A special event called ‘Puzzle Palooza’ will be held on 14 October, allowing all the puzzle lovers from Kolkata to interact with international experts and take part in various activities. The Crossword Editor of New York Times, Will Shortz will host a general quiz contest at 4:30 p.m.
Some of the best puzzle solvers from across the world have gathered in Kolkata as the city launched the 19th World Sudoku and 33rd World Puzzle Championship (WSPC) 2026 on Sunday (October 11, 2026). The tournament organised by Logic Masters India (LMI) will showcase elite mind sports athletes from 35 countries this year.
The inaugural event was organised at The Westin in Kolkata’s Rajarhat, where the tournament will take place for the next seven days till October 18. The event will see five days of competitive brain games, with 38 rounds, over 100 Sudokus, and 250 puzzles created by LMI, this year’s host and the national representative at the World Puzzle Federation since 2008. The competition will also have an Indian touch, with several puzzles inspired by the tales of Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
India has previously hosted the WSPC in Bengaluru in 2017 and in Goa in 2008. Kolkata was chosen for 2026 for its reputation as India’s “intellectual capital” and for foreign delegations to immerse in Durga Puja festivities.
“Puzzle lovers from across the globe will come together for a week of competition, culture and camaraderie. Mind sports are a booming interest, with chess grandmasters, academia and news publications playing a key role in supporting the ecosystem and combating cognitive decline. LMI expands on this by scouting for and training youngsters into future champions,” said the chief of LMI, Amit Sowani, addressing the launching ceremony.
The event was also attended by the social activist and advocate Narayan Prasad Jain, multiple-time National and Asian Masters Athletics medallist Annu Sethia, triple crown winner of World Pickleball Championships 2025, Vinay Sethia, International Cue Sports Champion Manish Jain, and Zonal Head at C.K. Birla Hospitals Dr. Sombrata Roy.
The former Director of WPF and six-time puzzle champion from India, Prasanna Seshadri, later also introduced the teams from every country. Several former world champions, including 2025 champion China’s Tantan Dai, Japan’s Kota Morinishi and the USA’s Thomas Snyder, are participating in the championships.
The Indian team will be represented by Kishore Kumar Sridharan (37), who will lead the team alongside Nityant Agarwal (21), Harsh Poddar (27), and the father-son duo Jaipal Reddy Mogiligundla (51) and Kartik Reddy (24).
In 2022, Mr. Seshadri won India’s first silver at the World Puzzle Championship in Poland, while his protégé Nityant Agarwal bagged the U-18 gold at the World Sudoku Championship. Agarwal set a record for the best-ever finish by an Indian debutant. “We have been preparing for this championship for the last few months. We are excited to compete with some of the best solvers in the world at our own country. We are confident that India will perform its best,” said Mr. Sridharan.
The Title Sponsor of the 2026 World Championships is mental math and brain games app Matiks. Team India’s sponsor is MBA academy Rodha. The Technology Partner is B2B puzzle software firm Amuse Labs. The Hindu is also a media partner of the tournament this year.
Puzzle Palooza
Meanwhile, a special event called ‘Puzzle Palooza’ will be held on October 14, allowing all the puzzle lovers from Kolkata to interact with international experts and take part in various activities. The Crossword Editor of New York Times, Will Shortz, the principal puzzlemaster of LinkedIn Games, Thomas Snyder, renowned author Ria Chopra will also be present in the event as they will take the audience through the art of logic, strategy and growing creative careers.
Four events will be run from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mr. Snyder will host the LinkedIn Games tournament at 3:10 p.m., Mr. Shortz will host the general quiz event at 4:30 p.m., and LMI will host a puzzle design masterclass workshop at 5:45 p.m.
Published - October 12, 2026 01:43 pm IST