senec Slovakia Tiit Vunk Jakub Ondroušek Kota Morinishi 2015 Sofia Bulgaria Kota Morinishi Tiit Vunk Jakub Ondroušek 2014 London United Kingdom Kota Morinishi Tiit Vunk Bastien Vial-Jaime Jakub Ondroušek 2013 Beijing China Jin Ce Kota Morinishi Jakub Ondroušek 2012 Kraljevica Croatia Jan Mrozowski Kota Morinishi Hideaki Jo 2011 Eger Hungary Thomas Snyder Kota Morinishi Tiit Vunk 2010 Philadelphia United States Jan Mrozowski Jakub Ondroušek Hideaki Jo 2009 Žilina Slovakia Jan Mrozowski Branko Ceranic Robert Babilon 2008 Goa India Thomas Snyder Yuhei Kusui Jakub Ondroušek 2007 Prague Czech Republic Thomas Snyder Yuhei Kusui Peter Hudák 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 Bronze2026 2025 Suzhe Qiu Can Erturan Nora Borst David McNeill Wei-Hwa Huang Philippe Meyer 2024 Suzhe Qiu Can Erturan Yang Leduo Philippe Meyer Svetlozar Stefanov Claudine Thiry 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
See also List of world championships in mind sports
References
External links
Official web site of the World Puzzle Federation 2025: Official web site of the 18th WSC, 32nd WPC and 2025 24-H Puzzle Championship 2024: Official web site of the 17th WSC and 31st WPC 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