Games get serious at ninth Sudoku world championships in Britain
Record numbers from around the world descend on a UK pub for a puzzling event
In an ornately decorated conference room in Croydon, South London, 180 heads are bowed.
"Everyone's got a script?" the supervisor asks. "You may begin now."
As booklets are turned over and concentrated silence fills the room, interrupted only by the frantic scratching of pencils, it becomes clear that sudoku is a solemn business.
This is the ninth world sudoku championships, this year being held in Britain for the first time.
Teams of four from 34 countries, from China and South Korea to Greece and the United States, have travelled to a suburban hotel in Surrey to compete for the glory of the title of world sudoku champion. The international craze for the Japanese puzzle was sparked by Wayne Gould, a retired Hong Kong judge.
Over two days the competitors will take part in 11 rounds of 45-minutes, grappling with over 60 different varieties with names such as killer sudoku, thermo sudoku and sandwich Sudoku.
Eight rounds are individual; in the others competitors work in national teams. The top 10 individuals then enter play-offs.
With no prize money, no controversies and no record of cheating, this may be the most civilised competition in the world. Yet it is a serious business. The youngest in the South Korean team is 10, and attended a two-day sudoku training camp before arriving.
The sex ratio of this year's competition is heavily skewed towards men, with women making up only about 30 per cent of competitors and only one female world champion on record. Competitors range from seven to 65 and upwards.
Alan O'Donnell, organiser of this year's championships, said the event was run purely by volunteers who loved puzzles.
"We've got record numbers this year. China broke the records last year but we've smashed that. This is the most all-encompassing sport in the world."
